Dear All,

I am currently contemplating pursuing an executive MBA to advance my career. I have a Chartered Accountancy qualification and a decade of experience in Private Equity/Investment Banking. For the past five years, I have been working in Dubai with a young PE Firm.
My primary goals with an EMBA are to climb the corporate ladder, expand my professional network, and potentially transition to a larger fund or establish my own fund within the next ten years.

I am considering the following options:

HEC Paris – Weeklong Format
Status: Admitted
Pros:
• More affordable tuition at $105,000
• Higher FT rankings, consistently ranking among the top 6 in the last five years
• Diverse student body
• Easier to manage work, as I will be required to travel to Paris only every 2.5 months
• May open up new opportunities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as some subjects are taught in these countries.
Cons:
• INSEAD and London Business School (LBS) are more renowned despite lower FT rankings for executive MBA
• No current plans to move to Paris or Europe

London Business School Dubai
Status: In process
Pros:
• Strong reputation in finance
• Global alumni network
• Potential employment opportunities in London
Cons:
• 50% of the course is taught in Dubai, which may not align well with my firm's focus on investments in the Americas, Europe, and South East Asia (excluding China), which may lead network in UAE only.
• Lower FT rankings for executive MBA(ranked 19th in 2022, 18th in 2021, and 13th in 2020)
• Higher cost at $150,000

INSEAD Abu Dhabi
Status: Working on the application
Pros:
• Global alumni network
• Potential opportunities in Singapore
• Balanced schedule with 6 weeks in Abu Dhabi, 3 weeks in Singapore, and 3 weeks in Paris
Cons:
• Lower FT rankings (ranked 16th in 2022, 15th in 2021, and 9th in 2020)
• Higher cost at $135,000

I talked to alumni of all three schools, and they strongly believe their own school is the best choice.

I don't understand why it's a con to be in the 50% locally taught cohort of the LBS programme but the same arrangement at Insead becomes a pro. 

Thanks for pointing it out, Duncan.

Do you perceive any possible disadvantages of selecting HEC over LBS or INSEAD?

HEC's French network isn't valuable for you. In the segments you are targeting, Insead and LBS are the powerhouse brands. Insead and LBS don't roll-up their major programmes the way that HEC does in the rankings. As a result, the PPP ratio from its programmes in St Petersburg and the Gulf has a really big impact. The quality of the EMBA students is certainly not at the same level as Insead or LBS. 

[Edited by StuartHE on Jul 26, 2023]