How I made change happen. From Egypt to Porto, a Magellan MBA story.
Abdelrahman Ibrahim came from Egypt to Portugal in 2014 to attend The Magellan MBA at Porto Business School and improve his knowledge in management. The passion for the city and a job opportunity made him stay. Now Ibrahim is a Business Project Manager at Sonae and “it is being an amazing experience”.
You have concluded The Magellan MBA in 2015. What changes were you able to achieve after the MBA?
The biggest change that I could achieve was my job at Sonae, literally that crowned one of the best achievements in my life: the Magellan MBA. The transaction from the MBA to Sonae interpreted the results of my MBA into reality; that I am qualified to compete in the professional market with high standards.
Was the Magellan MBA a “game-changer” in your professional path?
Absolutely. Since I got out of my comfort zone I have realized that something big was about to happen. It was the Magellan MBA. Adding the professional business flavour to my previous experience had a dramatic impact in my career path, which gave me the opportunity to explore new horizons in the job market, which I haven’t realized before; industries, markets, employers, and entrepreneurial activities as well. It changed the way that I look to my future, how should I exploit the opportunities that appear to me every day and how I can connect the dots together building a bridge to achieve my dreams.
You work as a Business Project Manager. With what kind of activities and projects are you involved?
Working as a project manager in Sonae means that you will have a set of tools that allow you to solve complex challenges to improve people’s life. I would say that receiving challenges, thinking about solutions, conducting profound research, consulting expertise, interacting with partners, presenting ideas, and having fun; all of that is the daily rhythm of my work in Sonae. The first work I have done in Sonae was a business case development for an automation warehouse project, also I have been involved in a couple of projects related to the strategic partnerships with Sonae’s IT company-BIT. Alongside that work, I am applying the knowledge that I have acquired during the MBA to develop a set of business decision support tools that bring more visibility and confidence in our company’s decisions.
How has the experience of working at Sonae been?
It has been amazing to work for such a big company, where it has a leading retail school. A multinational company that has a diversified business portfolio, several industries, tremendous market experience, and leading market position. Working at Sonae gave me the opportunity to apply what I have learned in the MBA. The work at Sonae needs an entrepreneurial spirit, proactive personality, innovative mentality, and excellence dedicated characters. Sonae is a culture rather than an employer to work for!
You are working now in a different country, in a new city and culture. How was the experience of studying and now working in Porto?
The charm of the city is infectious, gives energy, and stimulates my mind daily to be passionate about my work in Porto. Even though I am from a different country I have felt home in Porto. Although the differences could be in food, cultural events and other things, the portuguese people make everything easy enough to sustain my life in Porto. Their kind hospitality and the warm reception made me speechless to describe my good feeling towards this country. It means a lot to me being in a place where I could feel the meaning of my work.
What are your plans for the future? Are you planning to stay in Portugal?
I am planning to continue challenging myself every day in Sonae, to achieve the highest standards and performance to make our customers happy with everything we do. This plan is in action and it interprets all the skills that I have acquired during the MBA into reality. As long as I am achieving a satisfied progress in my professional path in Portugal I will stay.
