MBA Programme

Jump to the Application Tools page

Dear Applicant,

Each year INSEAD selects a limited number of talented young

professionals who have demonstrated high potential to succeed in an
international business career.

Selection is based on a combination of an individual's academic

performance, managerial potential, personal characteristics and
international motivation, as well as willingness to learn and contribute
to the exchange of ideas at INSEAD.

The purpose of the admissions procedure is to identify evidence of

these qualities and to select classes with an overall balance of
academic competence, diversity of background, work experience,
personal characteristics and a strong commitment to international
business.

This document contains all the material and information you need to
make an application to the INSEAD MBA Programme. All applications
should be submitted online (see instructions below).

Other material, for Fontainebleau and Singapore campuses, should be

mailed to:
INSEAD
MBA Admissions Office
Boulevard de Constance
F-77305 Fontainebleau Cedex

It is INSEAD policy not to answer requests about the status of

applications. We will acknowledge receipt of your application and
contact you in writing as soon as decisions are made.

APPLICATION FOR ADMISSIONS

September & January intakes
Application Version: 4.3

Last Updated: 2009-09-09

 Collection, Processing and Use
Your personal information is intended to be used by INSEAD’s representatives and divisions for
administration purposes. You have the right, on compelling legitimate grounds, to object to the collection
and processing of your personal information.
INSEAD is the owner of the database and controls the data processing collected by virtue of this
application. The French supervisory authority ("Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés")
has been notified of this process.

Confidentiality
This application, together with all materials submitted in its support, becomes the confidential property of
INSEAD and is not returnable. The Admissions Office will not reproduce copies of any part of the INSEAD
application material for individuals not involved in the admission procedure, companies, or institutions
requesting this information, except upon written consent from the candidate. Candidates and INSEAD
participants do not have access to personal recommendations and interview reports.

Rights of Access, Modification and Deletion

You are granted statutory rights of access, modification, update and deletion of your personal information
("Loi n°78-17 du 6 janvier 1978 "relative à l'Informatique, aux Fichiers et aux Libertés" as amended). You
may exercise these rights by writing or sending an email to INSEAD at the address indicated below.

Transfer of Data Abroad

You consent to the transfer of your personal information to INSEAD’s representatives and divisions located
outside the European Union, with the knowledge that INSEAD guarantees security and confidentiality.
If you object to the transfer of your personal information to INSEAD’s representatives and divisions
located outside the European Union, please contact INSEAD at the following address.
INSEAD, Boulevard de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France.

Applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received, including original test scores.
Candidates are responsible for ensuring that all elements are submitted on time.
It is INSEAD policy not to answer requests about the status of applications. We will acknowledge
receipt of your application and contact you in writing as soon as decisions are made.

From time to time, photographs may be taken on campus of participants in class or in working groups.
These photographs will only be used in INSEAD material promoting the programmes. If you have any
objections, please contact the following address:
INSEAD, Boulevard de Constance, 77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France.

Equal Opportunity
It is INSEAD policy not to discriminate for or against race, colour, gender, religion, national or ethnic
origin in any of its programmes and the activities it operates at the Institute.

INSEAD reserves the right to change without notice any statement in this application form including rules policy,
tuition fees, curriculum and courses.
 Tools
Applying Online via
this PDF Form

Requirements to fill in and save the NetApply on your

local hard drive:

The free Adobe Acrobat Reader version 7.0 or above

This function will tell you whether your application Download

version is up to date or if you need to download a
more recent form. You may also use a commercial version of Adobe Acrobat

(7.0 or above).

Requirements to submit the form:

This function will connect you to the INSEAD site
and display the application deadlines. A connection to the Internet at the time of submitting, or
when triggering the recommendation links.

Instructions/Guidelines:

1) Fill in the form just as you would on paper, by typing

This function will tell you how far you have gone
in terms of the application fields. your information in the supplied fields.
2) Make sure that your email addresses are correct and that
your accounts are not over quota; the online application
system will be sending you a receipt via email.
3) You may save your application to your local drive or
This function will let you save your application
locally as you progress. directly on a USB key, at any time, without being connected
to the Internet.
4) Be sure to trigger the recommendation links early and
follow the instructions. Your recommenders will be
submitting their own forms online.
This function will help you migrate your application
data from one PDF to another more recent one by 5) Once you have signed and submitted your application,
saving your information locally.
a personal receipt will be displayed and also sent to you by
email. Complete and verify your application directly via the
online status center by using the supplied link.

