„So where do I go from here?“ This is the question I asked myself a year ago, with my options for advancement looking rather limited after four years of working for a diagnostic equipment and supplies manufacturer in Freiburg (the German subsidiary of an international corporation).

Back when I started my biochemistry studies at the University of Bayreuth, I had firmly intended to pursue a career in academic research, but my time at university and my doctoral experience in immunology and virology at the Paul Ehrlich Institute in Langen made me realize this wasn’t the right path for me after all. Instead I took up employment in the business world, working as a research scientist and project leader for the development and production of diagnostic products at the aforementioned company.

As I gathered work experience, my interest gradually shifted away from the research lab and towards a new role in middle management - a challenge which appeared well suited to my abilities and interests, and one calling for a balanced combination of scientific know-how and leadership skills. To meet the challenge, it was clear that I would need additional knowledge and abilities, and it was equally clear that I didn’t want to make the mistake of piecing it all together from a series of isolated, multiple-day courses. What I needed was a well-structured, comprehensive program.

At the age of 33 and with a family in the making, quitting my job was definitely not a viable option. Then came the idea of continuing to work and earning my MBA at the same time. But with so many options to choose from, which one was best for me? Well, it of course had to be a top-notch, internationally accredited program, but most were designed to take place on long weekends, meaning I’d lose a lot of time traveling back and forth, and have to pack up and leave just whenever I was starting to really get into a topic. Unlike such programs, GISMA’s IMM was built around two-week residencies as well as being internationally accredited and offering the combined benefits of several renowned business schools. So GISMA it was to be!

With a third of my GISMA experience behind me now, the IMM program has turned out exactly as I had imagined it to be: bouts of thematic preparation work at home, followed by two concentrated weeks of on-campus study time - tough but effective!

A recent residency in Hannover went something like this: relaxed mindsharing with teachers and fellow students while breakfasting at the hotel and taking the bus to the lecture hall - not just about study-related things, but also about work experience. The same goes for the evenings, winding down together over a glass of beer or wine after a day of lectures, team exercises and gearing up for the next day of classes. In the meantime, many a soul delving deep into the mysteries of controlling, statistics and more; seeking orientation in classroom discussions; getting together with fellow students for intense study-room sessions; giving and receiving help; sharing work experience. The latter has proved particularly enriching for me, as the wide array of careers represented by the GISMA student body is a constant source of new ways of seeing things and fresh approaches to the topics covered and questions raised in class.

GISMA’s excursions to companies such as Airbus in Hamburg or Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Hannover also help keep interest levels running high, and provide a welcome change of pace.

Time sure flies, and now I’m already on my way to Budapest for my next period of residency, where I’m really looking forward to meeting some new professors, getting into some new topics…and seeing many a familiar face!