Hvilke færdigheder får man af den Blå MBA?

Interview med Irene Rosberg, programme director, Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics, CBS  

Who can take a Blue MBA? I believe that in today’s competitive world, to maintain a strong position in the market you need to have a deep knowledge, not only about the business that you are in, but also about all the other relevant industries around your core interests which impact on your performance. It is, therefore, important for us to have a diverse student body, not only in terms of gender and nationality – as shipping goes beyond borders – but in terms of having all the different segments of the shipping and shipping-related businesses represented in the programme. This diversity is a major contributor to creating a fruitful environment for discussions and exchange of ideas as well as an excellent dynamic in the classroom. We believe that our participants not only learn from their professors and lecturers but also from each other.  It is the combination of this diverse student body and the holistic view of shipping that the programme adopts which is considered a great contributor to the success of this programme.  The current class has 48 participants, the maximum capacity that CBS could take in and the largest MBA group in the 100 years of existence of CBS. When comparing the more recent cohorts with those dating back to the start of the programme there is a distinct difference. In the past the participants came from core shipping businesses, shipping companies, but as we have grown so has our expansion to industries supporting the basic industry. Today more and more of our participants are coming from shipping-related industries and those industries supporting core shipping activity.  This for us is a major achievement as more and more associated industries recognise the value of our educational offering and as a result we can now cast our net even wider. Why should you take a Blue MBA – what is the output? It has been a very turbulent time for the shipping industry for a few years now and it can be argued that in periods of economic crisis such as these, it is ever important for executive education grounded in experience and practical solutions backed up by sound theory. This can rarely be learnt “on the job” and to combine this practical experience with a high quality educational grounding can only put the graduate in a better position than a counterpart who has not had these benefits. This industry is changing rapidly. The changes put new demands on shipping and shipping-related companies and their managers, and bring about the need for upgrading the skills of the managers. We believe that in order to be prepared strategically for eventualities and to stay competitive, managers in the shipping industry should be equipped with the appropriate tools of the kind that we offer through our Blue MBA. How do you as head of the Blue MBA ensure its continued relevance? The maritime industry will remain at the centre of the global economy, and today we see that this industry which has been very conservative in the past has taken huge steps towards modernisation. We have seen that the focus is not only on cost and market strategy but also on human capital and investing in people.  This is where we think our Blue MBA is a major contributor to achieving all-round excellence in business practice. Our participants and their supporting organisations seem to be very satisfied with what we provide them. Many of the executives involved will tell you that joining this programme was the best career move they made.  I have close contact and dialogue with our graduates and am delighted to learn from them that they use every day in their jobs what they learned during their MBA journey. More than that, they tell us that the most precious tools in their mental tool box to deal with the challenges of the industry are those that they acquired during their Blue MBA experience.  This is, of course, rewarding to hear, and at the same time lends reassurance that we are on the right path. We know that the shipping industry is a fast-moving business and we shall make sure we keep pace with developments, and adapt the programme to the on-going demands of the industry, so that we stay current and relevant. Irene Rosberg, Programme Director, Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics (The Blue MBA), contact info: ir.mba@cbs.dk Læs flere nyheder fra Danske Havne her