08/09/2006 | University of Cambridge, Judge Institute of Management
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Stefano Martinotti
University of Cambridge, Judge Institute of Management
- What were you doing before your MBA?
I am a Manager at Accenture. I have been working for the past seven years at the European Headquarter of the Global Architecture and Core Technology services based in Sophia Antipolis – France.
I had the pleasure and the privilege to follow clients in six different countries (the projects were based in London, Paris, Cologne, Nice, Brussels and Zurich). My responsibilities include the definition and re-engineering of core business process and the implementation of the underlying systems.
I managed projects of typically 5000 man-days and average length 12 months. I also regularly interacted with senior client executives. I took a one-year leave fro training to join the Cambridge MBA.
- What were your main reasons for deciding to attend business school?
I decided to undertake the Cambridge University MBA in order to consolidate and formalise the management techniques I learned on the job and to acquire the latest strategy analysis tools.
- What research did you undertake in selecting your school?
I read specialised press and web site, talked to friends’ alumni of different business schools and attended the MBA World Tour event in Paris.
I then applied to three business schools (INSEAD, Oxford Said Business School and the Cambridge University MBA). I have been admitted to all three schools. After a close comparison I chose to join the Cambridge MBA.
- What were the main criteria in your selection?
Amongst others, five main criteria:
• Degree of internationalism
• Prestige of the business school
• Academic excellence
• Background of students
• Value for money
I find the Cambridge MBA is an excellent choice under each of these criteria. The current cohort of students, 104 people, counts 91% of international students coming from 35 nationalities. It one of the most international MBAs in the world and the most international between the three schools I applied to.
The Judge Institute of Management is a world-ranking centre of research, providing international leadership in key areas of management studies.
Cambridge University is an undisputed centre of academic excellence boasting 80 Nobel prizes (more than any other academic institution).
Comparing my working experience whit that of people coming from different backgrounds is an essential asset of an MBA experience. The Cambridge MBA offers one of the most diverse and balanced student bodies. Cambridge MBA being a one (…very intense…) year course guarantees an excellent value for money, well above that of most two-year courses.
- Why did you decide to study either in your own country or overseas?
Being Italian and having lived in France for six years, international living is important to me. Therefore choosing an MBA abroad was a natural choice.
- How well do your think the MBA is regarded in your home country?
I think MBA are becoming increasingly important in all main economies. Business education allows professionals to formalise their past working experience and provide them with the necessary tools to face an increasingly complex and global working environment.
I think the MBA is gaining wide recognition as a necessary prerequisite to access senior executive positions. While this used to be true especially in the US and UK, it is now become increasingly true also in the Euro zone countries.
- How are you financing your studies?
Personal savings
- Did you apply for any scholarships? If so, which ones?
No I did not. However I am aware there are scholarships it is possible to apply for.
- Have you already been, or do you intend to become an entrepreneur?
I have never been an entrepreneur and I have no immediate plan to become one. However both the Cambridge MBA and Cambridge University as a whole place a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship. The MBA programme offers a number of courses on entrepreneurship and it is well connected to several initiatives aimed at fostering entrepreneurial sprit. Also the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning is integral part of the business school.
- Are there any well-known and/or successful entrepreneurs that are alumni of your school?
Cambridge University is at the very heart of the thriving entrepreneurial community known as Silicon Fern. The University counts a number of professors who launched their entrepreneurial initiatives.
Sir Richard Friend, for example, a professor of physics at Cambridge, knighted by the Queen of England for his pioneering work in utilising polymers (…yeah, plastic…) into working transistors. He rapidly leveraged his discoveries into a vision where mobile phones, televisions, watches, computers and so on could use chips or displays made of plastic. Prof. Friend invented innovative processes, but he also patented them and used them to create two successful companies: Plastic Logic and Cambridge Display Technology (CDT). He offered plenty of business suggestions based on his experience, and his pleasant humour made the evening particularly enriching.
Prof. Sahakian offers another example. She is established in her field with over 200 publications in scientific journals such as Nature, Science, The Lancet and Brain, to name just a few. But she also started CANTAB (a computer-automated battery of neuropsychological tests) in 1998.
Jack Lang, who is a “serial entrepreneur” teaches an elective on entrepreneurship as part of the MBA programme.
- How much do you expect to earn on graduation?
As an order of magnitude, I expect to earn close to 100000 EUR (or equivalent in parity purchase power).
- What do you expect to do on graduation and where do you expect to be based?
I plan to resume my position in Accenture. I might consider moving to a different position/location within the firm.
- Where do you see yourself in ten years time:
a) Own Business
b) Senior employee (Senior Manager, Director etc.)
c) Downshifting for work life balance
It is difficult to say; most probably I will be a senior employee in a professional services firm. Starting my own business however could be an interesting opportunity.
- How easy or difficult do you expect it to be to achieve these objectives?
The working environment is becoming increasingly complex and therefore the requirement on executives, even junior ones, are becoming more and more demanding. Nonetheless I am confident that the current MBA experience together with my previous professional experience.
