Sultan Al-Assaf
Here at MaastrichtMBA, we love our alumni and enjoy staying in touch. We recently spoke with alumnus Sultan Al-Assaf; we recalled his time at MaastrichtMBA’s On-Campus track and discussed his current life.
FAST FACTS
- Name: Sultan Al-Assaf
- Started: February 2017
- Graduated: November 2020
- Nationality: Saudi Arabian
- Company: SABIC
- Function: Senior Business Manager
HI SULTAN, WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO DO AN MBA?
I truly believe that continues learning is an essential part of leaders. As an engineer, it was a personal objective to expand my knowledge in business and pursue an MBA was the best way forward.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO PURSUE THE ON-CAMPUS TRACK AT MAASTRICHTMBA?
As I have been assigned to work at the company office in The Netherlands, I decided to take the advantage and start looking for best program that can accommodate my ambition learning objectives in terms subjects, timing, diversity and leadership focus. MaastrichtMBA has all these goals and this is why I decided to go for it.
HOW HAVE YOU PROFITED?
More than I expected. I would refer my high satisfaction of the program to the project based education, high students diversity in terms of age and background and the personal coaching. On addition, the unbelievable people I got to know throughout all these educational weeks. They provide with a network that you can relate to for advice or support.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ANYONE CONSIDERING AN EXECUTIVE MBA AT THE MAASTRICHTMBA?
Do not wait much and go for it.
WHAT SHOULD APPLICANTS THINK ABOUT WHEN DECIDING TO DO AN MBA?
Any learning opportunity is an investment on yourself. For MBA, there is huge intangible benefits that need to be considered when deciding an MBA, including meeting wonderful people that share the same learning mindset who will make you grow as a person and as a leader. The experience I gained make me say with confidence that this is one of the best investment I have made in my life.
HOW DO EMPLOYERS BENEFIT FROM EMPLOYEES WITH AN MBA DEGREE?
The broader approach of MBA program arms the employee with the full concept of the business value chain. Such knowledge gives the employee the right equipment to make better decisions and be able to faster overcome challenges. An MBA programme brings new concepts and ideas to the mind of an employee, which enhance its creativity at work and in the current world we are living in. And creativity and innovations are essential to any business growth.
Furthermore, an MBA gives a substantial contribution to the leadership skills of any MBA student by engaging in different groups, encounter together different assignments and projects, and last but not least the personal leadership coaching which MaastrichtMBA provides.
WHAT STANDS OUT FROM YOUR MAASTRICHTMBA EXPERIENCE?
Simply: a lot. The educational programs in Germany, Netherlands, South Africa, as well as Belgium. They all have been an unforgeable experience. The people I have met and the everlasting friendship I have made are priceless. But if I have to choose one specific experience, I would go for the Leading Strategic Change module we had in a farm in Belgium. It was a new concept of learning that changed me as a person as well as a leader.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF THE MAASTRICHT MBA PROGRAMME?
All the network activities we do as part of the program and outside it. Though, I had to hold my MBA one year as I had to go back to Saudi Arabia, the network activities continued which was really amazing to me!