Raphael Coelho tells us about his path to a global career and how the EMBA helped along the way
08/21/2024
How an EMBA Graduate Found Himself Running a Start-up in China
“When you step back and look at it, you think, why is this Brazilian guy starting a business in China? It feels a little too ambitious.” This is the question posed by Shanghai resident Raphael Coelho, a graduate of the Kellogg-WHU Executive MBA and founder of X-Sigma. He set up his business a year and a half ago, leveraging his board-level experience with retail brands and his affinity for entrepreneurship. X-Sigma partners with founders and business owners in Asia to help them scale up and grow their operations, inspired by the ETA model (Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition ). A model he read extensively before joining the EMBA program and shared with his cohort, one of whom is now a business partner.
Long-term vision for global goals.
Studying international relations for his bachelor’s degree, Raphael explains this choice was primarily due to his attraction towards a global career rather than an interest in political science. “When I figured out that I was more interested in management and working abroad, I made sure that I joined larger corporations that could help me achieve this dream. On the way, I worked as an Entrepreneur in Residence with Rocket Internet. This was my first contact with WHU (the German arm of Kellogg-WHU), as the founders are all graduates of the school.” Around this time in 2014, he joined Restaurant Brands International (RBI) in Latin America, which had just acquired Burger King, so it was an exciting time for Raphael to join as the company grew. “I knew further studies was something I wanted, but it wasn’t the right time for me yet, and my career was taking off.”
“An EMBA was important for my long-term goals. I wanted to be a more well-rounded leader as I didn’t study management as an undergraduate. I had gaps in my knowledge and sought to network with peers from other industries. I was in the retail industry for so long, ready to meet people outside my bubble.” Shortly after deciding to pursue an EMBA, Raphael was offered a role at the RBI European headquarters in Switzerland. While he was based there, he felt he had acquired enough experience and was ready to start researching programs and applying. “I looked at many programs, but none were as global in their focus as Kellogg-WHU. Even the format was a better fit for me, with some programs requiring you to go every other week. That didn’t work for my schedule, and I couldn’t afford to commute so often. I loved that Kellogg-WHU offered a long module with an even longer interval between them, so I could focus on work and then take that break to focus on my studies.”
Committing to change.
He was again offered an opportunity to run the business for the Asia-Pacific division of Burger King. As an opportunity that couldn’t be missed, along with a new boss, he decided to defer his place for a year. “It meant a lot to me that Kellogg-WHU offered this level of flexibility and that I could defer for that year. But since my location had changed, it was a different commute for me when I finally started. I flew from Singapore to Frankfurt every six weeks during that first year. A 12-hour flight, a train to Vallendar, a quick shower, and then to class. It was challenging, but I was not the only student with a long commute. Others had families and children to navigate too.”
The distance to Kellogg-WHU became further after another location change to Shanghai as CEO of Popeyes China, and then COVID-19 struck. Not wanting to do so much online, Raphael was lucky to continue some of his electives within the country via Kellogg’s partner schools, Kellogg-HKUST, Hong Kong, and Kellogg-Guanghua, Beijing. “Here in Shanghai, the alumni community is very active, with events held every month. Even before I graduated, they welcomed me, and it was a great opportunity to meet people from the network. It’s a very approachable network too; the low ego, high impact part is true.”
Taking the leap.
“Leaving the corporate world and a big paycheck was a big step for me. X-Sigma is still in the growing and forming phase. It’s very demanding and can be overwhelming. However, had I not done the EMBA, it would have made it an even harder decision; I had the experience, confidence, and a supportive network to tap into. The program helped me make the most significant decision in my career. China itself is a very competitive market. But it is this challenge that motivates me. I could fail, but it will be a fantastic experience if it succeeds.”