At a pivotal stage in her accomplished career, Zohra Doux-Karmas, a senior professional from France with extensive experience in digital services and insurance, chose to deepen her expertise through the DBA program at Paris School of Management. Driven by a desire to critically explore governance and ESG practices, Zohra’s journey reflects a commitment to transforming real-world experience into impactful, research-driven insights. In this testimonial, she shares her motivations, experiences, and how the program is shaping her professional and intellectual growth.
What inspired you to pursue a DBA at this stage of your professional career?
After many years in senior roles in the digital services and insurance sectors, I felt the need to step back and take a more analytical view on governance and ESG practices. A DBA allows me to transform my professional experience into rigorous, actionable research that can create impact both for practitioners and for academia.
Why did you choose Paris School of Management for your DBA studies?
I chose Paris School of Management for its strong academic standards, its international orientation, and the alignment between the DBA program and my research interests in governance and ESG. The structure of the program, combining flexibility with close supervision, was exactly what I was looking for at this stage of my career.
Several aspects stand out: the academic rigor of the supervision and evaluation, the research-driven design of the modules, and the flexibility that makes it compatible with professional responsibilities.
How would you describe your experience with the DBA program?
My experience has been both demanding and highly rewarding. The faculty are supportive, the feedback is precise and constructive, and the program pushes me to elevate my analytical and writing skills. I feel intellectually challenged, but also genuinely supported in my progression.
How has the DBA program aligned with your professional background and research interests at this early stage?
The program allows me to connect my prior executive experience in digital services companies with a solid methodological framework. From the very first modules and the concept paper, I have been able to refine my research questions on ESG governance and link them directly to real-world managerial issues I have faced in my career.
What aspects of the program have stood out to you most so far (e.g., academic rigor, flexibility, research focus)?
Several aspects stand out: the academic rigor of the supervision and evaluation, the research-driven design of the modules, and the flexibility that makes it compatible with professional responsibilities. I particularly appreciate the strong focus on methodology and the constructive dialogue with faculty around my research project.