From Belgium to Madrid and Dubai: Paola Ntunzwenimana Launches her Career in the Middle East

Originally from Belgium, Paola Ntunzwenimana ’16 (Communication) mastered a third language and learned to thrive in an international environment as a SLU-Madrid student.

When she received the phone call from L’Oreal Middle East offering her a marketing position in Dubai, she felt well equipped to relocate to a new continent and take on a demanding position.

Paola’s journey to the United Arab Emirates was set in motion when she presented the solution to a business case in front of a headhunter who visited the Instituto de Empresa, where she was pursuing a graduate degree in corporate communication.

In her current role as a marketing assistant at L’Oreal, Paola conducts business analyses and produces projection reports for Lancôme and Kielhs to provide an overall diagnostic of which franchises and products are selling best at Dubai Duty Free (DDF). She also does events management, and is currently preparing an event which will take place at DDF at the end of Ramadan.

“I believe that studying at SLU-Madrid has made me able to adjust so rapidly into a new kind of environment,” Paola reflected. “It's also made me tolerant of other cultures and religions, seeing as how diverse SLU is. Moreover, SLU really taught me prioritization and time management… At L'Oreal, you're constantly thrown different projects, so you need to know how to manage your time and be able to make concise decisions. Living in Spain and learning a third language has also evidently broadened my mind, and I feel more equipped for a career than I would have had I studied somewhere other than SLU-Madrid.”