What impact does an MBA have?

Čedomir Pušica, is one of our MBA Marketing and Sales alumni (class of 2022) that has kept strong ties to the WU Executive Academy. He is a member of our International Advisory Board and also mastermind and producer behind the WU Executive Academy podcast ‘Know how to inspire’. Continue to find out what the impact of pursuing an MBA has been on Čedomir:

How did my MBA at WU Executive Academy impact my life?

To answer this question, we should go back some twenty years, when I was still a student of English language and literature in Belgrade, Serbia. I met this Italian guy, Mr. Antonio, who at the time served at the International Finance Corporation. We became friends, started hanging out quite regularly and I enjoyed listening to the many anecdotes from his life during his university days. Of course, most of those were about his amorous successes. He was a fun guy to be around and was always joking.

A phrase that stayed with me forever

One day, however, we touched upon the subject of his MBA studies. I was curious to know what it was like. He turned serious and said: “An MBA will change your life.” That sounded so prophetic, and the words stayed with me forever. Back in the day, an MBA was completely out of the question. Then years went by and I forgot about it. I got a job, then another and so on. Every now and then, I would hear about someone doing an MBA or heard about a university offering an MBA program and I would think about what Antonio had said. Still, I didn’t make a move… Then, the Covid pandemic struck. I wanted a way out. It was a hard time full of uncertainty and whether it was a good idea or not was difficult to say. It was a leap of faith. Together with my friend, Edin, I decided to do it. That decision was one of the best decisions of my life.

A structured approach

I have always been very diligent and active, both in practice and in theory. I read a lot, and this helps make sense of the world – because our own experience, however rich it may be, is very limited, and if you do not learn as much as you can, you will never grow.

The studies at the WU provided me with proper structure. The time spent there was so fulfilling. During those eight or four-day blocks of classes (depending on whether you chose the 8-day or 4-day track), I would forget about everything and immerse myself fully in the business studies. Being back in school after so many years of work and other duties felt like a blessing. It was challenging and thrilling. Working together with your peers from so many different countries and cultures makes you appreciate the different approaches to problem-solving. Of course, there were moments when things did not work out, but that is how things actually work in real life.

The fun and inspiration

Now, the extracurricular aspect was something extraordinary as well: going out for a drink together, hanging out whenever there was a chance, organizing trips together – be it skiing or sailing, it creates strong bonds and results in new friendships. Some of these friendships would end up becoming business partnerships.

Every person has a story and every single one is a gem. It was during one of those nights out when we were getting to know each other that I heard some amazing stories and thought – everyone should hear this! That is how the WU Executive Academy podcast was born. You can listen to some great stories of people who have graduated from the WU or are in other ways connected to it.

E&I Institute

Another great example of how WU helped me was through the E&I Institute. Since I am quite entrepreneurial, I heard about some great startups my peers from the Entrepreneurship and Innovation program were doing and I asked them if there was a way to do something similar with a startup idea I had, and they suggested I should get in touch with the E&I Institute and, again, there were people who were willing to help right away, my project was accepted, four students chose to work on it and after about six months, their work was presented during the pitching session at the Entrepreneurship Avenue.

Trip to Finland

Right before the end of our studies, we had to choose the topic for our master’s thesis, but we also had an opportunity to apply for a practical consulting project that was done in cooperation with Finland’s Aalto University. I was among the lucky six who got selected for the project and we went to Helsinki, where we joined forces with our Finnish counterparts, visited the company for which we did our consultancy over the next six months and – we went to one of the best Finnish saunas and swam in the Baltic Sea. In November. That’s no small feat.

Trip to the USA and Stanford University

The absolute highlight of the studies was our trip to the USA, which included lessons at the Stanford University and visits to the companies in the Silicon Valley, where we both had a chance to meet and talk to the founders and executives and attended various talks and presentations. This is something one should not miss. Depending on the program you are in, people would go to either Harvard or Stanford. Not bad.

The graduation ceremony

Finally, our graduation ceremony at Gardenpalais Liechtenstein is an experience of its own. It is simply wonderful. My dream came true. I was now an MBA graduate. And for me, the graduation ceremony happened on a very special day, September 30^th, Saint Jerome’s Day, saint protector of translators. As someone who spent most of his career in the language industry, as both translator and translation agency owner, this felt symbolic.

International Advisory Board (IAB)

Of course, the atmosphere you breathe at the WU and the like-minded people you are surrounded by was not something I wanted to leave behind. Upon graduating, I became a member of the International Advisory Board of the WU Executive Academy and have sought to connect our alumni network with the rest of the board. One important aspect of our work is providing mentorship to other students or alumni, organizing get-togethers, both formal and informal, and promoting our university.

They say you can only connect the dots looking backward. A life spent trying to connect countries and cultures, meeting people and actively working on shaping a better future now seem perfectly aligned with the choices made. Looking at everything from this point, it all makes sense. None of it was just a leap of faith, but I could not know it back then.

The WU gives you whatever you are willing to take. There are numerous opportunities, and one has to actively seek them and make use of them. Being proactive and taking the initiative is how things happen.

And once you are in a position to give, do.

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