They were here to sell their Finance development program (FDP) for executives and were keen for talent from St Gallen.

The FDP is basically a starting point for high profile financial executives into Novartis and intends to groom them to step into CFO roles within a period 5-6 years..

The presentation was interesting and the program seems to be well thought out.. basically the FDP participant starts in Basel (which is the group HQ) and works there for about 15 months in different divisions and then be posted to another country as head of FRA (Financial Reporting and Advisory)..

From there to another international division (like BPA) and finally as a CFO for a company, which is when he/she will have graduated out of the FDP program.

Interesting huh? Yeah.. esp if u are a typical bean counter and like book keeping .. the responsibility , career growth and responsibility. Some guys were interested in M&A and strat planning which had other entry points…

Takeaways: just three weeks and we have the first company trying to sell itself to us.. great way to start ur MBA! And it helps to have a small batch.. u get to interact with these people one on one… so if u r keen to get in at least u could face an interview.. where u can sell urself .. and possibly land a job.

The first week at HSG (University of St Gallen) was really a lot of fun..

and this is the photo album of our experiences at the creative challenge...

On the last day we brought in some wine and raised a toast to Klaus who made this a very stimulating experience (=great fun) for all of us

cheers!

Stuart

Anyways , later in the evening we the MBA team organized a dinner for all of us…
well well well! that's being very generous I'd say (no wonder the MBA fees the world over is at an all time high!!)

We met at the Fondue Beizli.. the very famous Fondue restaurant of St Gallen.. To add to the fun it started drizzling and the weather became pleasantly cool..

For the uninitiated, a Cheese Fondue is the dish where in a large bowl of molten cheese is placed in the centre of the table and a flame is lit below… bread crumbs are picked using a long fork and dipped in this molten cheese and eaten… another variation is a meat fondue.. where u use meat instead of bread and dip the meat into the cheese

While the sweeter variation is the chocolate fondue.. where fruit pieces like banana, apple etc are dipped into a bowl of molten chocolate…

It is a must try if u want to get a taste of the Swiss way of life.. most swiss guys swear by it..

The dinner was a blast.. The Fondue, the wine, the drizzle… ah it was as if the Swiss gods (& HSG MBA team) were trying their best to make it a memorable first day for us all at St Gallen.. We had such a great time… we just sat for a long while drinking .. talking… dipping our bread and spirits in the swiss fondue! This was also symbolic in the sense that being a small group of carefully selected people .. we look forward to harmonious life long friendship…and nothing better than a fondue to mark the beginning of our shared learning experience!

The first introduction week had much more in store… don't go away.. stay Tuned!!!

Stuart!!

• Now when I decided to set sail on the MBA voyage, I found myself with numerous opportunities . With the world moving fast towards becoming a global marketplace, i greatly felt the need to get an international perspective on business, economics and world affairs.
  
  I was keen to immerse myself in a pool of "ignited" minds and benefit from the intellectual abrasion that results when you work in closely knit groups on tight deadlines.
  
  I wanted to pursue my MBA in Europe, Australia or Asia and finally zeroed in on St. Gallen, Switzerland.
  
  Why St. Gallen?
  
• The reputation of the University of St. Gallen is unrivalled in Switzerland and German-speaking Europe, and is seen as one of Europe's premium International Business Schools.
• Small , well-knit batch ( 30 participants) : good bonding/ strong networks, personalized attention!
• Even though it is a new program, it is very selective (avg GMAT is second only to INSEAD and higher than LBS/HEC/IMD),
• Truly global: Over 95% international students
• One year course: the idea of spending two pristine years of my life pursuing an MBA didn't appeal to me.
• NETWORK: Strong links with industry: has an old boys network with top officials of Swiss and German industries, which throws open several doors of exciting opportunities

Downside: It does not figure in FT/Businessweek rankings. However, this is because although St Gallen was established in 1898 , the MBA course started in 2005 and all renowned rankings consider institutions which have been around for five years or more.

However, the Karriere and Wiwo rankings put it right up at the top of the league! It is also very highly recommended by people in the business spheres