Ashutosh Mangalik - HEC MBA 2008 graduate

A truly international MBA program
The HEC MBA program exceeded my expectations. All MBA programs claim to be international and to have candidates of an extremely high calibre. But if you go to the American business schools, you find that 70% are Americans and 30% are international. This is basically the opposite of HEC, which is 80% international and 20% French. In that sense, HEC really lived up to its claim of being an international MBA.

An emphasis on community building
One of the main things that attracted me to the HEC MBA Program was its emphasis on community building. There is a complete lack of intellectual arrogance on campus and the class spirit is incredible. My primary motive for pursuing an MBA was to challenge myself and do something that I had never done before, and I wanted to make a career shift to facilitate this transformative process. Coming to HEC was a way to meet new people who had similar aspirations and were really looking to push themselves.

An opportunity to explore a new culture
These were truly the 10 best months of my life - and that's not because I've had an uneventful life! I've made some phenomenal friendships during this MBA, and I know for a fact that they are going to last a lifetime. I remain in very close contact with at least 20 to 25 people from my class. I would tell current and prospective MBA participants to concentrate on the people and enjoy the process. Everyone who is admitted to this program is a high-achieving, high-profile individual, so participants should really focus on bonding with their classmates, enjoying Paris, and immersing themselves in French culture.

Project work that opens doors
I currently work with Abbott Laboratories, an American healthcare company that has global operations extending to 65,000 employees located in about 130 countries. In my case, I was extended a full time offer within the IPP phase of the program, so instead of doing an internship, I started working for my current company. I give a lot of credit to the IPP track because it gave me the option of starting when I thought I was ready.