Here at the MaastrichtMBA, we love our alumni and enjoy staying in touch! We recently caught up with class of 2022 alumnus Juan Ladrón De Guevara Gonzalez and reminisced over his experience at MaastrichtMBA and his current life. Read more to see what she is doing with all of that potential!
After working in economics and sustainability for 30 years in different places and from different perspectives, I decided to formalise and build on my experience and knowledge, complementing it with other topics relevant for leadership positions. I chose to do this through an Executive MBA (rather than an MPA or other master’s programme) to gain a comprehensive understanding of the private sector, including its potential, restrictions and rationale. I believe that changes in this area will mainly come from the business sector rather than other social actors.
Firstly, I decided against doing an MBA in Chile, where I live, because I had become too involved in local issues, and I wanted to gain first-hand experience of sustainability and business in Europe or the USA. I chose Maastricht for two reasons: the programme offered a combination of sustainability, leadership and entrepreneurship courses, and the quality/cost ratio was very convenient (I paid for it all myself, with no scholarships).
I learned a lot by dedicating myself to being involved in every course. I have already applied many lessons (in finance, HR and leadership, for example) to my current position and to advising others. I also decided to do a BSc totally related to what I want to develop in the future, as a kind of “business card”.
Open your mind to learning from your classmates and teachers’ experience. Plan ahead to fully commit to the programme. I did the online course while working full-time and taking care of my family, and it was totally feasible. Participate as much as you can and enjoy Maastricht!
Prospective applicants should consider how to balance the programme in order to gain in-depth knowledge of their chosen area of specialisation, while also developing a broader understanding of the various areas that leaders need to be familiar with.
Having led people for 20 years, I found that this Executive MBA gave me the opportunity to delve deeper into my subject and, at the same time, develop a range of skills to become a better and more competitive leader in the future.
I think an MBA degree provides the opportunity to approach business challenges from a balanced perspective, enabling you to weigh up the costs and benefits, risks and opportunities of every decision a company needs to make. This is very important for a firm and for an employer. However, the degree alone is not enough; you also need to understand and believe in the importance of achieving balance!
It is difficult for me to separate what stands out from Maastricht and what stands out from studying in the Netherlands. Anyhow, I appreciated how easy it was to connect with and work with the MBA team and my classmates. I enjoyed the learning experience and how much I learnt. I also enjoyed the culture of speaking up clearly and directly, and the warm, respectful and inviting atmosphere.
Going to Maastricht weeks! Working with my classmates was great, whether online or in person. I learnt a lot from them.
