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ARNOLD FERLIN
After earning an engineering degree
in mechatronics (robotics), this
31-year-old Parisian found himself
marginalised in a technical job that
didn’t maximise his entrepreneurial
talents, so he headed to Lyon and the
EMLYON Business School.
“The technical field no longer suited
me. I wanted a broader vision – and
I didn’t want to wait the 10 years
that it would take to have a job in
management, so I quit. I moved to
Lyon and began a new life, with new
objectives and a new future.
“I decided to do an MBA because I’d
thought about starting up a company
of my own. I was soon studying with
30 students from all walks of life.
The course taught me so many things
that you don’t learn as an engineer
– such as strategy and finance, and
‘intrapreneurship’, which is how to work
within companies to identify markets
and new opportunities.
“During the course we were given a
feasibility study to complete and I met
with a surgeon who told me – almost
in passing – that he needed a tool
to complete a particular task. I built
a team to explore the feasibility of
producing such a tool, created it and
then put together a business plan. We’re
now a year down the line, I’ve graduated
frommy course and the technology has
been approved by neurologists. I have a
patent and a business partner, and we
have a growing company.”
Ahumanitarian
crisis was the
impetus for Lindsey
Nefesh-Clark to get
anMBA
LINDSEY NEFESH-CLARKE
During her previous working life
spent heading up a humanitarian
organisation, this 40-year-old Briton
felt compelled to make a difference.
She studied for her MBA on campuses
across Europe and now runs an online
philanthropy platform for women.
“I was previously a programme
director for an organisation that secured
access to education and comprehensive
care for children across Asia. Then I was
confronted by a humanitarian crisis – a
huge fire – while I was working in the
Philippines and I helped with providing
relief for 3,000 people in a slum. It was
a turning point for me.
“I came back with the intention
of studying business. I thought that
if I could learn how, I could make a
difference. My course was part-time
over 18 months and, while it was
expensive, it was an investment. It was
all about cultivating leadership skills,
networking and building up the support
framework that will serve you in your
business life. I learned the hard skills
– such as strategy, finance, business
operation, etc – but I also cultivated
soft skills, such as how to interact with
people from different backgrounds. It
really was a confidence booster.
“One of the things I completed was
an international consulting project,
which is where I cultivated my idea:
W4 (Women’s Worldwide Web), an
online philanthropy platform dedicated
to poverty alleviation. Although the
organisation is still in its nascent stage,
we have field partners around the world.
“The course has definitely changed
my life for the better – I’m now doing
my dream job. It’s amazing what you
can do in just a few months.”
“The course
has definitely
changedmy life
for the better
”
THE TECHNOPRENEUR
THE ONLINE GURU
Arnold Ferlin used
his engineering
degree to informhis
new business
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