Discover how Camille Bruneau is navigating a successful career pivot from food engineering into marketing at Emlyon Business School. Learn about some of her favorite experiences of the Management of Living and Agri-food Companies program and student life in the charming city of Lyon.
Considering a career pivot can be both daunting and exciting. Like many master’s candidates, Camille Bruneau realized her true calling lay outside her undergraduate training. With a background in food industry engineering, Camille’s aspiration to dive into marketing crystallized during her final undergraduate year.
“I understood that I wanted to pursue marketing, and my current degree didn’t allow me to pursue marketing,” Camille reflects. (00:21)
This realization spurred her decision to enroll in the specialized master’s degree in Management of Living and Agri-food Companies program at Emlyon Business School. With a dynamic curriculum tailored to meet the needs of career-focused individuals such as herself, it emerged as the perfect launching pad for her new career aspirations.
Looking for different master’s program options while traveling in Australia, Camille applied to Emlyon’s Management of Living and Agri-food Companies program. The top-ranked school stood out among its counterparts in France for its strong focus on innovative teaching methods and entrepreneurship.
With a curriculum designed to nurture global business leaders, Emlyon offers a dynamic two-year program that features numerous specialization options.
Camille’s final decision to join was influenced by the flexible admissions process. “Emlyon Business School offered me another way to apply, by doing interactive and logical activities via a website,” she explains. (00:59)
This flexibility underscores Emlyon’s commitment to attracting global talent regardless of geographical barriers.
From interactive classes and thought-provoking seminars to hands-on projects and student-led initiatives, Emlyon cultivates a culture of creativity, entrepreneurship, and practical application.
“It’s like we work in the industry while doing exercises,” Camille explains. (02:48)
Her engagement with real-world business cases alongside fellow students provided a practical perspective essential for her career development. A perfect example of this and a stand-out moment for Camille was her participation in La Roche-Posay’s marketing competition.
“I had the chance to meet new people and discover new projects. It was really thrilling, I really liked it,” she tells us. (04:02)
La Roche-Posay is a renowned skincare brand known for its extensive range of products to improve skin health. Her team worked on promoting daily sunscreen use. They developed and prototyped an innovative solution featuring a portable sunscreen bag. The bag had photochromic pigments that change color with UV exposure, serving as a visual reminder to apply protection.
Their initial presentation successfully captured the judges’ interest and propelled them past the first round of the competition.
“We presented our project to La Roche-Posay managers, and we got selected to go to Paris,” Camille recalls. (03:21)
Although they didn’t win the final, Camille cherished the experience as a valuable opportunity for personal and professional growth. Through these months of hard work and prototyping, Camille honed her skills in marketing strategy, teamwork, and project management. It validated her shift to a role that required deep market insight and innovative marketing strategies.
Beyond the classroom, Camille found fulfillment in Emlyon’s vibrant student life. One of the main advantages of the program’s small cohort was that it fostered easy and intimate connections between students.
“Student life in the specialized master’s is really nice, because in the specialized master’s we are a small [cohort]. There are only 20 students, and it’s really easy to get to know each other quite well,” Camille explains. (08:10)
Additionally, Lyon has been recognized as one of the best cities in France to study. As an avid gastronomy fanatic, the city’s many culinary options also added great value to Camille’s student experience. Underscoring how personal passions and professional aspirations can intertwine beautifully in the right setting.
“There’s a lot of restaurants because Lyon is considered the food capital of France,” she says. (10:07)
Her plans post-graduation are grounded yet ambitious. For now, however, Camille will focus on gaining marketing experience in France. In the future, she’d love to explore job opportunities in Japan, another highly renowned country in terms of food innovation and culture.
“I think marketing over there would be all so different, and I’m willing to learn very new different things,” she expresses with enthusiasm. (11:12)
She looks forward to leveraging Emlyon’s extensive career resources to embark on the next chapter of her journey.
“Emlyon Business School has a lot of partners who help us to get a job after our degree,” says Camille. “For example, only from the La Roche-Posay contest, we got the opportunity to get in touch with La Roche-Posay managers.” (12:43)
With a broad network of industry partners, career development programs, and an 87% employment rate before graduation, Emlyon supports its graduates in hitting the ground running as soon as they complete their studies.
In conclusion, if you’re looking to switch careers but lack specialized knowledge for your desired field, consider a master’s degree. Camille’s experience at Emlyon offers a compelling blueprint for the change a well-rounded education can bring.
Feel free to contact a student ambassador to get further insights on the Emlyon student experience.
