Mark Procyshyn
Our students are the core of the MaastrichtMBA programme. Students with a broad diversity on nationality, age and even professional background. The insights and thoughts of our MBA students describe the true experience of MaastrichtMBA. This time we talked with our Canadian student Mark Procyshyn. He works as Senior Director Service & Repair at Medtronic, the world biggest company in medical devices and active in 140 countries. Mark joined our Online track in January 2021.
FAST FACTS
- Nationality: Canadian
- Start programme: January 2021
- Entry age: 43 years
- Track: Online
- Company: Medtronic
- Job title: Senior Director Service & Repair – EMEA region
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE AN MBA?
It has been on my list for some time. I finally took the plunge and started. Given the time I am saving on not having to commute to office combined with the lack of other daily distractions, I reasoned that if there was ever a better time to embark on this journey, it was now.
WHICH SKILLS DO YOU WANT TO REFINE DURING THE ONLINE TRACK?
Financial topics have always been a bit of a mystery. Over the years with enough exposure, I have a working knowledge, but I realise how much more productive and effective I could be if I had a deeper understanding of the concepts with a chance to apply them. Secondly, I have spent my entire career in a single industry. The chance to interact with fellow students across multiple industries and applying concepts to different scenarios is a great chance to stretch myself and my thinking and expand my perspective.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FOR THE MAASTRICHTMBA PROGRAMME?
I work in an international company, and I myself have lived in four different global locations. MaastrichtMBA for me really represents that global community I enjoy with students spanning all across the globe. I am also based in the Netherlands, so it seemed like a logical place to start.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ONLINE TRACK SETUP OF THE BLENDED EDUCATIONAL FORMAT WITH THE TEN ONLINE COURSES AND THREE EDUCATIONAL WEEKS?
There is also a really good mixture of structured learning and self-learning, which means I can for the most part learn at my own pace, while still having guidance and check ins at regular intervals to realign. The educational weeks sound very interesting with really focused content and it will be exciting to get to see some of my fellow students in person.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS ONLINE EXECUTIVE MBA?
Even now just starting on my third course I have already found a lot of content and concepts that I have been able to apply to my daily work. This helps keep the content fresh and relevant and applicable and an enjoyment to consume. It does not feel like a lot of effort when the benefits are so apparent. Being online, it is accessible to me anytime, so any chance I have, I am able to log in and make some progress.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE COURSE SO FAR?
My second course was on entrepreneurship and having worked in a multi-national company my entire career this entrepreneurial way of thinking and managing was pretty foreign to me. We hear about the thought leaders all the time on the news, but the chance to really dive into what they do and how they do what they do and what they are able to accomplish and challenges they overcame was a really inspirational learning journey. My favorite course so far (although course one was managerial accounting so pretty tough to compare).
AND HOW DO YOU EXPERIENCE THE MAASTRICHTMBA PROGRAMME AFTER THE CORONA BREAKOUT?
Having just moved to the Netherlands, the MBA has become a welcome part of my daily and weekly routine. A chance to read though interesting subject matter, and interact with fellow students on the discussion forums, group assignments, and webinars means I can be and stay productively engaged. Without much else to do in a partial lockdown the courses have kept my motivation high even during the challenging times.
ANY TIPS FOR SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT APPLYING FOR MAASTRICHTMBA?
I was really on the edge of deciding to go for it or not. Looking at the long journey ahead and the countless hours of work and effort, it might have been easier just to give up on this goal. I finally said to myself that 2 years will go by whether you proceed with this MBA or not. Won’t it feel so much better at the end of 2 years when you can pat yourself on the back and say you did it. So, I took that next step, and I am going to do it. So far, I have zero regrets.