Global Opportunities
Alumni Community
The INSEAD alumni network is robust, diverse and globally connected to an extent few institutions can boast. With more than 50,000 Alumni distributed across 170 countries with 159 nationalities, our Alumni are citizens of the world, understanding how to balance local and global perspectives, and have “experienced the world as it ought to be” as one graduate claimed. This aspect of the INSEAD culture is very powerful and valuable in the 21st Century. In this smaller, connected world, it is critical that leaders view the world as a whole, and think and act both locally and globally. This has been part of the INSEAD culture for over 55 years.
At INSEAD, "diversity is not a synthesis. It's a genuine, continuous and spontaneous series of encounters." We hope you will enjoy your encounters with our alumni community in the following pages.
Our community
Our Global Network
The INSEAD Alumni Association (IAA) was founded by alumni in 1961. It represents all INSEAD alumni and acts as its spokesperson towards the various stakeholder groups of INSEAD. The IAA is an umbrella organisation, co-ordinating the many national alumni associations (NAAs).
Currently there are 47 National Alumni Associations (NAA) representing 50 countries across the world. The purpose of the NAAs is to support its members throughout the world with a comprehensive and wide range of professional and social activities to nourish the network and to promote INSEAD.
GLOBAL INTEREST CLUBS
There are numerous local interest groups, please contact your national associations for more information.
Alumni News and Stories
DEAN’S EDITORIAL: BUSINESS AS A FoRCE FOR GOOD
By Ilian Mihov
In the years following World War II, venture capitalist Georges Doriot believed that the world needed a new kind of educational institution—one that united people, embraced diversity, and leveraged business to rebuild nations and promote peace. He envisioned an institution that could make a meaningful contribution to society.
LUCY QUIST’S AFRICAN QUEST
By Elin Williams
Business leader and role model, Lucy Quist, CEO of Airtel Ghana, is creating headlines throughout the world. “To be honest, I’d never heard of INSEAD until I met my husband-to-be in 2001,” says Lucy Quist MBA’05J. “He was at business school in the UK. And one of the first things he said to me was: ‘You’re the kind of person who goes to INSEAD’.”
A CASE POWERHOUSE
By Rachel P. Farrell
Case studies are a given in any business school. Indeed, the case study method is highly effective for teaching concepts that lead to smarter management decisions. But not all cases are created equal. And not all schools are adept at writing good cases.
A GIFT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
By Rachel P. Farrell
On the subject of philanthropy, Lionel Sauvage MBA’87J has a distinct point of view. “I give because it’s a duty,” he says. “Philanthropy is not an option. If you’ve received, you give. End of story.” Now retired as senior vice president of Capital Group, Lionel has had time to reflect not only on whether to give back but where to give back—and why.
INSEAD MAKING A SPLASH AS A FORCE FOR GOOD
By Jo Cole
The sleet falling on the ground of a charity a few miles from INSEAD’s Fontainebleau campus has sent most people indoors for the day. Only a group of MBA students, occasionally rubbing their hands or doing star jumps to ward off the chill, remain outside to work hard at their task.
HOW GIVING TODAY CAN BRING CHANGE TOMORROW?
By Ellin Williams
“When Dean Ilian Mihov made it clear that INSEAD needed more support for its next period of growth,” says Fernando Zóbel de Ayala CIM’93, “I wanted to find a way of giving that was relevant to my country.” And so began an initiative to raise €750,000 for a scholarship fund in honour of Washington SyCip for Filipino MBA students.
PUTTING PEOPLE TO THE TEST
By Rachel P. Farrell
In the heart of the Latin Quarter in Paris, right behind a set of glass doors at 6 rue Victor Cousin, you can find what many people describe as “INSEAD’s best-kept secret.” This is the home of the INSEAD-Sorbonne University Behavioural Lab, a state-of-the-art research lab that runs some of today’s most innovative studies in behavioural science.
INSEAD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SOUTH AFRICA – A SUCCESS STORY
By Jenny Tyobeka
The story of the INSEAD Alumni Association South Africa (IAASA) is a good example of how, through dedication and vision, an Association with low membership can build itself up to something substantial in a short timeframe.
