Hi,
I am a Italian who is working in multinational company in Italy in the Oil&gas industry as a My aim is to add a booster on my CV and change industry in Italy o Europe ( consulting or hitech firms) or advance my career in my current company.

I currently studying for an Executive Master in Finance at SDA BOCCONI ( 2019 intake, graduation genuary 2020)

Background:
34 years old;
Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering
Master in General Management at Bologna Business School
Master in Finance at SDA Bocconi

I have 7 years of work experience in Sales and Business development department in the fashion/automotive and energy industry including last 4 years as a Retail Zone Manager.

I'm now thinking to complete my careers with a general master in business administration in distance learning ( MBA from durham or lancaster ) or a msc in innovation from HEC

Which Business Schools among the two have better reputation in Europe and will allow me to have the better visibility among recruiter or head hunter? MBA from Durham/Lancaster University ( online) or MSC IN INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FROM HEC PARIS?? ( my budget is about 20k€)

thanks in advance for all advice

In this case, with a 'soft' MSc taught through an online partner, I would do with the MBA if the school's recruiter audience fit with your target employers. otherwise, I think the Boccioni MiF should be quite a door opener.

I'm not sure what sort of recruiter would value a qualification for entrepreneurs: it seems more like a red flag in some corporate settings.

Thanks Duncan,
what do you think about e general management certification from a top BS and an MBA from Durham or 2nd top BS?

Generally these certificates can't be taken too seriously. As they often don't carry academic credit, thus just certify the ability to turn up.

As for one MBA against another, it all depends on specific goals. I don't think Durham adds a lot to Bocconi, which is a much better school.

Thanks Duncan.
My aim at this point of my career is to enhance my visibility. So, I'm little confused if to add to my cv an MBA from an accredited BS ( triple accreditations) in Europe or a general management course or msc ( always in blended format) from a top ten BS in Europe. For both case my budget is 20.000 €. What do you suggest me in line with my objectivies?

This isn't a specific enough goal for me to be helpful. A qualification doesn't aid your visibility in itself. Investing half that time in networking, personal brand marketing and informational interviewing would accomplish much more.

Hi Duncam, my aim is to improve my self and hope to get more visibility, network and carrer's change in hitech ( specially for Amazon) or oil&gas industry

In line with my budget ( around 20k€) I was looking for this program:
1) MBA online at Strathclyde Business School
2) MBA online at Lancaster Management School
3) MBA online at Durham University Business School
3) Msc in innovation at HEC Paris ( top five BS)
4) Executive Master in international business at ESCP Europe ( top 10 BS)

which pathway in your opinion will make my CV more stronger than now?
I considered the options 3 and 4 only because getting this kind of program from a top ten university for this small price is a really good deal

I think this a bit weird, to pick between these options with no concerns about the educational content.

Lancaster doesn't have an online MBA.

Whichof these schools has the best network in Italy, or are you focussed on another country?

In Italy, without doubt ESCP EUROPE.. ( I saw in linkedin that most ex students works at Amazon,Google, BCG etc) and is ranked 11 in the FT. As point of weakness the program isn't an MBA.
I also focused to move in Europe specially in Uk, Ireland or Germany...

I can only speak about the North American hiring culture. Over here in Canada and the US, there are diminishing returns to degrees/education. This means that your first masters degree will give a big boost to your CV, but your 2nd and 3rd masters degree will have much less of a boost compared to that first masters. In fact, the more degrees you have, the more you would have to explain why you need that many degrees to succeed, particularly since (on average) top level directors/VPs do not have 3 masters degrees. I have no idea if this situation of diminishing returns is common elsewhere and I have no clue if it is the same in Italy. But I seem to agree with Duncan that you already have very good credentials (e.g. SDA Bocconi) and perhaps instead of another masters, you can use your time strengthening other aspects of your marketability (e.g. building network, joining industry associations, hiring a top career coach etc. ) I could be wrong about this since I am not Italian, but that is how it works in North America. The one exception I can think of is if your 3rd / 4th masters is from Harvard Business School.

You have put ESCP's #11 ranking in the European Business School ranking into context of the composite rankings. It is ranked highly for two programmes you are not considering: the MiM and the EMBA. It's unranked for the full-time MBA and online degree. There is a huge gap between the intensive experience of its highly-selective ranked degrees and its lightweight online EMIB.

Also, Europe doesn't have one labour market. It has national labour markets. I'm not sure how you used LinkedIn to get to your mistaken perception, but try this: https://www.linkedin.com/school/escp-europe/people/?facetGeoRegion=it%3A0

It was 5% of its alumni in Italy, and the largest employer is ESCP itself. Second largest is Build It Up (a student-alumni association) and the third-largest is Accenture, with 1.3% of all Italian alumni. Next is Fiat. Amazon,Google, BCG etc are not in the top 15.

Focus on one country. Then focus on the role and industry you want. Then see which schools have the most alumni. ESCP has modest alukni networks outside France.
- Obviously, Università Bocconi is the school with the most alumni at Amazon-owned businesses in Italy.
- ESCP means nothing in Ireland. Amazon there hires mostly from the major Irish universities.
- In the UK it hires from prestigeous, Russell Group, universities like Cambridge, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, UCL

Hello, I am following this topic because I'm interested in working at Amazon in Ireland, but I've searched through LinkedIn and it seems like there are some big business schools there as well such as LBS and INSEAD. Is it better to do an MBA from a school like that (compared to UCD or so forth) ?

This depends on the sort of role you want. LBS and Insead are obviously at a higher level than any Irish school. Most people who work for Amazon in any country won't have a role that requires an MBA.

[Edited by Duncan on Oct 26, 2019]

At the end, I'm looking for this program:

1)MBA online at Strathclyde Business School
2) MBA online at Durham University Business School
3) MBA leeds University
4) MBA Illinois ( online)
Alternative, do you think a general management program from Berkeley ( 10k dollars) or Cambridge ( 12 k dollars) could be a better options?
Illinois it's better than others?

Assuming you mean the full-time MBA at Leeds, that's the best option from this list to get into Amazon in the UK. But even so it's unlikely. I dont think it's a substitute for career strategy.

[Edited by Duncan on Oct 26, 2019]

The recruiting funnels that Amazon has established are most definitely through in-class, full-time MBAs, and not through online programs.

That's not to say it's not possible to land a job at Amazon after doing an online MBA at, say, Strathclyde, but I don't know if it would in fact be just as difficult to get a job there not doing any MBA at all.

Maybe that's an exaggeration, but still, I would highly recommend prioritizing in-class programs, at better schools.