INSEAD Recommendation Questions
The recommendation questions for the MBA program at INSEAD are available below. Two recommendation letters are required, and should ideally come from the workplace in order to say something about your leadership and management potential. Current supervisors or managers are preferred, but alternatively, it can be from someone who has had an opportunity to evaluate you in a professional setting, such as a client, a former supervisor, or a colleague from your community service or extracurricular activities.
INSEAD allows a third recommendation if you feel it will add value to your profile. There is no imposed format for this additional reference, and you can choose to upload it in your supporting documents section of the application or email it.
2025-2026 INSEAD MBA Recommendation Questions
Relationship to Candidate
After some personal identifying information, the form proceeds to inquire about the recommender’s relationship to the applicant.
Please, specify your relationship to candidate:
- Professional
- Educational
- Personal
How long have you known the candidate? Define your relationship with the candidate and the circumstances whereby you met.
Candidate Rating
How do you rate the candidate on the following criteria? (Using the following scale: Outstanding (top 2%), Very Good (top 10%), Above Average (top 25%), Average (top 50%), Below Average (bottom 50%), Unobserved
- Competence in his/her field
- Professionalism
- Focus on the task at hand
- Readiness to use opportunities for achievement
- Creativity and resourcefulness
- Intellectual curiosity
- Energy and drive
- Personal integrity
- Ability to work in a team
- Organizational ability
- Oral communication skills
- Written communication skills
- Excellent (top 2%)
- Very good (top 10%)
- Above average (top 25%)
- Average (top 50%)
- Below average (bottom 50%)
Recommender Questions
Please give your answers to each of the following questions.
- Comment on the candidate’s career progress to date and his/her career focus.
MBA Applywire
EA Score: Quant: 12 IR: 12 V: 10
I got a Master Degree in Finance with a 3.7 GPA.
CV:
Purchasing Manager (2025- Current) in a Mexican Leading plumbing company that manufactures 1,900 Skus with 1,200+ employees.
Innovation Engineer (2023 - 2025) in a Mexican Leading plumbing company that manufactures 1,900 Skus with 1,200+ employees.
Financial Analyst Sr. (2022 - 2023) in Strategic business services center.
Financial Analyst (2020 - 2022) in a Telecommunications infrastructure company, 150 employees
Short Term Goals: Right after my MBA, my goal is to work in the US, in a strategic corporate role, like a Global Procurement Manager, Operations Consultant, or a member of a Supply Chain Leadership Program in a global company. I want to manage large international supply chains, lead cross-border projects, and learn how top companies use new technologies to run their operations.
Long Term Goals: Ten years after my MBA, my goal is to be the Director of Development, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the company where I work right now or Director of Product Development. In this position, I want to lead the company's high-level strategy, drive our global expansion, and make the executive decisions on where the company is heading. Additionally, depending on the company's timings and internal succession plans, my ultimate goal is to compete for the General Director (CEO) position to lead the entire enterprise.
Why MBA Now: Through my roles in innovation, finance, and procurement at a leading manufacturer, I’ve learned how operational decisions shape overall business performance. I’ve led the digital transformation integrating an AI-powered strategic sourcing platform in indirect purchases and building supply chain resilience against tariff changes. However, I want to increase my influence over high-level business direction and execution. Having optimized our foundational operations, this is the perfect window to pivot toward global leadership. I need to develop leadership experience in a world-class global organization to return and successfully lead the company as it reaches its mature, global scale.
Silver medallist/ 7 years finance experience in JP Morgan and American Express (US market) / Led $30B commercial portfolio, led multiple initiative leading to $100M profitability/ Running AI startup in Supply chain finance- backed by Entrepreneur First
I want to be on a COO track in the medical device industry. I want to focus my MBA on strategy within an operations framework, so I can be the best applicant for MBB consulting in the medical device industry.
Education/Testing
- T20 US University, 3.73 GPA, Economics - Graduated 2022
- Won some research/academic awards in undergrad - not sure if that matters
- GRE 332: 167Q/165V
Background & Experience
- 26M, based in South America, work across two roles in a family business
- Role 1: Small division within the family business making a leather goods (private label for a small client base). I led the entire public launch of our own brand, from the ground up, including hiring the full team and building out retail placement. Now have 3 of our own retail locations plus placement in larger third-party retailers, roughly $1.5M in sales over the last two years
- Role 2: Regional sales leadership for a distribution business, leading two teams (40+ people total). Led a strategy pivot that roughly quadrupled our regional sales target over three years to 250K$
ECs
- Regional chair of global professional organization
MBA LiveWire
June 8 applied
June 26 interview invite
July 2 interview
July 8 acceptance via email about portal update
Applied 6/4
Interview Invite 6/24
Interview 6/30
Accepted 7/8
Don't give up!