A few years ago, Renaud Jacquemart (GEMBA ’19) felt compelled to do more.
Trained as a scientist and engineer, Jacquemart had spent most of his career focused on the technical aspects of developing therapies and vaccines. While most of this work resulted in cutting manufacturing costs, he was frustrated to find that several medical products still weren’t affordable to patients, or were putting a strain on healthcare systems.
“My interest shifted from technology to making biologic therapies more accessible and affordable,” says Jacquemart. “Working in technical roles, I had little say in how these products were sold and distributed. To make a real impact, I needed to understand the business side.”
As he advanced in his career, taking on leadership roles rooted in the technical side of life sciences and working in several countries, he read more about management concepts and strategy. Still, Jacquemart knew he needed a strong business education to truly make a difference in the industry. The 18-month Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) program at Rotman, which takes students around the world on residential learning modules to learn about business in a global context, instantly appealed to him.
“The entire program — the idea of walking off the plane into a classroom, making connections with new contacts across the globe and spending packed days focused on addressing global business challenges and developing my soft skills — was perfect. I knew this was the program for me.”
The move to come to Rotman became the foundation for a much larger career and life change, and it set him up for an exciting future.
Learn more about Renaud Jacquemart's journey in pursuing purpose-driven work