Sofia Cucalon

“Gaining exposure to a different culture, language and new ways of doing business, has proven absolutely critical to succeeding in my role today”

Alongside being ranked as one of the world’s leading business schools, there were many things that attracted me to LBS. The biggest was undoubtedly the diversity and international reach of the School. My class was made up of people from all around the world, each with their own unique cultural and professional backgrounds. I’d already been offered a position at another university in the USA, however I knew that studying there would result in my experience being very US-focused. Instead I was looking for a more global perspective, which is something I knew LBS would deliver.

As part of the GMiM programme, for my second year I studied at Fudan University in Shanghai. It’s this global connectivity that makes LBS a truly unique school. Gaining exposure to a different culture, language and new ways of doing business, has proven absolutely critical to succeeding in my role today.

I currently work for Infineon Technologies, a large semiconductor company based in Munich, Germany. I deal heavily with our international partners, many of whom are located in Asia – alongside much of my team who work out of China and Singapore. I really enjoyed the Mandarin classes I took at Fudan University, which were very helpful in helping me navigate everyday situations, such as grocery shopping or taking a taxi. Since I am working in a highly international environment alongside many Asian colleagues, the experience has helped me today by allowing me to incorporate my language skills in my daily work life.

My favourite part about my year at Fudan University was learning about Asian businesses and practices. It was truly eye-opening to dig into case studies of highly successful companies and discover how they managed to grow so quickly. I worked on an Efeso Consulting group project in business development - exploring new revenue sources for Efeso to grow their business. It helped me understand the importance of relationship building in business, particularly in Asia. Performing highly is not just enough, as it is essential to gain the trust of your business partner in order to establish a long-term business relationship. This is established for example, by being open-minded and understanding cultural norms and traditions.

During your time at LBS - and even once you join the alumni network - you have the opportunity to leverage the School’s community, connecting with experienced individuals and building your own business relationships. I reached out to several alumni, to learn more about their work experience and career paths. They were all extremely welcoming. This is one of the best things about the School’s community, it’s very open, and everybody genuinely wants to help. The community is truly worldwide. Here in Munich, I have several friends who are LBS alumni who I met through the network. It’s interesting that things have come full circle, and I’ve now had people reach out to ask me advice about LBS and the GMiM programme, many of whom are now studying at LBS on account of these conversations. If you’re part of the LBS community, you’ll never be far away from someone else who is too.

London is home to some of the world’s biggest organisations, meaning there’s incredible job prospects right on your doorstep. It’s a very fast-paced place, with countless different types of professional events happening on any given day. It’s also a city filled with intelligent, ambitious people, encouraging you to push yourself in order to compete with those around you. Studying in London truly feels like you are at the centre of a global business hub.

LBS presents so many opportunities in such a short space of time. Prospective students should think about what they really want to get out of the programme. It’s always good to have a plan, but even better to stay flexible. Ensure you have an idea of what you want to achieve afterwards, take advantage of every minute, use every opportunity to network with others and get involved in as many different activities as you can. If you do this, there’s no limit to what you can achieve at LBS.