We asked Master in Sustainable Business & Innovation graduate Mahdi Farran to share his experience in his current position and tell us how he uses the skills he learned at EADA. Mahdi is from Lebanon and holds a Bachelor’s in Public Administration. After his undergraduate degree, he worked in his family business in Gabon as an operations officer, where he had direct exposure to all operational aspects of the business.
Upon graduating from EADA, Mahdi and his team took first prize in the EADA-SAP consulting challenge to develop a sustainable solution managing the firm’s E-waste. He also completed the consulting internship #IEUK2020, where he honed his skills in areas including project management and change management from professionals in top consulting firms like PwC, EY, and Accenture.
Mahdi currently works in London as a senior associate at AlphaSights, providing global investment and business professionals with on-demand access to business expertise across all industries and geographies.
What is an average day like for you at AlphaSights?
Every morning we start the day with a meeting to align on priorities. In my current role, my daily activities are split into three main parts:
- The first is project management, where I am leading projects in various industries from tech, pharma, manufacturing, telecom, etc. I also work alongside other associates on researching these markets and identifying top experts to assist our clients in their demands.
- The second part of my day is dedicated to connecting with and engaging top industry executives and explaining the clients’ requests and how they can collaborate on such projects.
- Another important part of my day is touching base with internal stakeholders and sharing learnings and recommendations on similar requests.
Finally, the day ends with another meeting sharing the progress and what we have managed to achieve that day.
What is the most challenging part of your current position? And the most rewarding?
Our clients’ work, specifically those in private equity, investment funds, and management consultancies, is characterised by fast-paced decision making, which requires us to provide fast-paced knowledge work, while having strong business acumen and a detailed understanding of various industries and their value chains.
Being at the forefront of the business world means that our work directly affects our client’s decisions in new or existing ventures. Seeing the results coming through is the most rewarding aspect of the job. On a personal level, I am satisfied whenever my projects prove to have helped business leaders make better-informed decisions.
Business leaders supporting such startups are paving the way for efficiency and innovation while cutting costs and boosting functionality."
How do you think that technology will change the business landscape over the next few years?
Today’s technology is evolving at an exponential pace and more technological development and transformation are expected to be seen in the coming years. Some of the biggest trends in the tech space are the IoT (process automation), cloud adoption and digitalisation (VR, Blockchain, etc), AI (machine learning, cybersecurity, etc). More startups are developing cutting-edge solutions levering these trends to problems that incumbents have struggled to solve. Business leaders supporting such startups are paving the way for efficiency and innovation while cutting costs and boosting functionality.
What skills do you think are most important for someone interested in a position like yours?
Working in such a dynamic firm with leading organisations as main stakeholders entails project management skills to handle multiple projects simultaneously. Adaptability and a growth mindset are also essential to succeed in a high-performance environment, where priorities shift fast, and challenges are continuous learning opportunities. Additionally, it is fundamental to be a team player and a group contributor where the success of a team relies on all members focusing on common goals. Curiosity and desire to continually learn more about industries and trends, while driving value in solving real business problems is also imperative in my role.
How do you use what you learned at EADA in your current position?
The similarities between EADA and AlphaSights are countless. The school’s multinational environment involving different cultures from all over the world helped me easily fit in the company culture. I also developed important soft skills during the courses and the sessions at the Residential Training Campus, namely communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. I continually rely on these skills to navigate through my day at work from both a professional development and business knowledge perspective.
I believe EADA helped me develop strong business acumen and enhanced my knowledge of different industries, as some of the case studies that I saw are real-life projects in my current role.
What role do sustainability and sustainable practices play in your current role/company?
Because access to knowledge shouldn’t be restricted to certain industries, sustainability is still an important aspect of our mission at AlphaSights. Through our social impact business unit known as Knowledge for Good, we are helping impact investing, social enterprises, and non-profits address complex problems. Employees volunteer to take part in such projects, which allows us to work with various colleagues and contribute to a positive change in society while practicing leadership roles and fostering connections with top industry experts. From supporting the impact investment lifecycle to scaling operations, we are leveraging our core service by connecting leading professionals with decision-makers in social impact. This initiative confirms that access to knowledge can help advance social development and inspire a sustainable impact on society.
It is important to work towards developing a skill set that would help you advance in the role and career you are interested in."
What advice do you have for students looking to get into the tech field?
What advice do you have for students looking to get into the tech field?
It is important to work towards developing a skill set that would help you advance in the role and career you are interested in. There are plenty of resources, such as online courses, workshops, programmes, and internships that can help you focus and develop both soft skills and technical skills. Furthermore, many firms and employers look at attitudes and individuals’ growth potential when recruiting, thus having the right mindset is a huge added value. Lastly, it is helpful to connect with professionals from the industry or field in which you are interested, as they have first-hand exposure and can guide you through the process. So don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with industry professionals.