At that time, Corona was still very much an issue and I had to decide whether to stay in the family business and take it over or look for a new professional challenge. At the time, I had a strong feeling that I wanted to further my education, get new impulses and challenge my brain in a different way. That's where the Executive MBA came in.

Unlike for some of my fellow students, the qualification was not important for my career advancement. Above all, I promised myself personal development as well as refreshing and expanding the specialist knowledge gained from my bachelor's degree at EBS, so that I could then use it to the best possible effect as the head of my company.

By the time I started my studies, I had already decided to take over the company. So I wasn't expecting the EMBA to enable me to take any further career steps.

I had hoped that the study programme would prepare me better for my role as entrepreneur. I needed a refresher course in finance and accounting in particular, as these areas had not been of great relevance to me in recent years. Now I feel confident again when it comes to annual financial statements or when I sit with our bank or tax advisors.

I also expected to gain new ideas and insights, and perhaps even a change of perspective in some areas. These expectations have been met 100 per cent. Not only through the professors, who shared the latest scientific findings with us, but also through our heterogeneous group of students. It was fascinating to see how differently we viewed, understood and approached things due to our different backgrounds.

The cohesion within the group of students. 21 strangers from different countries and with very different professional backgrounds come together once a month for 3 days. I couldn't imagine that we would grow together so quickly and so trustingly. But that worked, thanks to the second personal highlight: our onboarding days in Brathay. During which it was all about getting to know each other, building trust and growing into a TEAM. I enjoy looking back to that time by Lake Windermere.

I'll answer the question based on the three modules that have been most useful to me.

Sustainability: everyone's talking about CSRD. Even though we as a company are not affected by the directive, we still have to deal with the issue because our customers are required to report. Professor Hartmann's module helped me to better understand where the regulations come from and how they are to be interpreted and implemented.

Technology & Innovation: This module showed me that courage and faith in an idea, no matter how abstruse it may seem, are worthwhile. Even if an idea is not a success, you learn a lot from it and sometimes you come across another clever idea along the way.

Negotiation: in the Negotiation module I gained useful tips for preparing for negotiations, which help me a great deal in my professional life. A negotiation is a bit like strategic warfare.

For me, leadership means leading authentically on equal terms. It is important to me to have a relationship based on mutual trust. I must and I want to be able to rely on my employees, but they must also know that they can rely on me. Not only in a professional context! Every employee brings their own private "package" to work, no matter how hard they try to leave it at the door. A good manager has to be able to deal with and work with that. For me, leadership also means providing orientation, setting guidelines within which people can move freely, and recognising and encouraging employees' potential.

I think I make a difference in the (working) world that is full of negativity, because I'm a professional optimist. And that's often contagious. I am firmly convinced that there is always a solution and that things will carry on, even if sometimes in a different way than expected. I also try to convey this to my fellow human beings, whether they are employees or business partners. TOGETHER, we can manoeuvre through the stormy seas so well.

I would recommend the EMBA to all ambitious people who want to expand or refresh their knowledge, who are willing to broaden their horizons and are open to new topics, perspectives and people. As the EMBA Executive programme says, it is aimed primarily at people with relevant professional experience who want to develop further and prepare for the next step in their career. Ideally, they will already have some (specialist) management experience.

I can only recommend the programme because it was definitely an enrichment for me. It was exhausting to juggle my studies with my job and private life, but it was so much fun and worth every sleepless night.

Join the Durham/EBS Executive MBA programme and I am sure you will not regret it.