February 17, 2012

Name: Sam Rafla
Nationality: Canadian, Egyptian
Age: 35

Q: You're a pharmacist and, as an entrepreneur, you grew a multi-million dollar business. Why do an MBA?

A: I co-own four pharmacies in the Toronto, Canada area and ran two of them, though I recently sold those two to free myself to be here. Being a pharmacist is enriching, but I feel I've reached the maximum I could. Doing the same job for 20 or 30 years isn't me. I've worked in four countries on three continents. I thrive on new challenges, expanding myself, enhancing my skills. IMD is another step in that: I'm here to challenge myself and hone my business skills. Combined with my pharmaceutical knowledge, entrepreneurial capacity and previous corporate experience, I would have a lot to offer a big pharma company or a consultancy firm catering to the pharma industry.

Q: You're one of the older candidates at IMD, where participants are typically older and more experienced than those at other schools. What is it like to hit the books again? Would you recommend it?

A: It's exciting, but harder than I expected. I was accepted to IMD three years ago, but the recession hit and it wasn't the right time to leave my business. So this turned out to be my time to come to IMD. But, I have just that much more experience and moreover, I can learn from the younger people. I definitely believe it's never too late, you can never stop learning.

Q: Your wife and daughters are staying in Toronto while you are here. Tell us about that decision.

A: For many reasons, notably the school year, my wife and I made that decision. It is hard, but we are making full use of the great communication tools we have and we have plans for visits at all opportunities. My wife was very supportive – if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here.