This function complements the "Export

Technical Support:
Application Data to File..." function above. It will
help you migrate the already extracted application First, please read our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
data to a newer, more recent PDF file.
Should you require technical support, please contact

NetApply2INSEAD@etheryl.com
 PROFILE 1

PROFILE
Once your application is completed, print two copies of your profile (pages 1 to 6).
These will be required should you be called for interviews.

Please complete all sections of the application form in the spaces provided by typing directly into the PDF
file. You may work on it offline. Save your application as often as you wish.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
HAVE YOU FILED AN APPLICATION TO ANY PREVIOUS INSEAD MBA PROGRAMME?
NO YES SEPTEMBER JANUARY YEAR

FAMILY NAME Gonzalez

FIRST NAMES Martin Jose
PREFERRED FIRST NAME Martin

MAILING ADDRESS UNTIL

30__||__
__ Aug 10__
__||__
DAY MONTH YEAR

STREET 500 Riverside Dr., Apt 912

TOWN
New York City POSTAL CODE
10027 STATE
New York
COUNTRY United States

PERMANENT ADDRESS

STREET
231 San Jose St., Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa City
TOWN POSTAL CODE
1780 STATE

COUNTRY Philippines
HOME PHONE MOBILE PHONE +13105298212 PERSONAL FAX
COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER

BUSINESS PHONE BUSINESS FAX PERMANENT PHONE

COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER COUNTRY CODE AREA CODE NUMBER

PERSONAL E-MAIL (MUST BE VALID UNTIL PROGRAMME START) marts.gon@gmail.com

BUSINESS E-MAIL (ONLY IF YOU ACCEPT TO BE CONTACTED AT THIS ADDRESS) mig2117@columbia.edu

MALE FEMALE
30 Jan 83
DATE OF BIRTH ___ ___| |___ ___| |___ ___ PLACE OF BIRTH: TOWN Metro Manila COUNTRY Philippines
DAY MONTH YEAR

SINGLE MARRIED CHILDREN

NATIONALITY Philippines OTHER CITIZENSHIP NATIVE LANGUAGE English

N.B. Only complete the day telephone and fax number if it is convenient for you to be contacted at work.
* You will be prompted to upload a digital photo of yourself (.jpg/JPEG format) when your application is complete.
If your application is accepted, please note that this photo will be used for internal publications.
 PROFILE 2

FINANCING YOUR MBA

The current tuition fee for self-financing and company-sponsored participants is
51,000. Fees are subject
to revision before the September entry of each year.
Participants are expected to take full responsibility for financing their year at INSEAD and to manage their
own financial affairs.
You should establish your financial plan according to the following expected payment dates:
Full

deposit to be paid by the date specified on your letter of admission (10%)
5,000

one month before programme commences (60%)
30,000

four months into the programme (30%)
16,000

51,000
FINANCIAL AID

Scholarship application forms and details can be found on our website: www.insead.edu/MBA under
Financial. Participants normally use one or a combination of the following: personal resources, corporate
sponsorship, grants, loans and scholarships.
Will your company pay your INSEAD tuition fees? YES NO MAYBE

Will your company pay you a salary while at INSEAD? YES NO MAYBE

Are you obliged to return to this company? YES NO MAYBE

CANDIDATE FOR THE MBA PROGRAMME STARTING SEPTEMBER JANUARY YEAR: 2010

January and September intakes are available in Fontainebleau and Singapore. INSEAD will endeavour to
accommodate your choice of campus but cannot guarantee your first choice in every instance. Please tick
ONE of the boxes below to indicate your campus preference.

A Fontainebleau campus

B Singapore campus

TOEFL/TOEIC/CPE/IELTS
Test type: _____________________ Score (if applicable) ______ DATE TEST TAKEN/TO BE TAKEN __ __||__ __||__ __
DAY MONTH YEAR
If not applicable, please indicate the reason:

GMAT RESULTS (it is important to take this test as soon as possible)

How many times have you taken the GMAT test in the last 5 years? 2
____
Please make sure to have ALL your official scores sent to us.
TOTAL VERBAL % QUANTITATIVE % DATE TEST TAKEN/TO BE TAKEN (LATEST FIRST)
590 48 70 26 Sep 08

