French national Alexandre Loo began his ESSEC Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA) journey at the Singapore campus.

The first two years saw him tap on ESSEC’s intercampus mobility to go on exchange at the ESSEC Cergy campus and the school’s internship requirement to gain work experience as a Research Analyst for Goliath Advisory in Singapore.

The following two years, he spent completing a double degree with Peking University in China, picking up industry exposure at French startup EMBLOCK, luxury brand Jaeger-LeCoultre in Singapore, and through a capstone project with Tesla.

He’s graduated and is taking a Master in Management at the National University of Singapore to deepen his understanding of Asian culture and prepare him for his future goal of becoming a management consultant.

Alexandre shares the rationale behind his path, how ESSEC has supported him, and his takeaways from this international journey.

Could you tell us about your career goals? How has ESSEC supported you?

I’m interested in management consulting, and I appreciate that ESSEC allowed me to have as many internships and international exchanges as possible within my four years.

The fact that I’ve been able to study in Singapore, France, and China—and in prestigious institutions—and gain such experiences and professional skills has broadened my horizons.

I also secured my internship in a French startup thanks to the ESSEC network. An alumnus was working at EMBLOCK, and we connected over an ESSEC group chat.

She suggested I see if I could assist them in the marketing and consulting aspects of the business and, at the same time, learn more about a new and innovative industry handling blockchain technology.

Getting experience in other fields, like technology, would be a good investment, especially in a world that’s becoming more digital, so I applied.

With these goals in mind, why did you choose Peking University?

To have an impact on people, you need to be able to connect with them, and language is the best way to do this.

French and English are good languages to speak, but with China’s rise as an economic power, I also wanted to improve my command of Mandarin.

Although most of my courses at Peking University were done in English, I took a few in Mandarin, which has helped me improve my language skills further.

Looking back now, which of your international experiences has impacted you most?

The most meaningful part of my journey has been the people that I’ve met along the way.

The fact that I’ve been able to meet different people, hear their insights, and share their experiences has helped me grow to become the person I am today.

Through these diverse interactions, ESSEC has enabled me to understand and respect different cultures, which is critical to success in an international business environment.

What is your advice to other students when they embark on global journeys?

Don’t let circumstances stop you from having an impact.

For example, although the pandemic impacted my exchange at Peking University, I took the initiative to reach out. I became the social chair for my cohort to arrange activities for my classmates virtually. I later became valedictorian of the class.

I also actively sought out opportunities for industry exposure.

For example, when I saw that Peking University offered a capstone project where I could work with a prestigious company, I signed up, which is how I got experience leading a project and improved my consulting skills with a client like Tesla.

Ultimately, there will always be people who are smarter or more impressive than me.

But I believe it’s really up to me to create my own journey and have an impact on the people around me.

So be open to new experiences and opportunities; believe these will be a launchpad to your eventual goal!