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Sophie Dornbach | IE Business School

Sophie Dornbach

About me

Sophie Dornbach is half German and half French. She grew up in a large, multicultural family, has five brothers and sisters and is a mother of three children.

Dornbach is an experienced consultant within the HR & Recruitment sector and has a strong background in communication. She has lived in five different countries and recently moved from the UAE to Switzerland.

Sophie Dornbach
Consultant at Spring Professional Switzerland (The Adecco Group)
Icono InformaciónIcono informaciónInformation IconIcon informationGermany / France
Global Online MBA
Sophie Dornbach | IE Business School

"Never before have I had such a burning desire to chase my dreams and strive for more. This sense of ambition has been instilled in me by the Global Online MBA experience and the determination of the people in the program."

Sophie Dornbach

DEFINE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE GLOBAL ONLINE MBA USING ONE WORD.

Transformational.

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THE GLOBAL ONLINE MBA HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE, PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY?

Both my husband and I come from international backgrounds—I’m half German and half French and my husband is half Argentinean and half Spanish. Additionally, I’ve had experience living in five different countries. As a result, I was convinced I knew what it meant to “be international.” But it was only when I started the Global Online MBA that I really realized the full meaning behind it.

Has it changed my life? Yes, indeed my life has changed. Never before have I had such a burning desire to chase my dreams and strive for more. This sense of ambition has been instilled in me by the Global Online MBA experience and the determination of the people in the program.

The MBA was a “little” milestone that I really wanted to achieve for myself. And now, as a result, I can consider unexpected career paths and changes in my professional life. When I say it has been a transformational experience, I really mean it—the MBA experience changes the way you think, the way you act and the way you are.

Finally, I believe that I have grown as a person. I had days of total exhaustion, huge doubt, extreme pressure and endless deadlines. But I have learned one thing: to always fall forwards. I never fell backwards, no matter how hard it got sometimes. I always looked forwards and if I did fall, I would always fall forwards.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN THE PROGRAM?

Be open-minded. Be prepared for the inevitable crisis moments. Learn how to unlearn.

But more importantly, enjoy. That is perhaps the simplest, yet the most important advice I have to give. The program is challenging, exciting, exhausting and frustrating, but at the same time, it’s enriching, exciting, valuable, transformational and life-changing.

Embrace every part of the experience, every single chapter and all of the incredible, unique classmates you will meet—you only do an MBA once.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THE GLOBAL ONLINE MBA SO FAR?

Graduation. Over the past 15 months I developed a very special relationship with the MBA.

There were no weekends, there were no breaks. I ate, slept and breathed the MBA. I spent more time working on it than with my own family. My evenings consisted of forum posts and daily calls, group discussions and project work. On weekends, the typical video conferences and individual case studies filled my time, yet I don’t regret a single thing.

We’ve shared moments of fear, loss and happiness. There have been nerve-wracking and also unique moments, yet the most beautiful one was looking at all the proud and unburdened faces when they threw their caps up in the Main Hall in Madrid on July 16 2019.

WHAT IS NETWORKING LIKE IN THE GLOBAL ONLINE MBA?

It’s like waking up each day and suddenly being able to call about 96 people your friends.

It’s crazy and engaging. Personally, I would say that the networking is the biggest asset. You meet people who you would never have met before, and connect with people across the globe in a way that you would never have expected to have done so.

All of a sudden, your personal network increases dramatically and on top of that, it’s not superficial, it’s true friendship.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY THE GLOBAL ONLINE MBA?

I am a full-time working mum with three beautiful girls—two three-year-olds and one 11-year-old. When looking into options to enrich my career and expand my horizons, I quickly found out that IE University and the Global Online MBA was the only place that allowed me to combine my professional career with my personal life, without abandoning one or the other.

Furthermore, IE University has a strong focus on women. I always felt supported and welcomed, like we made the perfect match.

WHAT ARE THE RESIDENTIAL WEEKS LIKE? WHAT ARE THE ONLINE PERIODS LIKE?

That’s something you must experience yourself. I believe it’s been the most transformational experience in my life. I would never have expected to build up such strong relationships, such a sense of togetherness and support between all my classmates, having only met them during the residential weeks and online.

It’s an overwhelming feeling—it’s like a marathon you all run together, sharing a feeling of team spirit and a common language. You all have the same goal—to obtain the MBA—but it’s not a one-man show, it truly comes down to teamwork.

Now, the real question is: how? How much effort, how much sacrifice, how much time, energy and commitment are you willing to invest?

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