Prior to coming on the Oxford Executive MBA programme, Lionel van Dongen was working as a Principal Consultant at Computer Science Corporation, a large information technology consulting firm.  After ten years in consulting, Lionel was keen to set up his own consultancy, but felt he needed to improve his understanding of finance and gain a formal qualification in business before he pursued his dream.

He chose the Saïd Business School for its focus on entrepreneurship and the worldwide reputation of Oxford University. “Wherever you go, wherever you do business, Oxford is a clear and unquestionable brand,” he says.

The Executive MBA programme lived up to his expectations. “As you would expect, the programme is well organised and very professional. But the most important part is the quality of its teachers and the calibre and the diversity of the people on the course. Our class was so diverse and rich in terms of talent, ability, experience and cultures.”

After completing the programme, Lionel fulfilled his ambition to found his own consulting firm, setting up perform.BI (www.perform.bi) together with three partners. The firm helps clients to align their IT strategy to their business strategy and product or services portfolio, focusing on strategy deployment, programme management and business intelligence.

“Without those two years spent at Saïd Business School, this transition would have been unrealistic,” Lionel says. He continues to find the professional network he built at Oxford useful. “The power of the Oxford network goes far beyond the Business School. Whatever your domain or expertise, whatever your field of interest, you can rely on Oxford network to connect with worldwide leaders and experts.”

“The EMBA was much more than a “training”,” Lionel says in summary. “It was a life-changing experience.  Quite simply, I can say that it was worth every single penny I paid and I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to invest the time and effort to live such an extraordinary experience.”