How to survive and thrive on an executive MBA
Helen Riley was about to start an executive MBA when she was given a big promotion by her company: the office supplier Lyreco. “Suddenly, I was finance operations director, with a large team,” she says. “It was the middle of the pandemic, so there was huge focus on finance, and my employer . . . had also just acquired another large company.”
But Riley decided not to defer the 18-month programme at Edhec business school in Lille, northern France, and instead to find a way to juggle the EMBA and her multiple responsibilities.
“It was a question of priorities. I’m a single mum of two kids; family is — and remains — my number one priority,” she says. “We planned in advance some extra activities for the children, which they actually enjoyed. And, when schools had to close, I had to ask for a little support from my friends and family, including my elder daughter. It was an opportunity for her to take on more responsibility.”
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Ian Wylie
