What do business students really want to know? Understandably, "how do I become a CEO faster than the rest?" is one of the top questions asked.
So when Adam Winslow, CEO of AIG Life UK and a former Master in European Business (MEB) student, arrived at the ESCP Europe London campus to give a speech called "From MEB to CEO" there was a full house.
Adam's career has been exceptional: he is CEO of AIG Life just over a decade after graduating from ESCP Europe's MEB, making him among the youngest CEOs in his sector. His speech was full of interesting insights into how he got there, including:- Willingness to be mobile and work in other countries
- The increased seniority that can be offered by smaller firms
- Stakeholder management, and being liked and known by colleagues
- Hard work, delivering results in each role, and then having the confidence to pitch yourself for the next step up.
There were many lessons to learn from Adam's speech, as well as dilemmas to consider. Is it better to specialise or be a generalist? Should you choose a large firm with more options or a more innovative smaller player? How can you demonstrate the confidence to lead many without appearing arrogant to some?
This was certainly an engaging event for the students, with really valuable advice. Judging by the thoughtful questions in the audience, there may well be some more MEBs-to-CEOs in the room - time will tell!