Pablo Amaya Rodriguez
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 German student Pablo Amaya Rodriguez. He works as Global Regulatory Strategist at Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Pablo joined our On-Campus MBA track in May 2022.
FAST FACTS
- Nationality: German
- Start programme: May 2022
- Entry age: 38 years
- Track: On-Campus – Digital Business
- Company: Bayer
- Job title: Global Regulatory Strategist
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE AN MBA?
I am originally from Colombia and moved to Europe almost 15 years ago. After working many years in a very scientific and data-driven career, I wanted to further develop myself by exploring other business areas and to assess whether a different direction in my career would be the right fit for my future. I wanted to challenge myself personally, be inspired to be braver in my working life, go beyond my comfort zone and explore other areas where I could further thrive professionally.
With this goal in mind, I visited an on-site lecture of MaastrichtMBA in February 2022. I was glad to meet MBA students from different EU countries and fellow expats sharing a similar career development interest, so I applied to the On-Campus MBA track.
WHICH SKILLS DO YOU WANT TO REFINE DURING THE ON-CAMPUS MBA TRACK?
Finance and Macro Economics are two critical skills I wanted to strengthen when I started my MBA, since I lacked those from my academic background. However, while doing the MBA, I became very interested in the modules on understanding People Dynamics and Leadership. Those helped me to better understand individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, what motivates us and how we can connect better with each other to achieve greater and more fulfilling goals.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FOR THE MAASTRICHTMBA PROGRAMME?
After thoroughly searching MBA programs, I choose MaastrichtMBA because of three reasons.
- My classmates and teachers have a long working experience in different industries making the learning experience unique, where we can exchange and work on real-world cases.
- I really like the modular structure with four visits per year where I meet my classmates and can deep-dive in each module without distractions, allowing better planning at home and at work.
- Finally, MaastrichtMBA is a triple crown accredited executive program offered by a well-recognised university in the Netherlands with a long tradition in education in Business and Economics.
AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FOR THE DIGITAL BUSINESS ELECTIVE?
New digital trends like Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and Quantum computing are revolutionising how business is conducted at all levels with tremendous speed. Hence, many organisations are implementing Digital Transformation initiatives to remain competitive and capitalise by implementing many of those trends. Consequently, I found it essential to learn about current and future trends in Digital Business to become instrumental in their implementation within my company.
HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS ON-CAMPUS EXECUTIVE MBA?
At multiple levels, not only professionally but also personally. The Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership modules have helped me better understand what happens beyond my professional expertise, better collaborate with other functions within my company, and even think about potential entrepreneurial ideas. On a personal level, I like the Leadership Development Trajectory (LDT) of the MBA, where I have a professional coach that has helped me further work on my professional development and peer coaches with whom I can exchange with regularly.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE COURSE SO FAR?
The most enjoyable part is the weeks in Maastricht, where I meet many people from different industries and backgrounds. We do team activities, have vivid discussions and exchange about our personal development. In the evenings, we normally go for dinner to explore Maastricht’s gastronomical offerings. For example, this year in February/March we went for dinner to an Italian restaurant and ended up singing karaoke in Dutch, Italian, Spanish and English, which was very enjoyable.
ANY TIPS FOR SOMEONE THINKING ABOUT APPLYING FOR MAASTRICHTMBA?
Don’t be afraid to invest in your personal development. Once you start your MBA journey, everything goes very fast. Contact the MBA programme and enroll for a demo lecture in Maastricht to come visit us. You will have the chance to talk to other MBA students to solve your questions. This is practical as the current students were once in your position before.