How Pooria learned to inspire international teams

From the beginning of his career, Pooria knew he wanted to have a positive impact on the world around him. He’d achieved a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in his native Iran. But he was eager to pursue a more creative career path.

He says: “I loved engineering, but it didn’t involve a lot of creativity – and I realised that I’m a creative person who wants to solve problems and work in a dynamic environment.”

Pooria also wanted to gain a more international outlook. So he began to look for a business school that would help him gain a more holistic view of business. “I wanted to understand the human aspect of business, not just the analytical part,” says Pooria.

Exciting from day one

He says: “I researched universities across Europe, including the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany – and received a number of offers.

“I knew Vlerick was the right place for me. It ranks highly, has amazing international credibility – and is known throughout Belgium as the highest quality executive education available.”

And from the moment the programme started, Pooria had the time of his life. He says:

“It was really exciting – it was very practical and hands on. I learned to think critically and explore topics at a deeper level – a skill that’s crucial in business development.

Gaining career-enhancing communications skills

“The programme also helped develop my presentation skills, which have been critical in my current role. Because of Vlerick, I have the confidence to sit in front of clients, have an engaging conversation, evaluate their challenge and translate it into solutions,” he says.

In fact Pooria says one of his biggest take-aways from Vlerick has been developing as a communicator. He says: “Moving from your home country, you leave behind the customs, cultures and ways of thinking. I landed in a multicultural city filled with open-minded people. The whole experience taught me how to communicate and interact with people. It was extremely valuable to myself – and to my career.

“You want to lead people by the heart, by inspiring and motivating them. My time at Vlerick empowered me to become a leader who can do just that. I now have the ability to work with people from any background – and act as part of a client’s extended team.”

Pooria was so inspired by his new-found passion for communications that he set up a discussion and debate club.

"My time at Vlerick prepared me for my professional career – and gave me the skills I need to achieve success."

Pooria Nobahari - Business Developer, In The Pocket, Masters in International Management & Strategy 2018-2019

A year of highlights

Vlerick also gave Pooria many of the insights and methodologies he uses today. “I loved Prof Martin Weiss’ course on advanced strategy. It introduced us to a framework called post-mortem analysis which I still use today.

“Vlerick gives you a toolbox that you carry with you for the rest of your life,” he says.

As part of his master’s degree, Pooria and his class took part in international trips to Asia. He says: “Travelling to China, Hong Kong and Japan was an incredible experience. We were 40-50 ambitious young people, embarking on a month-long trip. We learned about the different cultures, visited global companies like Starbucks and AkzoNobel and attended lectures at universities including Shanghai University and Tokyo Business School to find out how they do business – and the challenges they face.

“And we took the time to visit traditional areas and historical sites, and to try new things. It was truly eye-opening.”

Another highlight for Pooria was his In-Company Project. He delivered a consultancy project for international AI systems company, ML6.

He says: “It was amazing. I spent two months working in the field, talking to potential clients, AI/data engineering experts and more – and actually doing the job. My colleague Len and I were focused on exploring opportunities for ML6 to provide data engineering services and define its G2M strategy. It was the perfect opportunity to leverage everything I learned at Vlerick in a real work environment. It was very practical and hands-on.”

Building a lifelong network

Pooria was able to gain a truly international outlook at Vlerick. He says: “Our class was very international. We had more than 12 different nationalities – and everyone was passionate and curious about each other’s cultures.

“At Vlerick, you feel at home. It’s a welcoming environment – and it’s very accepting of different cultures. My classmates were like my family. We spent eight hours a day together, sometimes more, studying and working on projects – and we’d often sit down and have dinner together.”

Pooria recently returned to Vlerick to speak to the current cohort on the Masters in International Management and Strategy programme.

He says: “It was exciting to speak about what I’ve learned so far in my career – and to explain what’s happening right now in my sector. I could see myself in their faces. They were like I was just a few years ago.”

Pooria made “the best decision of his life”

Pooria secured his dream strategic role a few weeks before he graduated.

He says: “I attended a Vlerick career event where I met a Head of Sales and Marketing. We got talking and, a few days before graduation, they offered me a job. That was the best weekend ever.”

Pooria now works as a business developer, helping clients translate their challenges into business strategies.

He says: “It’s exciting to help my clients – and to be able to use my knowledge to drive their success. My time at Vlerick prepared me for my professional career – and gave me the skills I need to achieve success.

“My advice to anyone considering taking the leap would be to go for it. If I went back in time, I’d make the exact same decision 1000 times over. It was the best decision of my life."