580 69 46 13 Feb 09
 PROFILE 3

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Starting with the most recent, please list all colleges and universities attended.
F
DEGREE STARTING LEAVING (Full Time)
INSTITUTION AND COUNTRY FINAL GRADE MAJOR SUBJECT
RECEIVED DATE DATE P
(Part Time)
MONTH & YEAR

Aug 09 Jul 10 NA
Columbia University, USA MA |_____|_____| |_____|_____| Learning and Leadership F
University of Asia & the Pacific, Phils BA Jun 01
|_____|_____| Jun 05
|_____|_____| 95% Integrated Marketing Communications
F

|_____|_____| |_____|_____|

|_____|_____| |_____|_____|
*If you are currently completing a degree, please send interim results, and final results as soon as available

Major field of studies (please tick one box only)

SCIENCE ECONOMICS & BUSINESS LAW OTHER

Engineering Accounting Law Classics

Computer Science Economics Political Science Modern Languages
Biological Science Business & Commerce Public Administration Architecture
Medicine & Veterinary Management Other legal History
Other Other Business Other Humanities

In which language(s) was your university degree taught? English

What language(s) do you use at work? English

Please list academic distinctions, honours and awards.

Merit Scholar, Muntinlupa City Scholarship Fund (2001-2005)
Top 25 Marketing Management Trainees in the Philippines, 2nd place, by MarkProf Foundation, Inc. (2004)
University Debate Champion (2003)
3rd Most Outstanding Student in the City of Muntinlupa, Philippines (2001)
Teodoro Valencia Awards for Campus Journalism, Best Editorial (2001)

When and how did you first hear about INSEAD? Year _2008
___
INSEAD Alumnus/a NAME ______________________________________ Conference
Professor NAME ______________________________________ Press
Relative (please specify) ______________________________________ Poster
Friend at University On the Web
Colleague at work (other than INSEAD Alumnus) Other (please specify)

MILITARY SERVICE

COMPLETED TO BE DONE EXEMPTED NOT APPLICABLE FROM |____|____| TO |____|____|

MONTH YEAR MONTH YEAR
 PROFILE 4

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Please list all full-time positions starting with your most recent/current position
GROSS ANNUAL
COMPANY STARTING LEAVING CITY/COUNTRY SALARY
JOB TITLE
NAME IN FULL (*) DATE DATE(*) OF WORK IN LOCAL CURRENCY OR €

(MONTH & YEAR) (please specify)

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare May 05

|_____|_____| Jun 09
|_____|_____| Brand Manager Manila, Philippines e15,000.00
|_____|_____| |_____|_____|

|_____|_____| |_____|_____|

|_____|_____| |_____|_____|
* Please give full name of Controlling Group or Corporation; * If position ongoing, please state anticipated end date if you join the INSEAD MBA Programme.

Total duration in months of full-time positions held (by the beginning of the MBA programme) 49

Briefly summarise your most recent job responsibilities

Brand manager for high-priority project, Johnson's Pure Essentials Family Soap, developing and
implementing highly competitive brand strategies, participating in one of the largest consumer categories in
the Philippines, and poised as test market for implementation in India and China (under the Emerging
Markets Franchise). Responsibilities included business planning, research, product innovation, financial
modeling, supervising R&D, operations, sales & distribution, and 10-year strategic planning.

N° employees locally: 300 N° employees worldwide: 117000

JOB FUNCTION COMPANY SECTOR Engineering Services Pharmaceuticals

(please check one box only) (please check one box only) Environment/Utilities Plastics & Rubber
Business Development Advertising Executive Search Primary Metal Industries
Consulting Aeronautics Fabricated Metal Products Printing – Publishing
Consulting (Audit/Accounting) Agriculture Food & Drink Public Administration
Finance Automobiles Holdings Real Estate
General Management Business Association Insurance Research Institute
Human Resources Management Chemicals Internet Services/Multimedia Retail Trade
Legal Commercial Banking Investment Banking Social – Health Services
Marketing/Sales Communications Media/Entertainment Sports/Leisure
Medical Computers/Computer Services Mining Stone, Clay & Glass
Product Dev/Technology Mgt Conglomerates Msc Manufactured Products Telecommunications
Production/Operations Mgt Construction Non-electric Machines Textile
Project Management Consulting Non-profit/NGOs Tobacco
R&D Cosmetics – Toiletries Optical & Scientific Equipment Transportation – Travel
Strategy/Corporate Planning Education Other Financial Services Venture Capital/Private Equity
System Analysis Electric Machines Other Products & Services Wholesale Trade
Other (please specify) Electronic Equipment Paper – Allied Products Wood
Energy Petroleum

Please list part-time work and summer jobs starting with your most recent position.

