Javier Garcia started his professional life as an architect in his native city of Madrid. Then the lure of travel – and his natural aptitude for detail – drew him to the role of cost controller for a large infrastructure company.
Recently I had the honour to co-chair the 2021 EFMD Doctoral Programmes Conference (DPC), together with Christine Unterhitzenberger from the University of Leeds. Although we already chose the conference theme “Responsible doctoral programmes for a responsible future” in September 2019, it could not have been timelier to discuss this within the current pandemic situation.
When I told my close friends, I had gained admission into a well-known business school in Belgium, I got the crazy eyes stare. Why are you accepting an offer for an MBA programme in this pandemic? Can you even travel? Will you be able to truly experience what an MBA programme has to offer if you do it online? These questions and many others were thrown back at me in the moment where I only expected "Congratulations Del! This is great news!". Evidently these questions got me thinking, do I really want to do my MBA now?
Gust Desmedt’s role is entrepreneurial, far-reaching and deeply influential. As Chief Strategy Officer at the Minafin Group, he makes sure the chemicals company remains relevant and one step ahead. He scans horizons, hones strategy – and influences stakeholders across the entire organisation.
Ruben Lieten was a highly-qualified research scientist, working in the super high-tech field of semiconductors. He had always wanted to start something on his own – but thought he lacked the business knowledge to make a success of it.
Maria Garcia Salmones studied engineering before moving into finance and risk management roles at Euroclear, a Belgian financial services company. But by 2016, she was ready for a career change. This took her to Vlerick – and the Executive MBA.
