After 8 months of intensive coursework, business trips to India and Turkey, dozens of contacts with industry experts, and 600 hours of class the Theseus-EDHEC MBA participants are keen to get back into company life put their new knowledge to the test.

The consulting projects come about through existing company ties and campaigns to find new sponsors. Companies then approach EDHEC with ideas of consulting missions that will lead teams of MBA participants to act as consultants on their chosen site, wherever in the world this might be. This provides both a service to the firms involved as well as a final opportunity for MBA participants to learn

The consulting project is conducted under the supervision of an EDHEC faculty member who is on hand for advice and support throughout the two-month mission. This mentor guides the participants through to the conclusion and helps the team analyse their work which generally culminates in the proposal of a strategic plan that is presented to the company directors.

THE PARTICIPANTS' VIEW

This year's consulting projects take place in France and in the UK.
Swiss MBA student Olivier Ernst, who is on the team of the London-based project, describes the project.

"I am part of a 6-member team that has been sponsored by the leading French energy group. We were flown to London and are now living in the north of the city, with the company taking care of our expenses. We have been given an extremely challenging mission called the Networks Branch Property Strategy which involves the combining of former branches to create a centre of excellence for networks.

Basically we have to identify premises, liaise with the property team and analyse business strategies. We have to produce a final report proposing recommendations for a location strategy that will enable the branch to optimise its use of property through the integration of its activities at shared sites. Property is not a recognised business area in every company but I learnt that it is in fact an important support function for big companies and one which should not be neglected as it impacts people, company culture, business efficiency and the company's financial position.

It is a pretty impressive mission to undertake as it involves 5000 employees and 1300 agency staff in 193 sites across an area covering almost 30 000 km2. It really is a great learning experience as it demands the bringing together of all the skills I learned in the MBA programme such as strategy, analysis, correlation, business modelling, people management and communication skills.

The work environment is very challenging and even the company has admitted that the time frame is very short. However, they have given us all the support we need to make our mission a success. We are working closely with the head of property team and we have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people from other teams.

Although most of the case studies we did in class involved real life cases, this is really taking things a step further. We are able to see the direct benefits of our work for the company as it will reduce their next property budget by about 6% of total property occupancy cost. It's a real challenge but I'm enjoying every minute of it!"

MBA student Jonghyun Shin from South Korea expresses his appreciation on the other advantages of the project such as having the chance to discover another new culture.

"When we arrived in London, the company organised a welcome event for us to help us integrate and the company really treats us as full-time employees. We get good help from the permanent staff and are really getting to understand the British way of life and UK company culture. I think this is very beneficial for future employment."

This consulting project rounds off the practical learning experience in the Theseus-EDHEC MBA programme. Participants will be invited to reflect upon their year at EDHEC in a final module devoted to personal development which takes place in the first week of July. The graduates will then re-enter professional life where they can expect an average of 40% increase in salary.