by Elena Aldea, Recruitment and Admissions Officer, Executive MBA Programmes
As an Executive MBA (EMBA) student, you will have the opportunity to explore the business world outside of the campus by participating in the Global Business Assignment (GBA).
The GBA is a one-week credited course led and assessed by LBS faculty, that runs in the second year of the programme.
For the project, the groups are formed of students from the EMBA, as well as students from our other leadership programmes, the EMBA-Global and LBS Sloan. The aim of the course is to visit and work within a key economic organisation, meet with senior industry professionals and also connect with alumni in locations worldwide: Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Buenos Aires, Beijing, San Francisco, Mexico City and Athens. With such a fantastic opportunity to work alongside LBS faculty and your classmates at an international location of your choice, you are able to practice and further develop core skills.
The GBA pushes participants out of their comfort zone. It tests them on their expertise and understanding of the leadership and management essentials, whilst also helping you appreciate global markets and how economies are driven in new locations. It provides a great opportunity to analyse the impact of global trends, products and technologies, as well as examine local solutions for either early start-ups or long-standing companies.
Noy Dor, from the January 2017 intake, decided to head East to China for his GBA:
“The high level of organised companies, notable guest speakers, cultural tours and events, provided us with a rare look into, and a profound understanding of, one of the world’s leading economies. This, without a doubt, helped me shape the way I view the global context of the current business world and foresee some dramatic changes expected down the road.
My whole perception of the Chinese economy and political system has changed dramatically. Only after witnessing first-hand the level and magnitude of Chinese start-ups, academic institutions and financial sector players, can you truly appreciate the current state of their economy.”
On the other hand, Angela Stathi, from our September 2017 intake, explored the Western part of the world with her GBA in San Francisco:
“One of the highlights of my Executive MBA was the GBA in San Francisco where we had the chance to visit LinkedIn, Google, Uber, IDEO, PayPal and Visa. This trip was truly transformational and inspirational at the same time. Among the excellent speakers, Lyle Fong and Pascal Finette from Radical Ventures Llc & Singularity University were my favourite speakers. Lyle shared with us some fascinating stories of the San Francisco start-up world and how he ventured himself in this world as well helped others raise funds on his way to success. Pascal talked about the speed and the scale at which technology is being developed and how companies will need to learn to adapt in order to remain competitive.”
Interested in applying to our Executive MBA? Submit your CV for an informal review with our Recruitment team to discuss your eligibility for the programme.