Simona Sarkissian started her career as a banker in Beirut, with the ultimate aspiration to become a strong female leader. In pursuit of her dreams she crossed borders, came to Europe, and joined ESSEC Business School. Read on to find out how Simona wanted to encourage and inspire other women who have to fight harder and wait longer for a position in the management ranks of the financial industry.
The routes that exist for women who aspire to see themselves in top leadership roles are full of twists and turns. However, ambitious women like Simona Sarkissian rely on their perseverance and hard work to figure out a viable route to reach the top.
Born and raised in Australia, 28-year-old Simona Sarkissian moved back to Lebanon – her home country – to trace her Lebanese-Armenian roots. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Management in Lebanon and joined the Marketing and Communication department of a bank in Lebanon, where she worked for six years. But, as a career woman she soon discovered that this was not enough. She wanted to walk that extra mile and saw herself more in a leadership role. To fulfill her dreams, she moved to Europe to do an MBA in Strategy and Management at ESSEC Business School.
“I decided that I wanted to shift to a managerial position, so I thought that experiencing something new and moving to Europe, in a country that I wasn’t familiar with, would be an exciting journey,” she shares. (00:28)
In today’s world of business, the most important tool is a powerful network of well-connected people. ESSEC Business School offers a great platform to establish and nurture long-term mutually beneficial relationships with peers and takes control of students’ career development. Not only do the courses uncover opportunities to connect with experienced advisors, but they also help to increase visibility with senior management, small startups, large corporations, and develop your soft skills.
It was all because of these improved networking skills that Simona secured an early start to her career long before graduation. She joyously shares, “Thanks to [the] ESSEC [MBA], I really was ready to network, reach out to multiple individuals…a lot of networking sessions and a lot of travel…Even before graduating, I have a job. So thanks to [the] ESSEC [MBA], this has been a tremendous experience.” (00:40)
Nowadays it is a call to arms for women around the world to capitalize on their innate power and femininity. There have been many examples of women climbing the top of wealth management and addressing the gender gap. But, let’s be honest – we have a long way to go.
Despite the progress women have made, they still experience significant cultural and institutional barriers that work against them professionally. Simona admits, “Being a woman in the financial industry is not something easy at all. A lot of people have struggles. I personally face a lot of barriers even throughout what happened and a lot of issues that came along the way.” (01:24)
However, Simona has gained confidence and has decided to support other women who are ready to take up new challenges in life and want to become leaders. She wants to form close connections with other women. It’s true that we no longer need to ask women what they are worth, but it’s time to bring their unique talents to make them leaders.
Simona adds, “I still managed to get through and I believe, as a woman, if you have a goal that you want to reach you should always reach it…It takes effort and patience. That’s the most important thing. That’s what I really want to take forward with me…All the support I have got, I want to give it back, not just to the ESSEC community, but everyone out there. Everyone who is ready to shift industries, ready to move in a new geography…it’s just being determined and inspiring all women out there.” (01:41)
Curious to know more about the ESSEC Business School and its MBA programs? Click on MBAGRADSCHOOLS Ambassadors’ page and contact past students directly.
