Émile Kobiyama, Japan
Full-Time MBA Class of 2020
LinkedIn
Academic Roles, Achievements and Activities
Bumbu Ryodo (study well, work well and run well)
– Study: Learned business insights in ESADE and FGV-Brazil
– Work: 3 internships in “Catalonian Sake” brewery, Japanese top manufacture, and Brazilian venture capital
– Run: Won the marathon league in Barcelona, and the national atheltic championships in Brazil
What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?
Following my family’s value, since when I was a small child, I have believed that “What is Really Essential is What is Invisible.” In case of business schools, visible elements like rise in salary after MBA, sophisticated facilities and number of nationalities etc. seemed approximate among top schools, and they may not be core of the long-term competitiveness in currently saturated MBA industry. This principle could be also adopted in the business world (e.g. visible-product, invisible-corporate vison). Value of the visible elements could be maximized via invisible strengths. So at the first interaction with Ms. Mary Granger, the most admired admission director to lead me to the priceless experience in ESADE, I asked her “What is invisible but essential on ESADE MBA?”
As soon as I met Mary, I chose ESADE via being fascinated by its invisible but essential factor, for me which was an “ecosystem” that we could deeply revamp on how we would live future with own solid life principles, and that may be a “marriage” of all visible strengths like program structure etc. As we know, we are not developed by MBA, we develop ourselves by ourselves through MBA. ESADE provides an environment for us to develop ourselves and to find own strengths thanks to “chemistry” with diversified colleagues, flexible study choices and artistic culture of Barcelona etc., that is why ESADE was only option to me. Before applying, networking with ESADE alumni, who were superior as professional and “charming” human, also made me confident to enter into ESADE.
By leveraging such ecosystem, in my ESADEan life for 18 months, I could pursue the “Bumbu-Ryodo” style, a Japanese principle meaning “study well, work well and run well”. As achievements, I learned a lot of critical business insights in ESADE and in FGV-Brazil for study, got wider career opportunities in “Catalonia Sake” brewery founded by ESADE alumni, in Japanese top manufacturer, and even in Brazilian venture capital for work, and won the national athletic championships for run. Before the MBA I did not expect that these would happen to me, but every encounter could open my door to the unrecognized but attractive directions, in which I would be able to live as I am.
To sum up, a MBA never directly gives us “right” answers for our future directions, but ESADE should provide an ecosystem for us to find “optimal” answers. Sincerely I hope that ESADE will further attract students by its “invisible but essential” strengths in the next generation too. And I would like to contribute to broaden ESADE’s invisible value from alumni’s view, even after graduation, with my best appreciation and respect toward ESADE.
Invisible but Essential 