Today’s guest entry is written by Anu (Indian). Her team members from the ICP are Nicolas (French), Revaz (Georgian), Robin (German), Victor (Peruvian). The team is mentored by Professor of Innovation & Strategy, Prof Mikolaj Jan Piskorski (American & Polish)

As we go through a rigorous training program at IMD, we acquire a variety of technical and soft skills. This is often referred to at IMD as ‘Real World Real Learning’. The process of our evolution would be incomplete if the next step wasn’t put in place – the application of the real world learning in a real setting – ‘International Consulting Projects (ICPs)’.

This phase which culminates with the completion of the program is a pressure test when everyone is balancing job search with delivering on client commitment. It is one of the best platforms where even before you take up a real job, you have an opportunity to closely experience one.

Our group is fortunate to have secured a project in the industry we are all passionate about. Rated as among the world’s top reputable companies, it is a matter of prestige to be working with a pioneer in the industry. Moreover, the client product carries an extremely high aspirational value, which left many of our colleagues envious of our photos!

When one of the most traditional and high profile industries is undergoing a disruptive change, you don’t just look at protecting the core business, but also anticipate potential changes that competition might bring in. Keeping this in mind, our project is focused on developing creative ideas on how to address disruptive trends. One of the specific tasks is to focus on understanding the change in customer behavior due to digitalization, and the integration of that intelligence into sales forecasting and pricing.

Sponsored by a Board level member, the project offers a great opportunity to engage with the top management of the company. This also implies that the client entrusts IMD and its candidates with top priority sensitive issues, and means we have high expectations to deliver on.

Working on a complex project becomes fun when you have a mix of a German, a French, a Georgian, a Peruvian, and an Indian, with very different work styles. But then, we have Robin (obviously German) to bring order and organization into the team!

So, while we work to develop and implement solutions, the process also prepares us for social & professional interactions for our respective job searches. With less than eight weeks to graduation, in addition to working hard, let’s enjoy the remaining time of this unique year!

Anu Kateja

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