High expectations as 30 managers started the Gothenburg Executive MBA programme

On October 6,the Gothenburg Executive MBA programme 2016-2018 kicked off, with 30 highly motivated executives from both small and medium-sized companies as well as multinational corporations. The Gothenburg Executive MBA programme is a 21-month part-time management programme in English. It is the only MBA in Sweden accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA). With its Nordic-Asian focus, the participants will acquire the knowledge and tools needed to handle increased business responsibilities in a globalized market.

21 months focused on leadership and corporate management
The Executive MBA programme started with an intense three-day module on strategic management delivered by Professor PD Jose from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), one of the School's strategic partner universities in Asia. Following this first module, the Executive MBA participants will meet three days every third weekend to learn from lecturers from all over the world. Each module focuses on a specific topic and both hard and soft skills are developed. The programme is delivered entirely in English, has a Nordic-Asian focus and includes two separate 10-day residencies at elite universities in China and India.

A diverse group with extensive experience
With a median age of 41 years, participants have more than 10 years of managerial experience on average. Both small and medium-sized companies, as well as organisations in the public sector and multinational corporations have chosen to invest in their key talents to further develop their leadership skills and improve their business performance. Some examples of companies on the programme are Nudie Jeans, Emerson Process Management, Papyrus, Gina Tricot, Husqvarna and Regionteater Väst. Common to all new participants is a strong motivation to develop as leaders.

Here are some of their reflections when entering the programme:

“I want to be updated and inspired by the lecturers and my fellow Executive MBA participants. I look forward to discussing leadership, new theories and innovative ways to run a business in the future. I have long experience of managing and growing an international company, so I am eager to share my experience with others.”
Peter Wanderydz
CEO, Artexis Easyfairs Nordic

“I expect to develop myself as a manager, my leadership and my company. I graduated with a Master of Law degree five years ago and today I am the CFO of a fast-growing consulting company, specialized in business intelligence. I believe that my somewhat unusual professional profile will provide a modern perspective on digitalization and innovative ways of organizing a business.”
Madeleine Jonsson
CFO, Mindcamp

“By participating in the Executive MBA programme I expect to take part of the latest insights in business research and global development to further contribute to Nudie Jeans’ success story. I hope to contribute to the programme and to fellow Executive MBA participants with my experience in leading change, strategy development and execution.”
Markus Matschiner
Board & Leadership Advisor, Nudie Jeans Co.

”A unique platform for learning”
Andreas Diedrich, Associate Professor and Programme Director for the Executive MBA-programme, is excited to engage with a new group of Executive MBA participants:

“The diversity within this year’s group is fantastic and I am really looking forward to following the participants' development over time. Not least so, because our programme provides a unique platform for learning. It brings together practicing managers from companies from a large variety of different industries all over the globe, to share their experiences and approach common challenges and opportunities they face in their work. And it provides them with cutting edge theories, models and ideas from business and management research to help them engage in this process in a meaningful and effective manner. The symbiosis of the challenges the managers on the programme face in their daily work and the insights from academia is a tremendous source of inspiration and learning”.
Dr. Andreas Diedrich, 
Executive MBA Programme Director, School of Business, Economics and Law

Photographer: Nettan Kock; www.nettankock.com

For more information, please contact:
Olof Billebo, Business Manager, GU School of Executive Education, tel. +46 31 786 13 83, +46 703 320 1383,
e-mail olof.billebo@handels.gu.se; www.handels.gu.se/emba
Håkan Ericson, Managing Director, GU School of Executive Education, tel. +46 31 786 53 81, +46 709 50 63 35,
e-mail hakan.ericson@handels.gu.se; www.handels.gu.se/exed

GU School of Executive Education delivers an Executive MBA programme with a Nordic-Asian focus, and custom programmes for the private and public sectors. Deliveries take place in Sweden and globally. By designing programmes to always combine academic rigour and lasting practical relevance, GU School of Executive Education develops leaders and executives. The School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg is the only business school in Sweden holding the three most prestigious international accreditations: AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS. These schools are usually referred to as being “Triple Crown” accredited. Only some 70 business schools in the world are, corresponding to approximately 0.5% of the total number of business schools globally.www.guexed.com