At the Luxury Alumni Talk in February and March 2022, former MBS students Emna Rabai and Bernhard Franz talked about their experiences with the Mark Challenge and their careers after university.
Benefiting from the knowledge and experience of former students is one of the advantages of studying at Munich Business School. To intensify the exchange between alumni and current students, Dr. Julia Riedmeier, module leader of the Luxury Management concentration in the International Business master’s program, initiated a Luxury Alumni Talk for the first time in the spring term of 2022. MBS alumni Emna Rabai and Bernhard Franz followed her invitation and gave the current luxury students an insight into their careers and experiences with the Mark Challenge, in the finals of which they both participated in 2020.
Emna Rabai currently works as Junior Online Marketing Manager at the luxury fashion house Mytheresa and is responsible for SEO in France and the Middle East. Before Mytheresa, she was also active in the online sector at Stylight and Best Secret. In line with the topic Digital Marketing for Luxury Brands, during the Luxury Alumni Talk she explained what SEO means, why it is important for luxury brands and how it works especially in the luxury industry. She also shared valuable tips with the students on how to get a foothold in the luxury industry and what it takes. Last but not least, Emna recapped her experience with the Mark Challenge – in 2020, she and her fellow student Pascale Ghoussainy had made it to the finals of the business plan competition as team ReBorn. As the current luxury students were about to submit their business concepts for the Mark Challenge at the time of the talk, the MBS alumna provided helpful hints on how to address the most important key points while always keeping feasibility and customer needs in mind.
Bernhard Franz, the second guest of the Luxury Alumni Talk, was also among the finalists of the Mark Challenge 2020 and even came out as the winner together with his team mate Caterina Capelo Moreira (Team Kosha). During the talk, he answered all questions the students had about video creation and captivating visualization of their ideas. Furthermore, he gave the students an insight into his career – from his studies in Salzburg, Munich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Berlin and Canada to various professional stations, for example as a radio presenter, and finally to his self-employment as a trainer, consultant and presenter with a focus on gamification.
For both the guests from the alumni network and the current students, it was a successful talk with a lot of practical relevance and tips for their studies:
“I really enjoyed the class today and the insights we could hear from Bernhard and Emna.”
Christopher Bennett, International Business master’s student with a concentration in Luxury Management
“Thank you so much for this amazing session and most importantly for the invitation. It was a pure pleasure.”
MBS alumna Emna Rabai
Module leader Dr. Julia Riedmeier was also pleased with the new format of the Luxury Alumni Talks: “I think it’s great that the luxury alumni get so involved and share their experiences and knowledge with the current students. Both sides benefit from the exchange, which also strengthens the MBS community and serves as a networking platform.”
The Luxury Alumni Talk is a format in which alumni of the Luxury Management concentration in the International Business master's program give current students tips on their personal development and careers and share experiences from their time as students, for example with the Mark Challenge. They also report on their current work and provide valuable insights into starting a career in the luxury industry.
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