After successfully completing the program modules, each participant in the McGill-HEC Montreal EMBA embarks on the final paper. The paper focuses on a major issue and proposes concrete solutions or strategies. Amélie Faubert, a McGill-HEC Montreal EMBA 2021 alumna, decided to study “The Art of Female Networking”.
“Best EMBA Final Paper 2021”
Holding a PHD in experimental medicine from McGill University and having held several leadership positions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, this topic was very far from Amélie’s field of expertise.
Among all the papers written by her classmates, Amélie’s paper, supervised by professor Sylvie Saint-Onge, was selected as “Best final paper 2021” – an award given yearly by the EMBA director team.
“Winning this prize was a huge surprise for me. I had the unique chance to participate to the EMBA program with a cohort of very talented executives who all worked very hard to complete the program” Amelie said.
“The Art of Female Networking”
Amélie’s final paper highlights some important points such as the low number of women at executive levels, despite the significant progress made in the last decades.
Although networking has traditionally been proven as a lever for the professional advancement of women, research focused on networking among female leaders is limited.
As part of her final paper, Amélie met 20 executives, heads of women’s networks, coaches and professional guides to discuss the art of networking.
“We focused on identifying the success factors of networking conducive to the professional advancement of women leaders.”
The results confirmed a link between the involvement in networking and the professional advancement of women leaders.
“Large and diversified networks with quality relationships formed with certain contacts are the most coveted. The benefits of networking are varied and can have an impact on both personal and professional levels. The biggest risk associated with networking is to lack judgment or lose credibility. Several social qualities are required to build and maintain an effective network. Finally, doing regular follow-up with the members of your network is the success factor most often highlighted by our respondents in order to maintain an effective network.”
The impact of the final work
Amélie’s final paper also described certain tools used to better strategically plan the establishment and maintenance of a network. She, herself, used her new knowledge of networking to obtain her new job as Director of Business Development at My Intelligent Machines.
“My professional development has made me evolve from one role to another, often at odds with my previous experiences, but always within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. For my 40th birthday, I treated myself to an Executive MBA. Having always worked in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, I wanted to take advantage of the best possible program to expand my professional horizons. […] I have reflected a lot on networking, on the new possibilities that could be offered to me if the right approach were put forward, and how my sustained approach could allow me to reach important positions within the executive world.”
Marianne Vandenbosch, EMBA Director, Professor Alain Pinsonneault, EMBA co-director, Amélie Faubert, Professor Sylvie Saint-Onge
