Mauricio Gentile

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA USING ONE WORD: 

Outstanding.

WHAT ARE RESIDENTIAL PERIODS LIKE? WHAT IS THE ONLINE PERIOD LIKE?

During the residential period, you get to know the teammates you’ve worked so hard with during the term. You get the chance to strengthen those relationships as well as keep learning with face-to-face activities. The online period is very time efficient because you learn as you would in physical classes, but you can attend from anywhere in the world. I have attended classes from Austria, Brazil, Italy and Russia.

YOU’VE BEEN WORKING IN MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE PROGRAM ADD TO YOUR GLOBAL SKILL SET?

My experience in the program is different from my experience in the company because the discussions are leveraged, and you have the opportunity to resolve the same case with different ways of thinking. In my company, hierarchy matters, whereas in the MBA, the different views are seen as positive, bringing you more knowledge and experience. For example, for one financial case study, my group came up with three different ways to reach the same result. It was the best moment of the program for me.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM? 

I chose the program because of the residential periods, the cultural diversity, the rankings and the level of the students.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE PROGRAM WILL HELP YOU IN YOUR ROLE AS GENERAL MANAGER AND GLOBAL KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER?

I have learned about many topics I used to hear about in my role. Before the MBA, I felt I couldn’t add value due to a lack of knowledge about certain things, and the program brought me that knowledge and experience through cases my peers were already familiar with. I didn’t just grow my network—I had the opportunity to meet people from many different cultures and markets.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE JUST STARTING THE GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA AT IE BUSINESS SCHOOL?

Dedicate the time to actually enjoy learning, instead of just going to class. Don’t be afraid of the amount of readings and whatnot, because in the end it will make you a better manager and person.

WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

Never stop learning. People can take away your job, house, car, wife… but they can’t take away the knowledge you acquire.

HOW HAS THE PROGRAM IMPACTED YOU ON A PERSONAL LEVEL?

You need to dedicate a lot of time to the program, but it pays off when you see that you’re participating in more complex discussions and having a better understanding of topics you never thought about before. There is the pre-MBA Mauricio and the post-MBA Mauricio. I am a completely new person.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE TAKEN IN YOUR CAREER?

To leave DuPont for AkzoNobel to experience a new organization. In my view, you need to make changes in order to experience different feelings. It was a big risk to move from Brazil to Austria without knowing German, living in a cold country without knowing a single person.