From MBA to ment­or: the alum who re­turned to give back

As a Full-Time MBA alumna, Mireia Fontarnau Vilaró recognised the value of the Strategy Project when she completed her studies at Copenhagen Business School in 2013. Today, she supports current MBA participants as a Strategic Advisor, guiding them through one of the programme’s most practical and developmental components.

The Strategy Project is a defining feature of the Full-Time MBA. Over several months, students work with an organisation to address a real strategic challenge – anything from sustainability and market analysis to organisational design, operational optimisation or product strategy. And in her advisory role, Mireia works closely with students to ensure each project becomes a valuable bridge between academic learning and real-world impact.

Learning from experience

During her own MBA year, Mireia completed her Strategy Project at Harboe, a Danish brewery. The project quickly became a cornerstone of her MBA journey – a practical, challenging and eye-opening experience that blended academic learning with real-world strategic problem-solving.

“It was genuinely one of the most enriching parts of my year, one that gave me lifelong friendships, taught me a lot about how to navigate different work styles, priorities and expectations”, she recalls. “I found it rewarding that the company trusted our team and was invested in our personal development.”

Her own project experience is one reason she returned to CBS years later. As a Strategic Advisor, she now helps students navigate their projects with confidence, supporting them through ambiguity, cross-cultural collaboration, stakeholder management and the process of discovering what they want from their post-MBA careers.

“I see this advisory role as having two legs,” she explains. “One is the support on the project – the scope, the tasks, how to communicate with the company. The other is more of a mentor-coach role: helping them reflect, helping them grow, and helping them see what they want to get out of the project.”

A project that mirrors the realities of work

For many participants, the Strategy Project is the point where classroom learning meets the complexity of professional life.

“This is real life. Things change, things happen, and expectations don’t always match what was originally agreed,” Mireia says. “The project is where they learn to navigate that.”

Her role is to help students develop the tools to handle this complexity – aligning expectations, managing relationships, scoping tasks, and building the communication skills needed to operate confidently in an unfamiliar environment.

Trust at the centre

“If I had to summarise what makes a Strategy Project successful, I would say trust,” Mireia says. “Trust is essential – between the student and the company, and also between the student and me.” This connection provides Mireia with a clear view of how these projects unfold and how they shape participants’ professional growth. “Ultimately, this is a meaningful experience that teaches students valuable lessons,” she explains.

For many international participants, the professional context they encounter during the Strategy Project is new. Danish workplaces tend to be less hierarchical, more informal and highly collaborative. Expectations are often implicit rather than explicitly stated. For students used to more directive or structured environments, this can be an adjustment.

“This is the biggest challenge for many of the international students I meet,” Mireia explains. “It’s nothing they know about. They sometimes think, ‘This is how it works in Turkey; this is how it works in France. But this is Denmark. If I want to succeed here, maybe I need to do things differently.’”

Helping students recognise and navigate these cultural nuances is a key part of her role.

A platform for self-discovery

Many students begin the Strategy Project with clear ideas of what they want next – a particular role, industry or company. Yet the project often reshapes those assumptions.

“Use it as a journey or a platform for self-discovery,” Mireia says. “That’s what I always tell them.”

Throughout the process, participants examine their working style, motivations and strengths. They learn how they respond to ambiguity, how they communicate when the project brief evolves, and how they build relationships in a new professional community. Some discover they enjoy stakeholder management more than expected. Others realise they want a different direction entirely.

"What can you do during the internship that helps you position yourself for what comes after?”

Challenging respectfully

A significant part of the learning experience is understanding how to bring new perspectives into the organisation. For some students, the idea of challenging company assumptions – even respectfully – can feel uncomfortable. Mireia encourages them to see this as part of their growth.

“It can be uncomfortable for them,” she says. “But I encourage them to push their own boundaries. I like to ensure that everyone’s voice gets heard during this experience.”

Students often bring insights shaped by their pre-MBA careers, their diverse backgrounds and their conversations in class. Companies benefit from this injection of fresh thinking.

“How can students help the company open their mind by providing other perspectives?” she asks. “That’s part of the value they bring.”

What Mireia gains from the role

Supporting Strategy Projects is rewarding not only for students but also for Mireia. Her work gives her insight into how different companies operate – across industries, functions and strategic contexts. It also exposes her to how new generations of professionals think about sustainability, leadership, work–life balance and purpose.

“It keeps me on my toes,” she says. “Every year, I get to work with students from so many cultures, industries and backgrounds. They push me to think differently as well.”

She finds their creativity and openness energising, noting that being part of their development is one of the most fulfilling aspects of her role.

“It’s very inspiring. They bring so much creativity and openness. It’s a privilege to be part of their journey.”

A lasting connection to CBS

For Mireia, advising MBA Strategy Projects is not only part of her professional life – it is also a way to remain engaged with the community that helped shape her own career.

“This is a very special programme,” she says. “I believe in the impact it has. And I love being part of it from this side.”

Seeing students grow over the course of their projects remains one of the highlights of her work.

“You see the before and after in the students,” she says. “You see how much they grow. And it’s wonderful to know you were part of that process.”