STARTING LEAVING
COMPANY JOB TITLE
DATE DATE(*) LOCATION SALARY
NAME IN FULL (*)
(MONTH & YEAR)

BusinessWorks Leadership Consultancy Feb 08

|_____|_____|
Jun 09
|_____|_____| Trainer/Facilitator Manila, Phils NA
Mission Professional Leadership Consultancy Feb 07
|_____|_____|
Aug 09
|_____|_____| Founder of Non-Profit Manila, Phils NA
|_____|_____| |_____|_____|

|_____|_____| |_____|_____|
 PROFILE 5

INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
Please list your most significant experiences growing up, living, studying, working or travelling outside
your own country

DURATION
ACTIVITY From |_|_|_|_| to |_|_|_|_| COUNTRY/REGION
MM/YY MM/YY

Graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, USA Aug 09 Aug 10 USA
Business trips as Brand Manager in Johnson & Johnson May 05 Jun 09 Asia (China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok)

Conference and World Youth Day gathering Sep 08 Oct 08 Australia

Travel with family/friends Jan 85 Jul 08 USA, London, Canada, HK, NZ, Indonesia, Europe

LANGUAGES: To be admitted to the MBA Programme a candidate must be Fluent in English with at least a
practical knowledge of a second language in order to satisfy the entry language requirement (see
definitions below). Proof of language ability is required, with the exception of your native language and
for the beginner level.
If you are unable to supply certification for the entry language requirement at the time of your application,
then you should supply this proof no later than June 1st for the September intake and November 1st for
the January intake.
To be eligible for graduation, a participant must demonstrate a Basic Knowledge of a third commercially
useful language in order to satisfy the exit language requirement.
Please declare and self-assess the languages you speak in the table below by using INSEAD’s scale as
follows:

Native – Native language

Fluent - Ability to communicate very fluently and precisely in complex situations
Business - Ability to interact with a degree of fluency and communicate on a wide range of subjects
including in a professional context
Practical - Ability to understand and communicate on familiar matters regularly encountered in work,
school, leisure, etc.
Basic - Ability to communicate in a simple and direct exchange of information on routine matters
Beginner – Limited knowledge of a language
Prior to completing the table below please refer to INSEAD’s Language Policy:
http://www.insead.edu/mba/admissions/languages.cfm

ONE OF YOUR
SCORE WHERE RELEVANT OR
REQUIRED 3
LANGUAGE SELF-ASSESED LEVEL MEANS OF ASSESSMENT CLARIFICATION FOR MEANS OF
LANGUAGES
ASSESSMENT
(Y/N)?
ENGLISH Fluent University Degree taught in English Y

Filipino Native Native Language Y

Spanish Beginner Language Courses

French Beginner Language Courses

 PROFILE 6

ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS

Please list, in order of importance to you, any extra-curricular activities in which you are/have been
involved (i.e. sports, politics, performing arts, associations, club memberships, hobbies, community
activities, etc.)

DURATION
ACTIVITY From |_|_|_|_| to |_|_|_|_| POSITION/LEVEL/OFFICE HELD
MM/YY MM/YY

Local Community of Youth/Students and Young Adults May 98 Aug 09 Community Servant Leader, Youth Adviser, Teacher, Project Leader

Markprof Marketing Bootcamp for Undergraduates Aug 05 Jul 09 Mentor to Marketing Students
Institute for Solidarity Asia (non-profit for corporate governance) Mar 08 Jul 09 Volunteer and program consultant

Columbia Graduate Consulting Club Aug 09 Nov 09 New Member

Organizational Leadership Association Aug 09 Nov 09 Project Leader

List any distinctions, honours and awards achieved in your extra curricular activities.

Top 25 Marketing Management Trainees in the Philippines, 2nd place

Please explain any period(s) of time since you left high school for which you have not accounted.

NA

If you have any disability or illness that we should be aware of, please explain.

NA

May we contact your current employer? YES NO If yes, whom may we contact?

