When Khadija Hasanova, aged 30, started her banking career, her home country of Azerbaijan was at a transition point. As a Greenfield for introducing banking products, it needed new skills from bankers to set up the new infrastructure. Khadija felt she could become a pathfinder in this exciting development. But she needed knowledge. With the combination of Swiss banking skills and IMD’s reputation, she didn’t even think twice.

She was not disappointed. Khadija: “IMD’s reputation is certainly justified. When I arrived in 2005, I was acutely aware that I was not really there for myself but was rather representing my home country with all the associated expectations. I was therefore driven and motivated. What I was not prepared for fully was just how tough it would be. It takes more than a strong mind to succeed at IMD. You need real dedication and strong leadership skills to withstand the requirements. But this is what makes IMD such a superb pool of great minds and natural born leaders. The most valuable asset I gained there was the people. My classmates, professors and all the other people I befriended. The opportunity to be around these people was an invaluable experience. Finally, the means justified the end and all the hard work paid off. The person who arrived at IMD was a different person to the one who left.”

Before her MBA, Khadija was mainly a part of complex state institutions. She worked at the International Bank of Azerbaijan, which was owned by the State, and later at the National Bank of Azerbaijan - a regulator and policy-setter for the local bank industry. Khadija: “Upon my return from IMD I became head of one of the commercial banks. This is different from working in a government institution. Whereas before I was in the position of regulator, policy-maker for business entities, I am now leading the business entity myself and have to comply with requirements of various regulators and stay profitable at the same time.”

“I made many friends during the MBA program and am still in touch with them regardless of their location. We are involved in each other’s professional lives, exchange ideas and often discuss problems and ways to resolve them. Moreover, I am an IMD Alumnus and advise people interested in education at IMD, their prospects to do so and share inside hints on off-campus living. I look back at my time at IMD with great fondness.”

Published: 2008