Elyse Courville’s Copenhagen Business School MBA experience propelled her from biomechanics into business. The Canadian native spoke to MBAGRADSCHOOLS about the hands-on learning, entrepreneurship skills, and global insight offered in the Danish capital.
Originally from Montreal, Canada, Elyse Courville began her academic journey in kinesiology and biomechanics. With a solid foundation in science, she sought to expand her skillset by gaining a deeper understanding of business. Following her full-time MBA program, she returned to Canada as a consultant at the life sciences company IQVIA, connecting both academic disciplines.
Choosing to pursue an MBA at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) stemmed from her desire to study abroad, specifically in Europe. After discussions with a range of people and schools, a pattern started to emerge.
Elyse recalls, “Everyone kept telling me Copenhagen Business School has a good reputation. It’s got quite the name.” (00:53) CBS stood out on Elyse’s shortlist for its small class size, personalized attention, and commitment to sustainability and diversity.
However, it was the focus on entrepreneurship that made the Copenhagen Business School MBA experience so appealing to Elyse. She recalls, “I had always been interested in startups. How do you go from an idea to an actual startup and eventually a scaleup?” (01:31) The entrepreneurship specialization offered the chance to see the entire process unfold.
Before her MBA, Elyse worked in life sciences consulting. Although she enjoyed the work, she was missing a vital piece of the puzzle. “I was lacking the business acumen”, Elyse said. “I needed a boost and a different way of thinking.” (02:06)
While her science background dealt in fine details, the CBS MBA teaches a big-picture perspective of how things fit together. The world class CBS MBA curriculum encouraged Elyse to analyze challenges across systems and industries, rather than focusing solely on technical details.
Elyse’s shift in mindset has been instrumental in her current consulting role since returning to Canada. However, Elyse’s internship at Health Tech Hub Copenhagen was a critical training ground for these skills.
She explains, “I’ve learned that it’s super important to have the right people talking to the right people. You, as one individual person, can’t do much. But if we all work together, then you can do so much more and achieve great things.” (04:31)
Health Tech Hub Copenhagen, an innovation hub for life science startups, was a “dream internship” for Elyse. Seeing digital therapeutics through a business lens, she learned how to accelerate progress through collaboration between stakeholders outside the lab.
The Copenhagen Business School MBA experience goes beyond academics, internships, and leadership development. One of the school’s defining features is how it integrates sustainability, diversity, and inclusion into the classroom and community.
Elyse says sustainability wasn’t simply an elective. It was part of every discussion. “[It was] an integral piece of every discussion…We can’t keep going the way we’re going.” (05:05) This reflects Elyse’s belief that sustainability should span all departments, not just a dedicated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) team.
The cohort itself expressed diversity, with 41 students representing over 20 nationalities. Therefore, candidates participated in richer class discussions and gained a broader cultural understanding. Elyse explains, “It made for such an enriching experience. We all come from different cultures…we got to share so much [and] got to celebrate everyone’s holidays.” (06:09)
Gender balance was another deciding factor in Elyse’s decision. As she outlines, “It’s really important that we listen to one another and that we have equal voices.” (06:36). CBS maintains a fairly equal gender balance, which empowers all students to contribute equally.
As a Triple Crown-accredited institution in the capital of Denmark, it’s easy to see CBS’s attraction.
However, Elyse offers a more personal takeaway to summarize her Copenhagen Business School MBA experience. “The most valuable [lesson] was the way of thinking, the way of analyzing problems, the way of assessing different things.” (07:05) More than a qualification, it gives graduates the skills and confidence to make a great impact on their careers immediately.
For future students considering an MBA at CBS, Elyse recommends immersing yourself as much as possible. She reflected, “I was one of the student representatives…and it just made it a much more enjoyable experience. (07:59)
To finish, Elyse left us with perhaps the greatest piece of advice for an MBA candidate in Copenhagen. “Get a bike. Bike around the city. It is the best way to experience that city because that city is magical.” (08:27)
Discover more about Copenhagen Business School’s MBA program and connect with an ambassador to explore how it can shape your career.
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