“I Like Entrepreneurial Ventures”: Fernanda Arreola, in Charge of the Entrepreneurship Programmes at EMLV

Fernanda Arreola is responsible for the entrepreneurship programmes at French Business school EMLV. After an international corporate experience, her professional life took a new turn as she decided to become an academic.

The entrepreneurship and innovation programme is opened to all fifth-year Master’s programme students from EMLV and engineering school ESILV who aim to create a startup or are interested in learning the basics of business creation.

Making the best of a corporate experience to foster entrepreneurship at EMLV

Fernanda Arreola graduated from an engineering school with a diploma in mechanical engineering in Mexico. After a few years working in banking and hospitality, she felt the need to enhance her management skills and thus completed a MBA in International Business in the USA.

She enjoyed the college environment to a point that after a last corporate experience for Johnson & Johnson, she started a new life as an academic. She obtained a PhD in strategy and entrepreneurship in 2014, in Brazil.

Her research interests span several topics, namely governance, innovation and entrepreneurship and finally impact of research. The latter has Fernanda Arreola questionning herself about how to turn research into teaching material for the entrepreneurship programme students.

The entrepreneurship programme offers courses and practical activities fostering entrepreneurial know-hows and soft skills for business school graduates. Classes are taught by lecturers and professionals.

“I like entrepreneurial ventures. Here I get to do things, I get to innovate, propose, create. I get to be manager of the ideas that I have, I get to acknowledged and accountable for the projects that I want to bring into the equation”.

Lean startup, business model canvas, CK theory, financing, marketing, pitch training… after a year, students master the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, without having to leave campus.

A new international outlook at EMLV

Born in Mexico, Fernanda Arreola is also Italian. Working and studying in Mexico, the USA, Brazil and France has strengthened her understanding of the complexity of society. Even though organisations are now digital, global and interconnected, they must do with interculturality.

 “I am fascinated by the different styles of management and leadership across the world. I really do an effort with my students at EMLV to transfer that”.

Many EMLV faculty members have international backgrounds, and the Paris Business School also welcomes exchange students and international degree-seeking students. Fernanda Arreola is enthusiast about working with young people who have different ideas and perspectives. EMLV students know they can reach her easily should they need help in their business projects.

Watch Fernanda Arreola’s interview