Building a Better Road to Success

Damien Liot, admitted to MIT

by Will Toussaint

When MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership Director Stephen Sacca visited MBA Center in early 2006, Damien Liot was there. Damien had heard much about the MIT Sloan program, but the Director's visit and the personal interaction he offered greatly impressed him. So much so that Damien decided to apply to the program even after having spent several months as an MBA student at Sciences Po. Damien was accepted at MIT and reports that the weather in Boston may be cold, but the future looks very bright.



Damien, you have a unique admissions story; could you share some of the details?
Sure, I was an MBA student at Sciences Po during the fall of 2006. I had been accepted there, and I never felt quite right about the fit. I looked around me in the classroom, and I felt like I was much older than everyone else. I had much more than a decade worth of experience. I decided that it would be best to take a look at other options. That’s about when I met the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership Director Stephen Sacca at the MBA Center Paris. I attended an information session that he conducted and remember thinking how impressed I was that MIT would send its Director to speak to us.
There are several business programs in the MIT Sloan School of Management: the two-year MBA, the SDM program, and the one I am currently enrolled in, the Sloan Fellows in Innovation and Global Leadership program. This one-year program is designed for mid-career managers (average age of 39 with about 14 years of work experience) with diverse backgrounds and citizenships (90 people, 26 countries, 70% international). I met Stephen and took a look at these aspects, and I decided to apply the Sloan Fellows program. I am extraordinarily happy with my decision.

So, the personal interaction had a big impact on your decision to apply; why do you think that is?
Well, as I said it really impressed me that MIT would have a director visiting Paris. I think that is because many of the schools don’t make a point of sending their top official to visit France. I know, because I have met many admissions officers from many of the top schools, but there are very few directors. Stephen answered all of my questions honestly, and he was straightforward about why he was visiting. I listened to some of the reasoning behind why he was looking for French students at MIT, and it all made sense. They have every kind of background and nationality represented at MIT, and I think that makes it much more valuable program.

What is your professional background?
I am a regional executive manager for Eurovia, the road division of the world leader construction group VINCI, where I head the public and private roadwork contracts and urban infrastructure development projects in the Paris Region. I have been working in the construction business for about a decade and helped many leadership roles. I also served in the Special Forces Reserve Unit.

What are some of the aspects you believe set MIT Sloan Fellows apart from other programs?
Well, it’s an incredible network of people. Some of the most important leaders in business attend. For example, the Chairman and CEO of Aramco (Saudi crude oil) is my classmate. I now know the key players at the best companies. I can meet with just about anyone I want to meet in the business world without much more than a few phone calls. Being a student at MIT Sloan Fellows program is like being an intern, only much better. You can meet people from almost any company you can think of, because they want to meet you. We have Leadership Seminars which allow us to meet two CEO’s or a noted personality every week! In addition to that, three trips are expected during the year at MIT, one in New York with a leadership purpose, one in California with an innovation purpose, and one big International trip; this year we will travel to India and South Africa. The international trip helps us to discover the international business but also to create and support the incredible network; meeting alumni is always amazing!

What is one of the best experiences you have had meeting someone at MIT?
There have been so many people. I could point to Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of GE. He teaches a leadership class at MIT Sloan. I can tell you it is much different meeting him in person than it is reading about him in a case study. It’s an environment where you can ask him all kinds of questions. Also, we got to meet the current CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt, and the former CEO of HP, Carly Fiorina. These are legendary people in business.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your experience applying?
Well, it would have to be the fact that I had applied while I was currently getting an MBA. I was confident that I was making the right decision. But, it is not typical to leave one MBA program for another. I was lucky to meet Stephen Sacca. That helped me make the decision I knew would be right for me.

Do you have any advice for those interested in MIT?
I would recommend doing your research on the school and knowing what it is you want out of the experience. MIT is a great place because it’s got tremendous resources and amazing faculty. I knew it was a good fit for me, but I had to put in the time to research the school and to meet the right people. So, my first recommendation is to talk to the admissions staff. But you should check out the website: mitsloan.mit.edu. It’s a great resource because it is always up-to-date and easy to use.