HEC Montréal Admissions contact: Carine Nahman 3000 chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Catherine Montreal Quebec H3T 2A7 Canada T: +1 514 340 6151 E: mba@hec.ca W: www.hec.ca/mba Ilhame Ouansafi Programme title Intensive MBA in English, HEC Montréal University previously attended Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne), Switzerland and Institut Eurocom, France Degree obtained Engineering Country of origin Morocco Age 27 years Career history Ilhame Ouansafi studied in Morocco, Switzerland and France. After coming to Canada in 2000, she worked for Ericsson for four years as a system integrator, technical trainer, and customer service and support representative. She enjoyed the work, but felt that she was missing something. Something was lacking I graduated with a degree in engineering and started working for Ericsson when I came to Canada. I began as an integrator for a billing software for customers worldwide.I got to travel extensively, and really enjoyed meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Then, after a year and a half, I was put in charge of customer service for the company's Multimedia Messaging Service. I liked the work and learned a lot, but I wasn't completely happy. Focusing on creativity I needed a change, so I took a professional reorientation programme.I decided to develop my creative side, something I had always neglected. That's when I thought of doing an MBA. At first, I wasn't sure whether I should go for finance, project management or marketing.In the end, I chose marketing since it suited my interests and gave me the sort of challenge I was looking for. Why HEC Montréal? I considered other leading North American schools.But I love Montréal, its multiculturalism, openness to other cultures and cultural diversity. Another thing HEC Montréal has going for it is its great architecture. I had studied in very modern schools in Europe and I like the bright, up-to-date atmosphere here. And then there was the warm reception I got from the staff - that really made HEC Montréal stand out. I love the mix of European and American mentalities here. That international flavour was very important for me when it came to choosing a business school. The programme At first, I was afraid that the intensive one-year programme would be too demanding, but I took it on as a personal challenge. And although I already had four languages - French and Arabic as mother tongues, Spanish and English - I wanted to do my MBA in English. This would be another challenge since all my education had been in French up to that point. The programme is really well organised.T he first week is an intensive business simulation, which is really valuable.And the school chooses our team members since we don't know each other yet. I like the case studies - it's like a slice of real life, the real working world.T hey always lead to a lot of discussion in class. The intensive programme is also great preparation for working life. It teaches you to be adaptable and to make decisions fast. The way the programme is divided into different phases gives you an overall vision of a business, the different issues and the tools available. I chose mostly marketing courses for my electives. The programme is flexible that way. And I'm really looking forward to the supervised field project with my friends. Exceptional professors The professors are excellent teachers and they use interesting, original approaches. During in-class discussions, you have to take a stand and defend it. Fellow students There are about 40 students in a group and everyone participates.All this interaction makes it a great learning environment for me.I gain a lot from other people's experiences. Working as a group brings us close together and the other students have become like my second family. I've met some extraordinary people, friends I know I'll keep for years.And the MBA student association has lots of activities, too. The future In the short term, I'd like to find a marketing position with a technical dimension in Montréal for a couple of years to use my telecommunications knowledge. In the longer term, I'd like to find a job in marketing consumer goods or in a completely different field. The tourism industry, perhaps. I like the case studies - it's like a slice of real life, the real working world. They always lead to a lot of discussion in class.