AUDENCIA ALUMNI AROUND THE GLOBE Name: Claudia Arezio

AUDENCIA ALUMNI AROUND THE GLOBE
Name: Claudia Arezio Ricardo
Current position: Engagement Manager Mediterranean Region–
Experienced Solutions Architect
Degree earned at Audencia: International MBA 2011
Other degrees: MSc. Computer Science Networks, Bachelor Computer
Engineering
Nationality: Brazilian
Residence: Portugal
Describe your professional path:
I remember the first time I saw a computer at the age of 8 at a friend´s house. It played the national
anthem and drew a coloured flag that could also dance on the screen. I didn’t have the chance to
own a computer myself so I as soon as I could, eight years later, I joined the Data Processing
Technical School at Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil. Many loads of data later, in
2001, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from PUC/PR, Brazil and started a
career the Telecom industry. I was selected as a trainee for Alcatel Telecommunications that same
year. I remember taking the job because it involved global travel. The dream transformed into a
career.
Most of my professional path has been in the Telecom industry within different companies and
locations which pretty much reflect the dynamics of this industry. In 2005, I left Alcatel-Lucent to
move to Siemens then in 2008 I left Nokia-Siemens to join Ericsson. After 8 years and many different
addresses later I’m still at Ericsson a market leader that allows professionals to build their career in a
gender-equal environment.
In April 2010, my application to Audencia’s international MBA programme was approved and
supported by a scholarship from Thales. That very same day I received the news that I was pregnant.
A year later I had a 3 month old baby boy in one arm and a pile of studied books and articles in the
other. In September 2011, I completed my thesis on Change Management.
I think it took a lot of courage to manage becoming a mother at the same time as following a very
intensive full-time MBA programme. Looking back, I think it was about being humble enough to
accept all the support possible - from family and from colleagues who become friends - and also to
accept not achieving perfect results but ones that were good enough. This was a juggling act that
allowed me to move forwards.
Passions:
I am person of many passions: my family & friends, music, arts, reading, travelling and enjoying a
good running track.
Your most memorable experience at Audencia:
All in all, I only have good and memorable experiences at Audencia. I remember the day I arrived, 2
days after induction day. Everyone, staff, professors and students, have welcomed me so well that
even without speaking much French, I felt at home. I remember the exam periods and the hours
spent in the library as well as the discussions which took place within the most diverse group of
nationalities I have ever encountered and which I learnt to respect deeply. I remember André
Sobczak’s classes and his enthusiastic speech that influenced us all. And I also remember the day I
brought my son to the class and everyone held their breath so as not to wake him up. It was
certainly much more than state-of-art business skills and expertise that I acquired at Audencia!
What is your advice to students looking to work in your field:
My field of work requires advanced technical expertise associated with business responsiveness.
Working long hours in the technology environment can remove you from the realities of dealing with
basic human needs such as person to person communication – speaking and listening - which is a skill
requiring lots of energy. My advice to students looking to work in any field is to enhance their
communication skills.
How do you stay in touch with your friends at Audencia:
I have to admit I stay less in touch with my friends at Audencia than I would like to. But we are all
connected on social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn and we celebrate every news we get: a
promotion, a new baby, a marriage. Five years have flown by very fast and a reunion is planned
sometime in the future but may not happen because everyone is busy – as expected.
´Saudades´ is a word in Portuguese that reflects the feeling of missing friends and situations where
one has been very happy. I am sure I will always have ‘saudades’ from my MBA class and 2011
classmates.