FULL NAME Eduardo Ledesma EMAIL eledesm1@its.jnj.com

TITLE Group Brand Manager, J&J Phils DIRECT TELEPHONE 639175396827
Country Code Area Code Number
 JOB DESCRIPTION 7

CONFIDENTIAL

JOB DESCRIPTION
FAMILY NAME Gonzalez FIRST NAME Martin
CANDIDATE FOR THE MBA PROGRAMME STARTING SEPTEMBER JANUARY YEAR 2010

MOST RECENT FULL-TIME POSITION

COMPANY OR ORGANISATION
NAME Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare

STREET Edison Rd., Bo. Ibayo

TOWN Paranaque City POSTAL CODE 1700 COUNTRY Philippines

TELEPHONE 6328247901 FAX 6328241863
Country Code Area Code Number Country Code Area Code Number

SECTOR OF ACTIVITY
Consumer Goods NUMBER OF REPORTS (IF APPLICABLE) 2

300 117000
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN YOUR LOCATION NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WORLDWIDE

SUBSIDIARY OF
Johnson & Johnson Group of Companies

CURRENT JOB TITLE

Brand Manager

DEPARTMENT
Marketing
DATE OF APPOINTMENT TO PRESENT POSITION Aug 08 DATE OF JOINING PRESENT COMPANY May 05
Month Year Month Year

FIRST POSITION
Management Trainee

DEPARTMENT
Sales

STARTING GROSS ANNUAL SALARY (IN LOCAL CURRENCY OR EUROS – PLEASE SPECIFY)
e8,000

PRESENT GROSS ANNUAL SALARY (IN LOCAL CURRENCY OR EUROS - PLEASE SPECIFY) e15,000

On the following page, please answer the two job related essays.
 JOB ESSAYS 8

CONFIDENTIAL

1. Please give a detailed description of your job, including nature of work, major responsibilities;
and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, number of
clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)
counting 250 words

I spent the last few years as a Brand Manager (BM) in the marketing department of J&J Consumer
Healthcare. My work consisted of brand innovations for the Emerging Markets Franchise, working with
cross-functional and cross-market teams. I dealt with senior leaders in the Philippines, Singapore, India,
China and USA, giving me a global perspective of the impact of effective strategic planning and capable
leadership. As a Brand Manager in the Emerging Markets Franchise, my brand was used as a pilot for
roll out in other countries such as China and India. I managed a team of an Associate Brand Manager, a
Management Trainee, and a cross-functional team representing finance, operations, quality, R&D, and
sales. On first year of launch (2007), the franchise entered the family bath soap category, one of the
largest and most competitive personal care categories, against P&G and Unilever. With a e3 million
budget, and brand strategies with sharp consumer insight, my team achieved brand sales of +23% versus
targets on year one, 42% revenue growth on year two, and achieving market share targets 3 months in
advanced. The brand won a host of awards: Best New Product Introduction (J&J Asia Pacific Marketing
Excellence Awards), Best in Financial Achievement and Innovation (J&J Phils. Magnificent Obsession
Awards), Best Brand Innovation (J&J Phils. Innovation Awards). The achievements in the brand have
allowed me to be promoted to Associate Brand Manager and BM in two consecutive years (2007 and
2008, respectively), making me the youngest BM in J&J Philippines history.

2. Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to
remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250
words)
counting 250 words

After finishing a BA in Integrated Marketing Communication, I immediately joined Johnson &

Johnson as Management Trainee. It was a rotational program allowing me to spend 10 months in the
Sales Department managing a distributor in a key provincial territory. I then spent 10 months in the
Marketing Department working with the Emerging Markets Franchise, developing innovations for
China and India from the Philippines as its test market. After 18 months, I was promoted to Associate
Brand Manager, and another 18 months after, to Brand Manager. During my 2.5 years as a line
manager, I launched and managed the franchise, under the brand Johnson’s Pure Essentials.
The career path for me would lead to the level of Marketing Director (or Chief Marketing Officer) in
at most 10 years, and to eventually become Managing Director, and potentially a contributor to other
markets around the world. I was considered a high-potential, high-performing employee, and this
fast-track to senior management was transparently discussed in my professional development sessions
with my supervisor and Marketing Director.

In 2009, I left J&J to take a graduate program in Columbia University focusing on the people side of
the business. The program in Learning and Leadership is an area of the organization I always found
fascinating, and this will help me shift into consulting, focused on organization and leadership. My
intent is to balance this world-class education in the West with a more quantitative, business-oriented
education from the INSEAD, allowing me to truly be an effective global consultant.
 ESSAYS 9

CONFIDENTIAL

ESSAYS
Each essay topic listed below and in the subsequent pages must be answered.

