Executive MBA programme
Develop your capabilities to manage strategic and operational realities.
Early October, the Executive MBA programme 2020–2022 started at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. Over 21 months, the 16 participating leaders will develop a wide range of skills and capabilities to prepare them for more extensive business responsibilities and developed leadership capabilities in a rapidly changing, global world. The part-time education is delivered in English and has a special focus on the Nordic countries and Asia. The lecturers come from the School of Business, Economics and Law and its partner universities around the world. Previous participants often highlight knowledge transfer within the group as one of the main strengths of the education. The participants in this year’s programme represent seven nationalities and come from a wide range of companies such as Cochlear, Liseberg, SKF, Volvo Group and Åbro Bryggeri. The proportion of women on the management programme has steadily increased over time. This year, the gender distribution is, for the first time ever, 50–50.
The program has a Nordic-Asian focus, with emphasis on Nordic business strengths such as sustainability, innovation and international trade, as well as on the culture and business logics of the Asian emerging markets.
“The programme provides a broad base of knowledge, methods and tools that strengthen the participants as leaders and prepare them for greater challenges. I would also like to highlight the impressive personal development journey that the participants undergo during the 21-month programme, both professionally and personally. It is a privilege to contribute and to follow it,” says Håkan Ericson, CEO of GU Executive Education.
The participants meet for three days, every three weeks. In early October, the new group’s first module was held: Strategic Management with Professor PD Jose from the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (IIMB), one of India’s most prestigious business schools. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the participants met him via link from Bangalore. Several of the lecturers on the program are non-European and are currently unable to travel to Sweden. Through a collaboration with Scandic Opalen in Gothenburg, the lectures are given in extra spacious and technically well-equipped rooms enabling participants to choose between participating on-site in the room or remotely via Zoom. The pandemic has also led to the programme study trips to China and India being temporarily postponed until travel is completely safe again.
Attending an Executive MBA programme is a major commitment. Here is what two of the participants have to say about choosing this programme and their impressions after the first module:
Saaya Sorrells-Weatherford, KSSW Holdings:
“The calibre of the students is very high. I believe we will learn a lot from each other. I was really impressed by how knowledgeable Professor Jose is, and I’m excited about the upcoming modules because of how much I learned from the first one. I have a lot of experience in different aspects of business management, but I did not have the educational background to back it up. So, I wanted to go back to school to remedy that and expand my knowledge with an Executive MBA degree.”
Christian Grante, Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Group:
“I had high expectations and still I am positively surprised. It is a very senior group; the participants elevate the programme. The lecturer was very skilled and flexible. I have long wanted to attend an Executive MBA programme. It is a great privilege to be able to invest in oneself and to have the opportunity to develop further. I am an engineer and have a technically-oriented doctoral degree. With the Executive MBA, I want to broaden my skills, and this education is an extremely effective way to gain new knowledge. It’s fun to grow – that’s what I’m looking for.”
The School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg is the only business school in Sweden that is Triple Crown-accredited. This is a hallmark of quality from the three main international accreditation organisations for business schools: AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS. Only around one percent of the world’s business schools are Triple Crown-accredited.
In the evaluation of the Executive MBA program 2018–2020 earlier this spring, 94% of the participants stated that they had developed their strategic thinking. A very high proportion also experienced increased efficiency at work and improved decision-making. The evaluation showed that the participants especially appreciated: