Aida is the definition of an international woman. She was born in Bosnia, grew up in Germany and lived in various countries along the way. While in Germany, she studied economics and English and gained her expertise in sales and strategy. She later moved to London, where she was inspired and encouraged to follow her dream of completing an MBA, resulting in her move to Spain to attend IE Business School for the International MBA. She then moved to China for a job and later started her own business—which she ran for six years while living in Malaysia. Then, two years ago, she decided to come back home to live in Europe. Aida has recently been enjoying a creative break and is currently involved in various activities including consulting and advisory projects while preparing for her next role. She stands firm in the belief that as a society we need diversity, not only gender specific, but diversity in general.
"Studying the International MBA was one of the best gifts I have ever given to myself in regard to experience, people and learning."
It’s impossible to describe my experience in just one word, but two things that help describe it are hard work and diversity.
I always say to my friends, “You guys bought your first flats, and I invested in an International MBA. And I would do it again if given the choice.” Studying the International MBA was one of the best gifts I have ever given to myself when it comes to experience, people and learning.
When I began my studies at IE Business School, I already had quite a few years of work experience behind me; however, I was playing around with the idea of starting my own business and thought I was lacking some key skills to do so. IE Business School taught me hard skills that I have never been in touch with before—ones that I would have previously considered to be outside my comfort zone like the financial assessment of a company or supply chain specialities. I also learned a lot from my international peers. The intercultural environment served as a fun learning experience to meet international colleagues and professors alike.
Starting your own business requires an idea you believe in, courage, tenacity and a lot of hard work. Achieving a work-life balance is not an easy feat—I must admit, I wasn’t the best at it. I had friends help open my eyes to how much I was working and they helped me push the pause button.
After I pushed pause, I needed to learn how to let go. Your business becomes your baby, so you enter with high expectations for yourself. But, with time, I learned that not everything has to be perfect and it’s fine not to control things too much—with this mindset, I was able to create a work-life balance. This was a long process and it definitely didn’t happen overnight.
Within my own business, I have never felt that I was treated differently because I am a woman. Upon returning to Europe two years ago, I was struck by the fact that being a working female can be an issue here.
I am a member of a female network here in Germany, and when my friends and colleagues talked about the “glass ceiling” I couldn’t really follow. I never had that experience in Asia. I wholeheartedly believe that Asia is, in this respect, significantly ahead of Europe. It’s not uncommon to see a female CEO in Asia, especially because I think that Asia is more willing to accept women in a leading position because it is incredibly dynamic and fast developing.
Europe is steadily progressing and IE Business School certainly is contributing—by simply living diversity and uniting everyone in the IE Business School family.