Why Global Leaders Are Choosing Europe To Build Cross-border Careers
Author: Imperial Business School
For MBA students considering where to study, one question matters more than ever: where will your degree take you? Whilst we can agree that an MBA provides you with the expertise and knowledge required to succeed in business, today’s fastest growing careers are also increasingly spanning across industries and borders.
Two Imperial Business School alumni, Frederic John from the Full-Time MBA programme, and Marina Moncayola from the Weekend MBA programme, share how studying in London helped them build their careers in Europe.
WHY ARE MORE MBA GRADUATES BUILDING CAREERS ACROSS EUROPE?
Europe – with London as a major gateway – offers graduates access to some of the world’s leading business hubs across industries, employers and entrepreneurial ventures.
Frederic: Europe has a rare combination of deep expertise, cultural richness and industrial assets that few regions can match. It’s also going through a real transformative moment, establishing its sovereignty in energy, tech and industry. That’s precisely what excites me, the chance to help move the lines and lead in a market that’s becoming a leader.
Marina: I have always been drawn to international environments because they challenge perspectives, encourage collaboration and create opportunities to learn from different cultures and ways of thinking. Building my career across Spain and the UK has allowed me to combine global practices with local market insight whilst pursuing opportunities at the intersection of strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship.
DOES STUDYING IN LONDON HELP YOU BUILD A CAREER IN EUROPE?
Studying in London places you in the heart of the European ecosystem. At Imperial Business School, that international mobility is reflected in our graduate outcomes. Among the Full-Time MBA Class of 2024, 67% changed their work location after graduating, with alumni building careers across Europe and around the world.
Frederic: London is where the world meets. During my Full-Time MBA studies at Imperial Business School, I had hundreds of conversations across coffees and conferences alike – and that’s where I started building both my network and my reputation.
London also gave me a front-row seat to one of Europe’s strongest start-up ecosystems, and there’s no doubt that’s what planted the entrepreneurial seed that became my organisation, D-Carbonize.
Marina: One of the most valuable parts of studying in London has been the people you have access to. Many of my classmates on the Weekend MBA relocated internationally and now work across the globe in consulting, private equity, technology, finance and entrepreneurship. Even today, I regularly connect with people I first met in London at events in Madrid, where I’m based. These interactions reinforce that London’s network isn’t local, it’s truly global. The relationships you build continue to create opportunities wherever your career takes you.
WHAT CAREERS CAN YOU PURSUE ACROSS EUROPE AFTER AN MBA?
From London’s global finance, consulting and startup ecosystem to Amsterdam and Berlin’s technology sectors, Paris’s consulting firms and the Nordic’s leadership in sustainability, Europe provides graduates access to some of the world’s leading business hubs.
Frederic: Right after graduating, I spent a few years in London as a smart mobility consultant for a boutique strategy firm. In 2021, I moved back to Belgium, met my co-founder, and we built D-Carbonize around a simple conviction: organisations shouldn’t have to choose between cutting their environmental impact and improving their financial performance. Five years on, we’re a team of 15 operating in more than 59 countries. I also lecture in sustainable transport whilst also helping organisations turn the AI wave into real operational gains.
Marina: Having lived, studied and worked across Spain, the UK, Belgium, India, Kenya and Singapore, my career has evolved from finance and risk advisory into strategy consulting and entrepreneurship after graduating from Imperial, moving progressively closer to C-suite decision-making and high-impact strategic work. Today, I’m applying the entrepreneurial mindset I developed at Imperial by exploring Madrid’s startup ecosystem and building a new venture. Looking back, Imperial didn’t just accelerate my career, it gave me the confidence, network and entrepreneurial mindset to create opportunities of my own.
WHAT SKILLS ARE EMPLOYERS IN EUROPE LOOKING FOR?
Frederic: First, fluency with AI is quickly becoming the baseline expectation, not a nice-to-have. Second, resilience: the rules of the game now change overnight, and the people who thrive are those who can absorb the shock, adapt and keep building. Technical skills get you in the room; adaptability is what keeps you there.
Marina: Throughout my consulting career, I’ve learnt that the best leaders don’t simply solve problems, they create environments where people are empowered to contribute, challenge ideas and perform at their best. In an AI-driven world, technology will accelerate execution, but leadership, emotional intelligence and human connection will remain the true drivers of long-term impact.
WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR MBA STUDENTS HOPING TO WORK IN EUROPE?
Frederic: Build your network relentlessly and get out of your comfort zone – asking a stranger for ten minutes is never fun, but it’s exactly what landed me my first job in London and later helped me build D-Carbonize. If you’re interested in entrepreneurship like me, there has rarely been a better moment to build something of your own in Europe.
Marina: Take full advantage of everything studying in the UK has to offer. Some of the most valuable experiences of my MBA came from getting involved in the wider Imperial community. Serving as Vice President of Societal Engagement on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC) allowed me to collaborate with student representatives, senior faculty and university leaders from across Imperial, broadening my perspective and developing leadership skills beyond the academic programme. At the same time, joining the more social societies allows you to connect with students from across the Imperial faculties, giving you access to perspectives from STEMB experts.
HOW IMPERIAL PREPARES STUDENTS FOR CAREERS ACROSS EUROPE
Beyond the classroom, Imperial Business School’s dedicated Careers team provide tailored services to help students achieve their short-term and long-term career goals. Throughout their studies, students work one-on-one with a Careers Consultant, who will assist with career planning and offer personalised advice on CV’s, applications and interview preparation to help them navigate opportunities across the UK, European and global job market.
Dedicated skills workshops, industry networking events and Careers Weeks also allow students to strengthen their interview and job search techniques, hear from and network directly with industry experts and attend accelerator and industry-specific career sessions.
Frederic: The Imperial MBA is a 360-degree programme that transforms how you operate – it gives you both the confidence that the sky’s the limit and the hard and soft skills to actually get there. That combination is what makes the difference in a competitive market, especially at the decisive moments in a recruitment process when you have to stand out.
Marina: Imperial prepared me for my career in Europe by strengthening my strategic thinking, developing my leadership capabilities and connecting me with a truly international and entrepreneurial community. The programme also gave me the confidence to work across diverse European business environments and collaborate effectively with multicultural teams.
Imperial’s Careers team, consulting and finance events and interview preparation resources also played an important role in helping me successfully transition into strategy consulting, while classmates who had already made that move generously shared their advice and experiences throughout the process.
