Much obliged! |
I wanted to acknowledge the phenomenal job that IMD's support service team has been doing to help out with our preparation for the move to Lausanne. The weeks are going by faster and faster, and Ashley and I have been working our tails off to make sure we check all the necessary boxes before our departure date gets here. Throughout the process, IMD's support team has been so helpful, resourceful and responsive, and it's made our life tremendously easier. |
I've always liked how the IMD "family" is so tight-knitted, and how the whole experience is so personalized. I am happy that Ashley and I are already experiencing this, even before we arrive!
Here are some of the ways IMD's support team has helped us the most:
- Visa support
Our visa experience has been a bit annoying so far, as previously documented. IMD has really helped us keep the process moving though. Initially, IMD made sure we stayed on top of it by explaining the process, and communicating the timeline from the get go. On top of that, Barbara and Regula made themselves available to talk via Skype and answer any questions regarding the process, which I found very useful.
This week we got what may be the best bit of help from IMD with respect to the visa so far. I reached out to MBA support to let them know Ashley's visa had been pending for almost 12 weeks. Regula took the initiative to reach out to the authorities in the Canton of Vaud to follow up on our application. They got back to her explaining it had been delivered to the wrong department, and mentioned they will work on it this week so it should be completed soon. Very nice that Regula's initiative and IMD's relationship with the Canton has helped things keep going!
- Housing
Back in May I wrote about how easy it was for us to find a place to live next year. The process IMD has in place is simple and straight-forward. Knowing where we will be living has saved us the stress of having to figure out where to live when we got to Lausanne. The costs have been very well communicated as well, so IMD's approach has also been very helpful for budgeting reasons.
On top of the regular process, IMD's housing support has gone above and beyond to help accommodate our situation. In order to make sure it will be safe for Ashley to fly with Little Marshmallow, we will be moving to Lausanne three weeks before our permanent apartment is available. Back when we first booked the apartment, we mentioned to the IMD housing support team that we would need temporary accommodation, and asked if they could help. There was nothing available then, and we didn't expect they would be able to do much for us. I was already dreading having to spend three weeks in a hotel, thinking of all the money we'd spend eating out every day. Then just a couple weeks ago, IMD housing support got back to us offering an apartment they came across, which had just opened up. I was very impressed that they kept us in mind the whole time! The apartment will be perfect for our needs, and thanks to their attentiveness, our move and our transition will be much smoother and much more economical.
- Insurance
I can't say enough about how helpful the IMD insurance contacts have been. Our situation is so unique, considering the baby, Ashley's work situation, etc. Needless to say I was extremely confused going in. I threw a million questions their way, but they always answered promptly and thoroughly. With their help, I was able to understand all the requirements very well, and Ashley and I have been able to weigh our options and know what to expect. I feel very confident we'll have the insurance we'll need, in the most cost-effective way.
I was most impressed by the fact that the IMD insurance contacts truly wanted to understand our situation, and figure out what our best options were. They weren't trying to steer us to a particular plan or sell us on anything. They were always thorough, responsive and attentive regardless of whether or not we would be purchasing a plan through them or just staying on our current plan.
- Partner support
Ashley has been in touch with the Partner support team, and she has been getting so much great information from them. Life in Lausanne, life as an IMD partner, advice on doctors/pediatricians, delivering a baby in Lausanne... The IMD team has also done a good job of connecting all the partners electronically so they can be a little more familiar with each other when everyone arrives. Like everyone I have come across at IMD, the Partner support team has been extremely responsive and eager to help.
It makes me glad that IMD understands how important partners are for the MBAs. I am happy that Ashley will be very involved in the IMD community, and that IMD is working hard to make sure she will also have a great experience in Lausanne next year!
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