Follow Alexa Ramirez from Costa Rica to Europe as she pursues the LeadTech Global Executive MBA with École des Ponts Business School and EADA. From immersive sessions in Paris and Barcelona to applying design thinking and AI in finance, Alexa shares with us the program’s perfect blend of business, technology, and leadership.
Alexa Ramirez moved to Barcelona from Puerto Rico three years ago. With years of experience as a project manager for Bayer, she wanted to lead with purpose and inspire action. So, she looked for a program that would inspire her with new ways to lead.
“I came here to Barcelona, I established myself, and I said I’d like to further my career here in Europe,” she explains. “And then I started thinking, an MBA can be the right fit for me.” (00:25)
“I started reviewing… where were the MBAs around in the market. And I ended up in this Global Executive MBA LeadTech by École des Ponts Business School and EADA. And I say, okay, this actually fits for me. It actually fits for my career,” she says. (00:35)
The LeadTech Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) is a jointly developed program from two top-ranked, internationally accredited institutions: École des Ponts Business School in Paris and EADA Business School in Barcelona.
The program offers students a blended experience, with immersive modules in both Barcelona and Paris, plus further international modules held in San Francisco/Silicon Valley and Singapore. In total, students spend 3 weeks in Barcelona, 3 weeks in Paris, and undertake at least 1 International study trip to either San Francisco or Singapore, or even both.
Students explore how technology, innovation, and leadership intersect in today’s business world.
Barcelona and Paris are renowned as vibrant cities. Each city brings its own distinct character and offers students opportunities to grow, both personally and professionally.
“The component [where] we have different immersive sessions, both in Barcelona and in Paris, it draws everybody’s attention,” she enthuses. “First, because it’s great to travel around, and these are both amazing cities.” (01:00)
She expands, “But it also gives you the perspective of two different business ecosystems. And two different ways of working as well… two different cultures to work with.” (01:13)
The LeadTech Global Executive MBA in Barcelona and Paris offers students a unique chance to experience two amazing cities during a singular learning experience. As she puts it, “the best of both worlds, fitted into one single program.” (01:23)
With Barcelona’s thriving startup ecosystem and Paris’s access to top-tier companies and institutions, the two cities offer a compelling blend.
For Alexa, learning skills that could be instantly applied in her job was a key benefit of the program.
“I think that was a great surprise, to see these entrepreneurship skills come out so much in this Executive MBA,” she says. (01:28)
During the Global Executive MBA, students explore how to build their own company in a startup environment. They also discover how to blend human-centric experiences with technology. As Alexa explains, “…[we discover] how you center your solutions in humans, [explore] what are the human needs, and how technology can bring this into place…” (01:47)
“It is very good to see what are the needs of a group of people or a process, and what are the solutions you are going to bring from a technology perspective,” says Alexa. (01:54)
For Alexa, she was able to apply classroom insights directly into her everyday work.
“This is something that I quickly put together in the team that I work with. So, we can actually bring those solutions, bring AI into the finance process as well. So, I immediately brought what I learned in the class to the company I work with,” she explains. (02:15)
This empathy-based approach is at the heart of the LeadTech Global Executive MBA – examining how technology can enhance experiences, rather than dictate them.
During the LeadTech Global Executive MBA program, Alexa had a powerful moment of discovery. She realized that, while technology itself is a hugely influential force, its direction and impact are shaped by people. And those people are not always who we think they are.
“Before, I thought that the only people that can tell us what to do with technology were developers,” says Alexa. “But I think that from a business perspective, and from a human-centric perspective as well, technology should be an enabler for everything else.” (02:30)
The LeadTech Global Executive MBA gave Alexa a new perspective. For her, technologies like artificial intelligence are not going to steal jobs. They are enablers, powerful tools that will help us create a better world.
The beauty of the LeadTech Global Executive MBA program is the balance between what’s happening in the outside world and what’s happening within each student. On the one hand, you gain a deeper understanding of the rapid evolution of technology across the globe. And on the other hand, you unlock your own evolution and discover your role in shaping the future.
“And right now, I feel like ‘I did it!’ I’m able to do it, I’m continuing to do it, and I definitely don’t regret it,” she says. (03:08)
Whatever your industry, the LeadTech Global Executive MBA can prepare you to have a meaningful impact in an increasingly complex world.
Do you want to study for an MBA? Read more inspiring stories from MBA graduates and see if it is the right next step for you.
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