In pursuit of career growth

Ana Lucia Valdivieso, a current MBA student at EU Business School, traversed the world in the interest of advancing her career.  She completed her bachelor’s in international business and management in Peru, and joined a work program in the U.S. She then went to Cairo to work as a manager in a men’s luxury fashion store. 

Being an ambitious young woman wishing to gather new experiences, Ana Lucia realized that she needed to walk that extra mile for future advancement in business: an MBA. For better or worse, the pandemic gave her plenty of time to research schools from back home in Peru. (01:07)

Once Ana Lucia discovered EU Business School, the next step was deciding which campus suited her best. In Barcelona, she felt it would be too easy to only speak Spanish outside of class. 

Between the campuses in Geneva and Munich, Munich already had a place in her heart. She had visited before while living in Cairo and had fallen in love with the city and its people. (09:06) 

Finally, she had to choose a specialization. EU Business School has 11 different MBA specializations. It was by considering the future of all businesses regardless of the industry that Ana Lucia chose the MBA in Digital Business.

The future of business is digital

The way business is done is transforming, and enterprises are adopting cutting-edge technologies as part of their strategy. Digitalizing core business processes like marketing is the way forward.

Schools like EU Business School are offering MBA programs in Digital Business for graduates looking for a deeper understanding of new disruptive digital technologies. 

Ana Lucia says the course provides a new perspective on what it means for businesses to have a digital presence. Ana Lucia is grateful the program gave her the opportunity to “understand how companies [succeed] when they change their business model to an online model”. (08:27)

Stressing the importance of preparing for the future, she emphasizes that the future of business is digital. (08:49)

Overcoming language barriers

The future of business also includes diverse, international networks that are being facilitated by the digital transformation. 

Though it’s behind Mandarin Chinese and Spanish in terms of native speakers, English is the language for international communication. As such, EU Business School offers innovative programs in English to a multicultural student community of 100+ nationalities.

For Ana Lucia, the program’s international dimension was a selling point, but also a hurdle to overcome. “It was my first time studying in English, so I would say my English was ok, it was good,” she explains. “But I would never compare my English before my MBA and after my MBA.” (03:38)

Getting a grasp of the English language was also one of the main reasons why she chose the international city of Munich. It was transformational for her – to be able to speak, interact with classmates, and do all the coursework in English.

“During my studies, I had to write essays, I had to do presentations in front of my classmates…. It gave me a lot of confidence to speak in public in English.” says Ana Lucia. (03:57)

Gaining global connections

For most graduates, an MBA kicks off a lifelong learning process and creates global networking opportunities. 

“I have developed even more my interpersonal skills,” Ana Lucia tells us. “Many of my classmates are now my friends, and they are from different countries like from Kenya, from Singapore, from Morocco, from Latin America.”

Diversity among its students and faculty is one of EU Business School’s strengths. Though classmates were coming from radically different backgrounds, they were able to connect and grow together. 

“It’s really amazing how I could gain these skills to understand different perspectives,” Ana Lucia says, “and to, at the end, build a relationship with them and create a very useful network.” (04:35)

What the future holds for Ana Lucia is impossible to say. However, her multicultural MBA experience is sure to serve her well as she continues to seek opportunities around the world.

Curious to hear more about the EU Business School experience? Reach out to Ana Lucia directly from our ambassadors page.