I have a PhD in Pharmacology and I have also managed major R&D projects in psychiatry. Before registering for the HEC Paris EMBA entreprise training program, I had reached a point where I no longer felt in line with the corporate strategy of my company. I felt that other business models could better serve the pharmaceutical industry and their stakeholders. I was looking for a new vision and approach to the business. I needed to learn business skills and methodology in order to provide myself with the necessary tools to create an innovative clinical project, and more specifically to acquire a strong knowledge in order to set up my own company.
I chose the Major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation because it specifically addresses best practices in business creation and has an elective partnership program with one of the leading universities in the United States.
I particularly appreciated the excellence of the teaching and the field-experience of the Professors at HEC Paris. They offered a globalized vision of business, with a unique combination of academic and practical learning. The quality of the materials and logistics were also outstanding aspects of the HEC Paris EMBA program.
One of my favorite memories of the program was the very first day - I could really feel the excitement and energy of everyone around me. I also fondly remember the day I stood up to defend my thesis - this was a real achievement and marked the start of my new life. The topic of my thesis was a novel business model that serves as an interface between pre-clinical and clinical drug developers. Its objective is to accelerate the transition of a new drug for Dementia and Alzheimer's from research to clinical trials. The challenge was to integrate all the information gathered over the 12 months of the EMBA program into a realistic and viable business plan. However, the outcome was very rewarding. I was pushed to my limit. The role of the mentor was crucial for everyone - they put enough pressure to help us achieve our potential and gave guidance in order to avoid going off-track. Winning the HEC Paris Foundation EMBA 'Best Thesis Award' was a great recognition of the quality and pertinence of the subject, analysis and business value of my project.
I can say now that the HEC Paris EMBA program has changed by vision of strategy, management and entrepreneurship. It has provided me with the foundations to become an entrepreneur and to approach innovation and change in a completely different way. Before the program I was a scientist with business acumen. After the program, I am a business woman with scientific acumen. The program built my self-confidence, and enabled me to step back from challenging situations and out of my comfort zone. I have changed the way in which I approach problems at work and in my private life.
