Graduate Eva Dale on her HEC Paris MBA Journey 

Meet Eva Dale, MBA ’24, a driven and accomplished corporate lawyer from Portugal, who recently completed her MBA journey at HEC Paris. With a background in corporate law, Eva chose HEC Paris for its esteemed reputation in Europe and the opportunity to experience a tight-knit community. In this interview, Eva shares her motivations, academic challenges, and transformative experiences during her MBA journey.

Most recently held job, prior to your MBA

Corporate lawyer at VdA – Vieira de Almeida & Associados, in Lisbon, Portugal

What were the main factors in your choice to attend HEC for your MBA?

I chose to pursue my MBA at HEC Paris for several reasons. Objectively, HEC Paris is consistently recognized as one of the top business schools in Europe. Subjectively, everyone I talked to spoke highly of their experience at HEC, describing a very helpful and tight community. The combination of a strong educational program and being surrounded by inspiring people made HEC the right choice for me. Additionally, the opportunity to pursue a dual degree with Yale SOM, that I’ll begin in August, allows me to experience business education in both Europe and the US, which seemed just perfect to me.

What has challenged you the most academically at HEC?

The most challenging class – and my favorite one – was Corporate Finance, taught by Vincent Maurin. He was an extraordinary professor, taking time to breakdown and explain concepts that tend to be simply quoted by professors. I found that he addressed students as peers, which I think fosters the type of environment that is key in an MBA. Also, I've recently started my M&A Certificate, which has been an incredible experience so far. Having a background as an M&A lawyer, it's been quite unique to study the many sides of an M&A deal from extremely accomplished professionals.

What’s been the biggest adjustment as a full-time MBA student?

I would say that the biggest adjustment was learning how to prioritize, not between what was more important or more urgent, but what was more interesting. Having so many options – lectures, events, sports, parties, … – and having limited time, I had to constantly pick what I was most interested in and what I most wanted to do.  On the other hand, this massive influx of information was one of the main things I wanted to get out of the MBA: to see different things and learn about what inspires me most.

Who in the HEC community inspired you and why?

A lot of people represent a constant source of inspiration – I’m very lucky to have found friends I’ll be visiting around the world for the rest of my life; however, my biggest inspiration is Sven, also an MBA student. More than being one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, he’s very honest in how he thinks, which I had never seen so clearly in someone. He questions everything, very naturally and immediately, and actually decides on his own if he likes something or doesn’t, is interested by it or not… He is his own mind, which I find inspiring everyday. 

You were selected as an HEC Talents Success Story – what specific resources in our career center have been most helpful to you?

The sessions led by Olivier Sibony and Nicolas Constantinesco, focusing on problem-solving and case cracking, have been immensely beneficial. Both fostered critical and individual thinking, which I believe is absolutely key in any aspect of life and undeniably so in problem solving.

How is the way you consider your career path different from before beginning your MBA at HEC? How did the career curriculum or other experiences at HEC contribute to that?

My career aspirations post-MBA haven’t necessarily changed, though I have questioned them and will continue to do so. My overall outlook, however, has changed. Looking back on my mindset prior to the MBA, I was more risk-averse than I thought. Now, being surrounded by people who have accepted a huge amount of uncertainty for the chance of achieving something exceptional, I see things differently, making me more willing to expose myself to risk.

What club involvement or other activity on campus has been important to you?

I was President of the Consulting Club, which was a very important project to me. Above all, I learned a lot from it: I learned how to manage a team, keeping other’s goals in mind other than my own; learned how to be confident in public, failure and mistakes; and learned how to decide, from big to small things. I was grateful to have the opportunity to share with others what I learned, which made it a truly rewarding experience.

Eva Dale's journey at HEC Paris embodies the spirit of exploration, growth, and community. Through academic challenges, inspiring peers, and impactful experiences, Eva has embraced the opportunities of her MBA journey, emerging as a stronger, more confident leader ready to make a meaningful impact in the world of business.