1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your
strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development,
giving examples when necessary. (400 words approx.)
counting 382 words

I am a person of vision, and have a strong ability in working through people. I pride myself of having
the ability to see the potential in a project, a business, an organization, and in people. I am able to win
others over to support the vision, and mobilize a team to act on it. This is seen in the marketing work I
did for J&J, where I had to provide strategic directions as the company entered into a big and
uncharted category. I worked as the lead of a team comprised of individuals all senior to me from
other departments, and succeeded to win them over.

I enjoy strategic discussions, and talking about things of global proportions. I've found great interest in
world economies, political science, human rights issues, the non-profit sector, and solutions to
poverty, hunger and climate change.

I am a deep thinker, and enjoy diving into strategic and conceptual discussions, digging up
research-based insights, and communicating them in a framework with some level of simplicity and
relevance. I am creative in that I bringing ideas together, making connections that are not obvious or
conventional. I often challenge status quo, and maintain a healthy level of discontentment towards
established standards. I was asked to develop a 10-year strategic plan for my brand as a junior
manager, which is a task often given to more senior managers. My superiors saw my strategic insight.

I am passionate about people. I get excited about spending mentoring moments with those under my
care, and enjoy the challenge of restoring a person, in his difficulties with tasks, his relationship with
others, and in his personal or professional life. Communicating clearly and capturing people’s interest
is a strength that naturally flows from this passion. My involvement in volunteer organizations,
developing training sessions and creating a non-profit leadership consultancy firm showcase this side
of my character.

A weakness I have is my being too quick to provide solutions which are often regarded as unsolicited
recommendations, especially when working with a team. I remind myself that taking the longer route
to arrive at the finish line together is better than sprinting alone. I also have impatience with rigid,
conventional and bureaucratic processes. I feel my ability to achieve greater things is stifled by this
kind of environment.
 ESSAYS 10

CONFIDENTIAL

2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why
you view them as such. (400 words approx.)
counting 366 words

Despite all the public accomplishments I achieved in my academic and professional life, I place more
substantial meaning into how I've impacted organizations, and ultimately people's lives.

1. Launching of Johnson's Pure Essentials, which was my major contribution to Johnson & Johnson,
was a key accomplishment not because of its strategic role in the Emerging Markets initiative for J&J
globally, but because of how it changed the local company's business culture. Prior to its launch, we
had enjoyed the benefits of dominating albeit small categories that we had inherited from the great
leaders that passionately ran the business in the past. Entering into this big, more competitive category
changed the company and its leaders, like how a child takes that bold step out of the illusive play pen,
and into the play ground. I constantly encouraged the Management that to compete well, J&J had to be
more agile with its processes, more innovative, less risk averse with its decision making, and it had to
put to rest its cold, lethargic mood and gain some healthy aggression against our giant competitors. I
felt my decisions as a middle manager shook up the organization and since then it has been more
passionate, unrelenting, and courageous. Evidence of this is how the leaders are more aggressive with
growing other businesses that are in slumber with creative ideas that would have never been
considered in the past, or reviewing the financial perspective we took for brands for the Emerging
Markets.

2. Founding of Mission Professional. From a very young age to present, I became involved in
endeavors whose primary mission it was to impact the lives of the youth, shaping their values, and
ultimately improving the world around them. In line with a passion to develop individuals, I founded
Mission Professional in 2007, which offered a series of programs aimed to help university students and
young professionals succeed in the formative period of their careers. Mission Professional tackles
topics such as career planning, personal finance, and leadership via training sessions and mentoring.
This was my first formal debut into leadership consulting, but more importantly it was the start of what
I hope will help society in a significant, sustainable way.
 ESSAYS 11

CONFIDENTIAL

3. Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your
personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)
counting 234 words

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Ever since my college days, I had many business ideas,
both big and small, which I kept on nurturing and kept in an entrepreneur journal. Ideas ranged from
an events company, importing artists and business speakers, retailing novelty books, real estate,
restaurants. Only about 10% of these goals actually came to life. The reasons are varied, from having
the wrong team to work on it, mismatch in dedication with my potential business partners, but
ultimately a big reason was engaging in these businesses would prevent me from focusing on my
demanding full-time job in Johnson & Johnson, my community involvements and the help I extend to
students, and living a balanced life. Moreover, it was tricky to setup an investment-heavy enterprise
with the looming plans of pursuing my graduate degree.