CHAMPIONING THE SPIRIT OF INSEAD AROUND THE WORLD!
By Denise O'Riordan
The INSEAD community may be the most diverse of its peers, but if there is one common thread that runs throughout, it’s surely the love of a good challenge. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that everyone jumped at the chance to take part in a challenge on a global scale – the INSEAD Salamander Challenge.
GLOBAL CLUBS: STRENGTHENING THE BONDS BETWEEN ALUMNI
By Sophie Bertin
The diversity of the INSEAD alumni, their professional and personal interests and their growing appetite for continuous learning, combined with an unquenchable interest in networking, means that they increasingly gather within the framework of different interest groups.
IBERIAN WEEKEND IN OPORTO
By Eduardo Moradas
From 24 to 26 March 2017, Oporto, the business capital of the north of Portugal, provided the stage for a very special INSEAD Alumni event. For the first time, the Boards of the INSEAD National Alumni Associations in Portugal and Spain planned and implemented a joint event for their members and friends.
Alumni Publications
Your guide to succeed in university
Aly MADHAVJI, MBA'16D
Aly is an Award-Winner of the International Book Awards and his book is ranked as the #1 College book on Amazon.
How to succeed in university or college? Every student wants to know; every student tries to discover his/her own strategies to succeed - some work, some don't. Becoming successful in university sometimes feels like trial and error - with potentially serious consequences for failures.
The goal of this Guide - Your Guide to Succeed in University - is to help students in university and college to become confident, well-rounded and successful in their overall education experience. This guide aims to equip you - the students - with the necessary tools for success in university and college.
Fun, Fearless and Female
By Frances Pordes, MBA'91J
At thirteen, Frances Pordes had a dream: travel the world as soon as she graduated from high school. More than a dozen years and four university degrees later, Frances’s dream was still…a dream. As she joined thousands of other commuters riding the subway to and from an uninspiring job each day, she wondered, “Is this really it?”
Your Guide to Succeed After Graduation
By Aly Madhavji, MBA'16D
Becoming successful after university depends on more than just formal education. Features of Your Guide to Succeed After Graduation include: Expert advice from professionals and Step-by-step guidance to tackle complicated topics such as tapping into the unknown job network, developing a career strategy, personal branding & many others.
THE WORKING PARENTS' GUIDE
BY NADIM SAAD, MBA'02J
Working parents often battle with time pressure and guilt of being away from their children, which is where The Working Parents' Guide to Raising Happy and Confident Children comes in.
ACADEMIC PROOF THAT ETHICS PAYS
BY JACQUES CORY, MBA'68
A breakthrough pioneering research book proving for the first time ever statistically that "Ethics Pays" for the ethical countries and they are the most prosperous on earth.
Your Guide to Get Into Medical School
Aly Madhavji MBA'16D
The book focuses on every component of the medical school application process. It differs from the many other books written on this subject by taking an experiential approach.
Retail's Last Mile
Why Online Shopping Will Exceed Our Wildest PredictionS
By Jonathan Reeve, MBA'98D
Retail expert Jonathan Reeve explores the disruption of store retail by online shopping and forecasts that last-mile innovations will see shopping online overtake shopping in stores within 20 years.
CHAMONIX MONT-BLANC IN 3D
By PETER BLAIR, MBA'93J
Chamonix Mont Blanc in 3D presents over 200 historic 3D images of the Alps, including a few modern ones taken by the author to highlight the staggering changes wrought by climate change on the local glaciers.
WHEN EXECUTION ISN’T ENOUGH
By Claudio Feser, MBA’91D
Claudio Feser is a Senior Partner in the Zurich office of McKinsey & Company. He is a member of McKinsey's Board, and the leader of McKinsey Academy.
DISRUPTION DENIAL
By David Guillebaud, MBA’75
David Guillebaud is a senior advisor to CEOs and top management teams on strategy and transformation issues, especially on digital disruption.
THE LAST RING HOME
By Minter Dial, MBA'93J
Minter Dial is the founder and President of The Myndset Company, a boutique agency providing specialised services on Branding and Digital Strategy.
