Guilhem Loisel-McFadden

About you

What work experience/internships did you have before beginning with Imperial College Business School?

I began the MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) at Imperial straight after my bachelor’s degree and therefore probably don’t have as much work experience as some other part-time students. However, I did complete a summer internship after my second year at Aviva’s Digital Garage where I got hands-on experience in the world of corporate innovation. Believe me, the insurance industry is a lot more interesting than it sounds!
Then, as I was a graduating from Warwick, I joined Kurve, a small growth marketing strategy consultancy as a Marketing Executive where I have been working with startups and scale-ups. While a lot smaller than Aviva, Kurve has allowed me to take on a wide variety of different roles which means that no day has ever been the same.

Why did you decide to study an MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) at Imperial College Business School?
During my bachelor’s degree, I became heavily interested in marketing as I was the Marketing Director for Enactus Warwick. I had always wanted to do a postgraduate degree and after doing some research I found out about Imperial’s MSc Strategic Marketing programme.
Not only was this consistently one of the highest-ranking marketing Master’s in the world, but it also came with Imperial’s world-renowned brand. Furthermore, I was impressed with the variety and content of the programme’s modules. I had initially planned on doing the on-campus version, but then realised I was also keen on getting more real-world work experience and as a result, decided that taking the online format would provide me with the best of both worlds: world-class education as well as greater professional experience.

Did you receive a scholarship?

Yes, I did! Imperial very kindly granted me the Imperial Business scholarship for having an outstanding application. It was definitely unexpected but very welcome to say the least!

Programme

What aspects of the programme do you most enjoy the most?

Of course, there’s the flexibility of the programme. As it is entirely online, I can choose to work whenever I like. Secondly, I like that despite being online it’s still highly comprehensive and intensive. There are plenty of case studies, live discussions, and participation is strongly required.

Which has been your favourite module so far and why?

So far, it would have to be Strategic Marketing Management. Dr Omar Merlo is highly engaging and his live case study discussions were incredibly interesting. Also, I felt that there was a good balance of theory and practical tools/frameworks that were immediately applicable. I strongly believe that this gave me a perfect, comprehensive introduction to marketing.

What has been the most challenging part of the programme?

For me it’s definitely when the end of term starts approaching and all the deadlines start to pile up. Also, since there’s a lot of group work involved, it can be challenging organising meetings when everyone has different schedules or works in different time zones. 

Have you found the programme learnings to be directly applicable to your role?

Certainly! I think this programme is incredibly practical and have found the ideas/tools to be highly relevant my role.

How have you found studying on The Hub?

I have enjoyed using the Hub. I think the way the modules are set up on there is very neat and highly interactive. I was concerned initially that studying online would not be as engaging as studying on campus, but this has certainly not been the case. The Hub has definitely exceeded my expectations.

People

How would you describe your cohort at Imperial?

Smart and motivated. Since most already have considerable experience in marketing, it’s clear that everyone is keen to specialise even more. What I’ve also liked is that everyone comes from different countries and backgrounds, which has made for an extremely interesting and diverse experience.

Can you highlight the positives of working in syndicate groups on the programme?

I think working in a syndicate group has been great. I really felt like I got on well with my syndicate group and by working on multiple group projects together we really got to know each well.

Did you have a favourite professor/lecturer and why?

I’ve really enjoyed Dr Merlo’s teaching. Not only does he explain topics in a clear and engaging way, but I thoroughly enjoyed his live lectures and case studies, which I found to all be very insightful.

Career

What are your future career goals and how have they been realised since being at Imperial?

I would love a career in innovation and brand consulting. While I’m definitely not quite there yet, I do feel that with the Imperial brand, as well as the support and guidance from the Careers team, I’m a lot clearer and more confident about how I can achieve this.

I am not currently looking for a new job. However, I do like knowing that if it were necessary, I can easily reach out to Imperial’s Careers team for support for anything career related. I have been impressed with Imperial’s wide range of career-related offerings such as the VMock platform (which really helped me polish my CV), networking events and workshops. I was able to book two meetings for career planning purposes and attended several workshops which were all very valuable.  

Tips

Looking back to when you were applying for the programme, did you attend any online webinars or on-campus information sessions?

I did and would highly recommend them. They were very useful as they gave me all the information I needed on the programme, key dates for applying, and an opportunity to ask any important questions. 

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the programme?

I would definitely say to do as much research as you can. For example, programme handbooks for each Imperial Master’s can be found online and provide very detailed information about the programme content. Secondly, when it comes to actually applying, I think the most important thing is to show that you are clear about your career goals and to show exactly how you believe that Imperial can help you achieve those goals.