Hi there,

I am looking at Executive MBA options and I have found this forum incredibly helpful to read from the experiences of others, now it's my time to ask.
I have 9 years of experience, work in Healthcare Supply Chain in Switzerland, and I've found it's time to push my boundaries into Business and General Management.
My goal is primarily to learn and grow, be able to position myself for leadership roles beyond Supply Chain. I don't have the intention to leave my company in the short/mid-term.
My secondary goal is, if I was to move out in the future, to have high employability in Europe. For personal reasons, Ireland would be my most likely destination.
If it helps, I am originally Spanish, and I am not particularly interested in the US. I want to do a program that does not require me to travel every week.

I am considering the following options, ranked by my personal current preference:
INSEAD GEMBA: Seems the best overall, and has an impressive alumni network all over the world.
IESE EMBA: Very attractive from a methodology perspective, I think I could learn a lot here. I am a bit put off by the more junior profile of the class and the potentially too Spanish oriented network. I am considering doing their Munich track.
IESE GEMBA: Not sure the differential in price brings enough benefit. It also looks more demanding than others in regards to travel and time dedication.
HEC: I considered it initially based on rankings, but the more I look at it the less alignment with my interests I see it.
IMD: From what I see, somewhat one step below the others.

At the moment, I am debating between INSEAD GEMBA and IESE EMBA, with INSEAD coming up on top in regards to class profile and future prospects through the network, although coming with a higher price tag, and IESE EMBA for its methodology and "classroom" learnings, as well as significantly lower price, but on the negatives, I am not convinced about the network beyond Spain, and I think the class is too junior.

Could anyone provide some light or information that I could be missing?

Thank you.

If Ireland is the most likely, which schools have the best alumni network there and in Ireland's major export partners?

Thanks, Duncan for your quick reply. 

If I look at Ireland, UCD Smurfit is the option that stands out, particularly with their new modular EMBA option. But their network is very local, while the others are more international. And the caliber of the school is a couple of tiers below. 

Out of the other schools, INSEAD has a broader alumni base in Ireland than IESE, and this applies to any other region other than Spain and Latin America, thus my doubts: is the differential in price worth the extra network?

Thank you.

As you say, there are big differences between the IESE and Insead approaches: IESE is quite extensive, highly quant and places a big emphasis on the case approach, for example. Does this matter to you? Are you primarily interested in addressing your weak points or amplifying your strengths? Is there an intermediate option, like London Business School which must have links in Ireland?

Thanks Stuart.
The content and methodology do matter to me. I would say I am interested in both: improve on my weak points (finance and business knowledge), and build on my strengths.
I did check LBS, but I did not consider it superior to the other programs, and it requires too frequent travels to London (every other week). I might give it another look.

[Edited by AndresAVG on Nov 29, 2020]

In terms of convenience, maybe the LBS program isn't ideal, but in terms of jobs / post-degree support / reputation, it would probably be the better option. 

But to the question of a network being local vs. international: that's the nature of how they work. A big / strong school like LBS will definitely have a more robust worldwide network, but Smurfit's will be more concentred. 

Thank you.
In what context do you mean it would be the better option? From an Ireland perspective, or globally? And do you mean it compared to INSEAD and IESE?

All of these schools have a great profile with the most strategic MBA recruiters  (e.g. Amazon; Bain; BCG; McKinsey; Goldman). But outside that pool, LBS has far and away stronger brand equity and higher awareness, especially in the English-speaking countries. 

- Insead is a very strong school for: the Catholic part of Europe, and Singapore. It is very deep in those spaces, but less global than LBS. 

- IESE has similar partners, but is profoundly strong in Spain, and Catalonia in particular. Is it much less global than Insead but of course has good networks in Latin America. 

Ireland, of course, is simultaneously Catholic and English-speaking, so Insead and LBS are equally viable options there. Since your focus is on Europe rather than non-Europe, I think Insead is a better option for you. LBS could be a better choice for Protestant Europe. 

Thanks for all the good advice and insights, I never thought I would be considering religion when choosing an MBA (-:
I will talk to all three schools tomorrow and decide on my applications over the weekend.
At the moment I consider all three as viable options (thanks for bringing LBS into the game!). 
I feel IESE is slightly weaker for my goals due to its (too) Spanish orientation and more junior profile. Considering they will all help me achieve my learning and career goals, I may start considering logistics/student experience criteria as well:
- IESE is very heavy in classes and study time compared to the other two.
- INSEAD seems on the opposite end. Few modules, well-spaced in time, overall shorter program, less offline study (apparently) - the question is if they manage to deliver the same impact.
- LBS is somewhere in the middle, with more regular classes (every 2 weeks). Lots of trips to London and offline study, but seems to give more breathing room than IESE.

If IESE is on your list, an Opus Dei school with crucifixes in every classroom and staff sacked if they divorce, then religion is already a factor. 

I knew of their Opus Dei origins but thought this would have no influence in the actual experience. Where could I read more about what you say? 
I am not a religious person. Is there any other watchout with those schools in that regard?

If you read Spanish, it's hard to not read about Opus Dei and IESE. IESE staff forced out for pecadillios often end up at Esade, which is Jesuit so more laid back. 

Hi Andres, have you made a decision please? I had the same thinking re-iese, insead and imd. Iese emba curriculum and learning methodology look good, but wonder if the 10 years of experience vs 15 for other programs has a significant impact on learning experience.  
Also, iese emba requires more frequent travels than other programs, not sure how it impacts work/life balance. 
The price premium does not seem to be justified for the other programs, but happy to duscuss further. Thanks

Hi, I went with LBS in the end, and I actually started in their January cohort. Very happy with my decision. After focusing on INSEAD and LBS, I found both to be excellent. I felt that the more regular classes at LBS were a better fit for me than going to class one week every few months for INSEAD. So far it's been all virtual but I look forward to going to campus. Regular travel might be a bit of a strain on work-life balance, but I think it will be refreshing for me, personally. The offline study is not as bad as I thought it'd be, probably anything between 10-15 hours a week is realistic based on your knowledge, study preferences, and how prepared you want to be for your next class.
Regarding my last thoughts before deciding, I really focused on the class and the network. LBS has a smaller class size than INSEAD, and slightly less international I would say (lots of people in the UK), but it is still VERY diverse sector/nationality/background-wise. I would expect even more diversity in INSEAD, but in the end, I prefer to build stronger connections with fewer people.
Regarding price, LBS came with a slightly lower price tag, but I heard they increased already, and the pound is stronger than a month ago, so that might have balanced out with INSEAD.
I got a very good impression in my talks with INSEAD, too. Both would be a good decision.