Recommendation
WHY MBA?
Frank Jordt Kappel, MBA
Head of Department at Grontmij A/S
"An MBA is a really good card"
There had to happen something new. So when Frank Jordt Kappel heard about the Executive MBA in cooperation with Coventry University in England, he was not in doubt. "I had been a department manager for four or five years and wanted to get on a higher and more strategic level in the company. Where shall we be in five years and how do we get there?" says 44-year-old Frank Jordt Kappel who is employed in a consulting engineering company Grontmij in Kolding. "An MBA is a really good card to have on hands. The fact that this program is in English does not make it worse. On the contrary," he says.
Feeling stronger
The international perspective was also the strongest argument that made Frank Jordt Kappel chose to become an MBA student at IBA. "It is a great advantage that the education is recognized in other countries. If you are looking for a job in Singapore, for instance, they can recognize your education there. And when we are drawing up strategies in Grontmij, we are doing it in English. It is the way the world moves. One needs to look beyond the Danish borders," says Frank Jordt Kappel. In 2006 his working place was taken over by a Dutch concern which meant internationalization of the entire company. "I saw it as a good challenge that the MBA was in English. It will certainly make me feel stronger in future," he said.
A different culture
During the program Frank Jordt Kappel and his fellow students visited Coventry University in England. This visit made an impression on the Danish civil engineer. "We saw a completely different culture, where people are much more “De’s” than in Denmark. And we soon found out that the British approach to the tasks was quite different from ours. It is incredible to experience what just an hour flight from Denmark can mean in cultural terms," says Frank Jordt Kappel who believes that the international perspective of MBA helps to prepare him to work with business people from other cultures.
Time saving
Frank Jordt Kappel could demonstrate his diploma at the year-end 2010. From the program he has obtained valuable tools that are daily in use. "The tools within strategy, competitor analysis and business plan help me to move faster from idea to action. It saves me a lot of time because I do not have to sit and mull things over, but I have a path to follow. It is superb."
MBA had its cost for the family as Frank Jordt Kappel has two children and a wife. But even though he has spent many weekends on reading and writing projects, he does not regret a moment. "My children were not little when I was studying MBA, so it was not a burden. If you have any wishes and ambitions for you career, you need to go for it. I would not hesitate a second," comes the recommendation from Frank Jordt Kappel.
Kristian Sloth
Owner of Sloth Consulting
"I am proud of my MBA"
The word "toolbox" appears again and again when Kristian Sloth talks about his Executive MBA from IBA in cooperation with Coventry University in England. "I've got plenty of tools in my toolbox which means I can handle many different situations. I feel prepared for my future tasks - to the delight of my customers and my own," says 42-year-old Kristian Sloth, who took his MBA from 2009 to 2011. Kristian Sloth got the chance to take an MBA at his former workplace, Lemvigh-Müller, where he was employed as a sales manager and had worked for 19 years in two laps. "I always keep on educating myself, if I had to continue on managerial and strategic way, an MBA was a natural extension," he says.
An elephant in small bites
The international dimension caught 42-year-old Kristian Sloth immediately - not least because of the opportunity to polish his English. "I was not bad at English before, but this education has made my English eight times better both written and spoken. I'm really happy about it," says Kristian Sloth and underlines the English educational system as another important advantage for him. "It's very methodological and well-structured which appeals to me greatly. This means that you should not eat an elephant in one bite, but split the tasks into small portions. It means that you are on the track from the beginning," he says.
Sparring increased learning
While studying Kristian and his fellow students met once a month in class and also in groups if it was needed. The sparring and network with people from other companies boosted his benefit a lot. "I learned incredibly much from the others. There were some really bright heads in class. You could raise a topic in class and get the others’ view, and then go home and use it directly in your everyday life," says Kristian Sloth and also highlights the teachers' expertise. "There were many good teachers - and if I can mention one, it will be Lars Lønberg. He was great at pointing out exactly what was important. He helped us to get a real understanding of things not by giving us the answer but by guiding us to it."
Huge benifits
When Kristian Sloth received his diploma, he got a serious wish to realize his ideas about new challenges and become independent. Today he is the owner of Sloth Consulting which helps companies increase their sales. And he can clearly see how the MBA has prepared him for the future. "I've got a better understanding of marketing, strategy, consulting, project management, micro- and macroeconomics. My benefit is enormous. I am proud to say that I have studied an MBA", says Christian Sloth who spent 10-15 hours on his education per week. Although he has a family, he could easily get his every day to function and he does not hesitate to recommend others to do the same. "If you read two hours every evening instead of watching TV, you are well on your way. People who are considering it, should get started. I can only say: Do it before it's too late."
