The Gothenburg Executive MBA – more leadership than management

“I get a lot of ideas and inspiration on how to develop my leadership skills,” says Andreas Krona, CEO of Talkamatic. Andreas started the Executive MBA programme at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg last autumn. He always strives to commit to and engage in things that give him energy. He thinks that the Executive MBA programme does just that.

”I want to continue to develop my skills and I am always curious about new opportunities and challenges. The programme adds more tools to my leadership toolbox and makes me better from a holistic perspective in the development of the company. In addition, I get a theoretical platform on which to base what I am already doing in practice,” says Andreas Krona, when we ask him why he chose to join the Executive MBA programme.

“Naturally, the programme requires a lot of effort, but you also get a lot in return. It is fun and stimulating,” he says, and explains that the different modules are interesting in different ways.

“I might not be passionate about accounting, but the knowledge I gained from the Management Accounting module gives me a much better understanding of the demands and requirements in that area.”

Personal and organisational change

The most recent program module, Change Management, with Professor Pekka Mattila, is closer to Andreas Krona’s focus.

“I want to develop and drive change. I work a lot with this and can get frustrated that it takes so long. Pekka Mattila presented several examples that were very inspiring and improved the way I view change management. These included the power of transparency and openness.”

Andreas Krona is also aware of his own personal change journey.

“It is fascinating to follow your own process and progress during the programme,” he says, pointing out the importance of knowledge exchange with other programme participants.

“I learn a lot from my classmates. It is very interesting to gain insights into other organisations’ approach to leadership and how they work with, for example, change management.”

Having clear goals

The Corona pandemic has led to the Executive MBA programme being delivered online. Andreas Krona thinks it works fine, even though it is not as fun as meeting face to face.

“It would be great to be able to wrap up a course day by going for drinks with the other participants, but that’s just not possible now. The lecturers handle it well, but the format is more demanding when it comes to maintaining your concentration. However, the pandemic situation has helped me to focus on the programme more generally, since many other activities are not available.”

According to Andreas Krona, what should anyone planning to take an Executive MBA at the Gothenburg School of Economics bear in mind?

“It’s a lot of work, so I think it’s important to have a clear idea of why you are participating on the programme. Being more interested in leadership than in management also helps.”

More about Gothenburg Executive MBA

More about GU Executive Education

For more information about Gothenburg Executive MBA, contact:

Peter Salomonsson, Sales & Business Development Manager

peter.salomonsson@handels.gu.se, +46 708 62 48 60

Håkan Ericson, CEO

hakan.ericson@handels.gu.se, +46 709 50 63 35