I then made the decision to rechannel my entrepreneurial energy into whatever I did for J&J, my
different volunteer groups, and in creating a non-profit consulting practice that was easy to
pack-up-and-go and did not require heavy capital investment. It fit my long-term goals, and to a
certain extent satisfied my entrepreneurial drive, with a socially relevant cause to go along with it.

At the end of the day, while I had many failed business dreams, allowing them to take a secondary
role in my life has allowed me to focus and achieve in my priority areas.
 ESSAYS 12

CONFIDENTIAL

4. Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will
they contribute to your professional career. (500 words approx.)
counting 499 words

Upon the completion of the INSEAD MBA program, my goal is to build a career in management
consulting, with a focus on strategy, organization and leadership. I envision my work to revolve
around a dynamic approach to strategic development, building an organization to meet those goals,
and enabling the leadership through the creation of learning systems.

This consultancy is intended to serve not just established multinationals, but local Asian companies. I
intend to engage a broad spectrum of organizations, from well-established and traditional, to growing
dynamic enterprises. Based primarily in Asia, I want to contribute to the creation of culture-relevant
leadership and management principles for the many developing countries and emerging markets
including those in South-East Asia and China.

Ultimately, the vision I have is for Asia, and my practice will be at the forefront of organizational
transformation to accompany the tremendous growth of this emerging continent.

A lot of the popular business wisdom that is going around business circles is often a parroting of great
thinkers from the developed, western countries. I find great challenge in problem solving for the
specific circumstances of Asian countries, and feel both organization and leadership likewise must be
culturally relevant. I have also found that when it comes to organizational development, consultants
are seldom able to create meaningful, sustainable change because of a lack of a systemic approach.
This will help empower local companies to become incubators of strong leaders, especially in a time
where multinationals often win the best talent over because they are better equipped to develop them.

After spending a few months pursuing a graduate degree in Leadership Studies in Columbia
University, I feel my grasp of the organization and people development principles is quite good. I now
would like to hone even further my business acumen, analytics, and to familiarize myself with the
Asian markets. I want to be able to get more familiar with the business culture of Asia, and learn about
other areas of the economy and other functions of an organization that will allow me to create a more
holistic picture in my mind. Learning how the financial markets move and influence how
organizations develop strategy, and how an organization needs to learn how to leverage on all its
functions to deliver value-creating innovations to its consumers. I want to tackle case studies that
demonstrate these principles in a concrete way, and see how ultimately these affect the leaders and
their employees, and how creating a learning organization will be critical to success in this kind of
economic milieu.

I have found that equipping myself for such an ambition in the INSEAD, Singapore campus is a strong
route to take. Not only is Singapore at the forefront of business in Asia, but the recent challenges being
faced during this time of crisis are a good testing ground for these business and organizational
principles. With a very Global, multi-cultural approach, INSEAD will be an essential tool in building
my career towards impacting the emergent Asian economies.
 ESSAYS 13

CONFIDENTIAL

5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:

a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.), or
b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)
counting 250 words

Culture shock is a current reality. I moved to the United States to study in Columbia in 2009, and it
was my first time to be among an extremely diverse set of people. I live in a graduate dorm called
InternationalHouse, that is home to 100 different nationalities. While it is easy to be shocked by the
multi-cultural experience, I feel it was more a sharing of our mutually foreign experiences. I felt safe
knowing that all I have in common with the group is that we all felt different.

While it is a safe zone in the graduate dorm, classes at Columbia University was another cultural
challenge. 60% of students are white Americans, and as the majority population in their home turf,
there was a very evident sense of confidence and exclusivity. The feeling of being excluded, not being
confident and not being considered were challenges I faced. This just meant I had to make an effort to
connect with people, and to look beyond the surface color, and find genuine interest in their
background and interests.

This meant a season of new experiences, and a broadening of my mind and my ability to relate to a
more diverse set of individuals. It meant being more aware of not just geography, but history, politics,
and economics. It has given be a more profound respect for humanity, that while we are all human
beings, we can come from such different cultural, social, family backgrounds and create a sense of
solidarity.
 ESSAYS 14

CONFIDENTIAL

6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions
Committee to know? (200 words approx.) This essay is optional.
counting 132 words

I generally feel comfortable with my application, except for my GMAT grades. If you look at my
Math scores on the first test, and Verbal scores on the second test, you will find decent scores. The
reason behind this is the tests happened at a time in my career where I was promoted unexpectedly to
Brand Manager. On the retest, my brand team was tasked to launch the brand in China so another
wave of work demands poured in. With the new responsibilities, and adjusting to the new role, my
studies took a hit. I work approximately 60 hours a week.