WHERE IS ROBIN? USA
By Robin Barone, MBA'11J
Robin Barone is the founder of Diplomat Books, a platform dedicated to teaching children about the world trough adventure travel in a fun and creative manner.
NORDIC MODEL ANALYSES
By S.T. Evensen, MBA’71
S.T. Evensen has written 5 books in English between 2005 and 2016 – on transparent and deliberative pluralism benefiting ethics and enterprise in the real economy.
GOD'S WOLF
By Jeffrey Lee, MBA'99J
Jeffrey Lee worked as a TV journalist before INSEAD, reporting and producing news and current affairs in more than 30 countries.
A SORTE SOMOS NÓS
By Clementina Ferreira Da Silva, MBA'01J
Clementina Ferreira Da Silva has worked in several countries for multinational companies in executive roles and as a board member.
DIGITAL STRACTICS
By Chris Outram, MBA'77
Chris Outram is Founder and Chairman of OC&C, a leading strategy consultancy. He has been a strategy consultant for more than 30 years.
THE GIVING WAY TO HAPPINESS
By Jenny Santi, MBA’07J
Jenny Santi is a philanthropy advisor to some of the world's most generous philanthropists and celebrity activists.
ASIAN BRAND STRATEGY
By Martin Roll, MBA’99D
Martin Roll delivers the combined value of an experienced global business strategist, senior advisor and facilitator to Fortune 500 companies.
WINNING THE WAR FOR TALENT IN EMERGING MARKETS
By Ripa Rashid, MBA’00D
The war for talent is heating up in emerging markets. Without enough “brain power,” multinationals can’t succeed in these markets.
MAKING YOUR STRATEGY WORK
By Chris Outram, MBA’77
Most strategy books on the market are about formulating and developing a winning strategy. Making Your Strategy Work will show you how to get your strategy from paper to people.
SMALL COMPANY. BIG WORLD
William Frost, MBA’77
William Frost has worked with close to 500 SMEs over the past 30 years. The book is dedicated to those SMEs who are curious about internationalising their business.
NEGOTIATION EVOLVED
By Filip Hron, MBA’06D
If you only wanted to read one book on negotiation, and in the process achieve the greatest possible improvement in your negotiation skills, then what would that book be?
REINVENTING ORGANIZATIONS
By Frederic Laloux, MBA’02J
The way we manage organizations seems increasingly out of date. Survey after survey shows that a majority of employees feel disengaged from their companies.
THE MANAGER
By Mike Carson, MBA’00J
From the post room to the board room, everyone thinks they can be the manager. But how do you manage outrageous talent? What do you do to inspire loyalty from your players?
EVOLUTIONARY LEADERSHIP
By Naveen Khajanchi, EMDCCC’13
LE CHOIX DE NELLY
Jacques Cory, MBA’68
THE SWORDMASTER’S APPRENTICE
By Edward Burke, MBA’02J
Turning his back on the excesses of London in the credit boom, Edward Burke sets off on a year-long journey of self-discovery, to learn from some of the greatest masters of martial arts.
STRATEGIC COST REDUCTION
By Tim McCormick, MBA’72
33 SONNETS OF THE RESISTANCE AND OTHER POEMS
By Timothy Ades, MBA’76
Jean Cassou wrote the thirty-three sonnets which Aragon admired so much and which form the first part of this collection in a Vichy prison between December 1941 and February 1942.
UN BUISSON D’AMARANTE
By Adrien Sarrault
Lorsque Amaury débarque à Paris dans sa classe préparatoire scientifique, il n'a de français que son passeport.
The Office Buddha
By Edgar J. Lord
A novel about dysfunctional companies, office politics and career frustrations - and how a little philosophy can make even the worst of jobs a little more bearable.
THE PROJECT
By David Power, EMBA'09Dec
Written in the form of a novel, The Project is an insider's guide to developing a career in project management.
MY INSEAD STORY
By Sian Bentson, MBA’14J and Ankur Grover, MBA’14J
INSEAD offers an intense and outstanding experience, from the unique set of classes, campus locations, and diverse students, to the built-in values of teamwork, trust, and everlasting friendships.
