Two Recent HEC Paris EMBA Graduates Named Among “Best and Brightest” by Poets & Quants

The yearly list singles out exceptional EMBA graduates in programs around the world.

According to the industry publication, these newly minted alumni “personify excellence in through their contributions to the class, academic performance, extracurricular involvement, professional achievement, personal intangibles, or unique personal stories.”

What follows are selected responses from Emma Kearny and Toby Tiktinsky, both members of the HEC Paris EMBA Class of 2022, as highlighted by Poets & Quants.

The totality of their answers, as well as the full Best and Brightest Executive MBA’s of 2022 feature from Poets & Quants, is available via the link below.

Emma Kearney

A native of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, Emma is a strategic research and innovation leader with 13 years of experience in the cosmetics industry. Before she worked in cosmetics, she was a computer scientist, working for a firm that had contracts with the European Space Agency. There, she contributed to the work approving software for the Rosetta Mission. This year, she adds an EMBA from HEC Paris to an academic track record that includes— among others— a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Ulster, and a master’s degree in Bioengineering and PhD in Tissue Engineering from Trinity College, Dublin.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program?

EK: “Across several industries, the concept of personalization and customization is key nowadays since it responds to the demands of customers, and in education it is no different.

When I learned that HEC Paris offered a three-dimensional approach of “generalize, customize, specialize,” this strongly appealed to me. I felt that I could graduate with the most tailored profile for my specific career ambitions. Through the course, I structured this by taking a deep dive into luxury and customizing my leadership curriculum. Also, I wanted to learn at HEC Paris because I wanted to be amongst the most talented group of executives. Holding such a high and sustained ranking is sure to attract this group. It didn’t disappoint. The possibility for international learning was another important driver for my choice, and on a practical level, factors included location and rhythm of the classes. “

Toby Tiktinsky

Toby Tiktinsky, a father, husband, entrepreneur, has dedicated his career to environmental sustainability. Senior Vice President for Sales at Convergent Energy + Power, a leading North American energy storage solution provider. The multiple sales teams he leads focus on developing, owning, and operating energy storage and hybrid/solar storage projects, benefitting North America’s energy intensive industries and non-profit electric utilities.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during your time at HEC Paris?

TT: “I am most proud of the work I’ve done as part of my Capstone Project, which is focusing on how a start up company can help decarbonize the world’s natural gas supply. In researching this project, I’ve identified an opportunity to create substantial value by capturing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which is normally vented from thousands of facilities, and turning that waste product into a low carbon fuel. This work has laid the groundwork for starting a new venture that I intend to launch called RebelFuels. As part of this process I’ve identified prospective customers, technical partners, and funding sources, while receiving expressions of interest from industrial sites. This project feels like the culmination of my EMBA experience, it is precisely the outcome that I had hoped to achieve in attending HEC Paris.”

Click here to find out the rest of what Emma and Toby had to say in the Best and Brightest EMBA 2022 feature from Poets & Quants.

More CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies have graduated from HEC Paris than any other university in Europe. Nearly 4,000 graduates are currently CEOs, CFOs, or have founded their own companies. The Executive MBA at HEC Paris perennially ranks among the best in the world; click here to learn more.

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