Needless to say, my work has allowed me to understand business financials, developing financial
models for a 10-year strategic plan, practicing management accounting and using economic data to
create business strategy.
 ESSAYS 15

CONFIDENTIAL

7. In case of reapplication, please use this page. Your essay should state any new aspects of
professional, international, academic, or personal development since your last application. We would
also like you to explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. This essay should not exceed 400
words.
 PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS 16

PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Please make sure to first enter your personal details in the profile section, or at least in the box below,
before providing the corresponding Internet links to your recommenders.

CANDIDATE FAMILY NAME Gonzalez FIRSTNAME Martin

DATE OF BIRTH 30 Jan 83 CANDIDATE FOR THE PROGRAMME STARTING SEPTEMBER JANUARY YEAR 2010
DAY MONTH YEAR

Recommendation Prefix

MG-94039-78726

Note 1: a web connection is required to obtain the two Internet links

Note 2: once you have obtained the links, please dispatch them to your recommenders as soon as possible
and in parallel to completing your application to ensure that the recommendation forms are completed by
your corresponding deadline (see check-list at the end of this application).
 STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY & SUBMITTING THE FORM 17

STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY
STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY
I hereby certify that I have provided accurate information in this application. I am the sole author of the
essays that follow. I authorise INSEAD / the Admissions Office to verify my credentials. I understand that any
misrepresentation or omission of facts in my application may justify denial of admission, cancellation of
admission or withdrawal from the MBA Programme. This is my honest statement to INSEAD.
Digitally signed by Martin Gonzalez

Signature
Martin Gonzalez DN: cn=Martin Gonzalez, o, ou, email=marts.gon@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2009.11.05 16:19:02 -05'00'

The signature field above uses strong encryption techniques. You may create your own certificate by following
the instructions provided to you by the Adobe Reader, or use a certificate provided to you by official third party
entities (e.g. if you pay your income tax in France, you may use the digital certificate provided to you by the
DGI; other official government or corporate certificates are appropriate too).

SUBMITTING THE FORM

This final step cannot be reversed. Please make sure that all the information is correct. If you need to sign
your document again, click-right on the signature field above, clear it, and sign again. Once you have
submitted the form, you may want to archive your application on a CD-R.
 CHECKLIST & DEADLINES 18

CHECK LIST

Please use this checklist to ensure that your application is complete:

Photograph in digital format (jpg) to be uploaded upon submitting this form

Profile: Please keep two copies of your profile (pages 1-6 of application) for yourself. These will be
required should you be called for interviews.
Essays (five required essays and one optional/In case of a reapplication, essay 7 only)
Job Description (including two essay questions)
1st Recommendation*
2nd Recommendation*
*You will need to instruct your recommenders to fill-in their recommendation online, to that effect,
you must first generate unique recommendation links on the last page of this application.
Official Transcripts of Grades and Diploma WITH CERTIFIED TRANSLATION IN ENGLISH where applicable.
PHOTOCOPIES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE UNLESS OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED.

Original GMAT score report sent by PearsonVue

Original TOEFL/TOEIC/CPE/IELTS score report (where applicable) sent by ETS.
Application Fee* of 200 € and proof of payment:
*VISA network or American Express card, Master card, using the online payment facility upon
submitting this form
Statement of Integrity (signed) on page 17.
Second language certification (if English is your native language)
*Please see our website http://www.insead.edu/mba/admissions/languages.pdf for details of
acceptable certification of languages. If you are unable to supply certification at the time of your
application, then you should supply this proof no later than June 1st for the September intake and
November 1st for the January intake.

DEADLINES

It is your responsibility to ensure that all application material arrives at INSEAD by the corresponding
deadline dates at 23:59 GMT + 1 (Paris time). Please check the following page to find your intake
deadlines:
http://www.insead.edu/mba/admissions/dates.cfm

Mail your additional documents to:

INSEAD, MBA Admissions Office, Boulevard de Constance, F-77305 Fontainebleau Cedex, France
Direct Fax: 33 (0)1 60 72 44 46, E-mail: mba.candidates@insead.edu