Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE EMBA

TAKING A CAREER LEAP INTO GLOBAL CONSULTING WITH THE NANYANG EMBA

Having worked for a large Aviation Group in Europe for 18 years, Oliver Plogmann relocated to Singapore in 2010 to be in the fastest-growing geography for the aviation sector. He had held several industry roles in the Aviation and IT sectors. Oliver realised he had to reinvigorate his career by updating his leadership skills. He was specifically keen to keep up with the evolving market ecosystem and specifics in Asia. He took up a position as a Director for an Aviation IT service provider in Singapore. Fast-forward to three years later, the German senior executive decided to look for the right Executive MBA (EMBA) programme to catalyse his professional growth.

“With a multicultural cohort and focus on Asian dynamics, the Nanyang EMBA helped me make a successful transition to Management Consulting. I am currently leading a multinational team across Africa, the Middle East and all of Asia Pacific. “

Oliver shares that he wanted to immerse himself in an innovative learning programme to challenge his global outlook and help him contextualise the industry specifics of his field in the Southeast Asian market. He mulled several options from higher-educational institutions before cementing his decision to apply for the EMBA programme at Nanyang Technological University (NTU, Singapore). 

“I was searching for a renowned EMBA programme in the region, and I found that NTU offered the best mix and balance of what I was looking for,” explains Oliver. NTU’s unique combination of global industry exposure and regional Asian leadership focus impressed Oliver. He especially appreciated the excellent faculty with relevant industry experience and world-class campus facilities to support on-site sessions for the multicultural cohort. 

“The Nanyang EMBA programme was my preferred choice because of its focus on Asian Leadership. It helped me hone a dynamic skillset to help me advance in my career with confidence.”

“For me, as a German with German education, it was also important to have an international foundation with an overseas EMBA, addressing specifics of the region I am working in,” shares Oliver. The programme also offered a manageable timeframe of study with just 15 months for full-time professionals. Such flexibility enabled him to juggle between family, course commitments, and work obligations, he adds.

 

Managing a Career Transition

While Oliver had in-depth knowledge of the aviation sector, he needed to pick up an innovation toolkit to accelerate his career. “My job in the aviation sector did not require an understanding of business principles like mergers and acquisitions (M&A), valuation of companies, Asian leadership and the dynamics in Asia with international negotiation,” Oliver says.

As he desired to transition from an industry role, he wanted to master the whole range of skillsets. “There was a multitude of learning during the programme, not only from the course work but also from the collaboration and exchange with an international cohort,” remarks Oliver. “Furthermore, it was helpful to understand the application of the learned concepts through relevant case studies and real-life industry consulting projects,” he adds.

“With updated content and state-of-the-art materials for every intake, NTU can help senior executives cultivate global leadership in the era of digital transformation.”

Oliver believes that his time in the Nanyang EMBA helped fast-track his career transition from an industry-oriented role towards high-touch consultancy. In his view, learning alongside a multicultural, multi-industry cohort had empowered him to develop transformative ways of thinking.

“The Nanyang EMBA helped me in numerous ways. In my current role, I am leading a multinational team across a large geography, including Africa, the Middle East, and all of Asia-Pacific. Overall, a transition from an industry background and role to management consulting is relatively demanding, as the requirements are very different.”

He continues, “While the industry background and experience allow me to understand the diverse contextual challenges faced by the clients easily, I must continuously adjust the advanced application of methodologies to ever-changing circumstances.” Oliver says he now applies his learning from the Nanyang EMBA by leveraging an agile mindset.

 

Digital Transformation and Workforce of the Future

Oliver has witnessed digital evolution disrupting business practices throughout his career in aviation and IT sectors. He, therefore, understands the impact of innovative disruptions. He highlights that the Nanyang EMBA has incorporated a robust digital foundation into its curriculum.

“NTU is putting a lot of effort in updating content, presenting state-of-the-art views and materials on the topic for every intake. Such an endeavour is reflected in NTU’s leading position in the field of data analytics and artificial intelligence. The Nanyang EMBA programme provides relevant case studies and classes to address the challenges in innovation and digital transformation as well as the required changes for any professional to cultivate skills to become the workforce of the future,” he notes.

These skills are in high demand for emerging roles to fill. “There are numerous new roles across industries thanks to digital transformation. The programme is best suited to develop a dynamic skillset for career transformation,” he says.

 

Building Professional Connections through NTU’s Vast Network of Alumni

The programme also helped Oliver forge lifelong friendships with professionals from diverse industry backgrounds. “Being part of the Nanyang EMBA programme was more than gaining invaluable insights through project assignments or classroom discussions. It was also about building a professional network through the interactions with my peers and the faculty,” he says. The NTU’s extensive network of alumni across sectors continues to support him even well after he had moved forward to the next phase of his life.

He says, “I still enjoy access to a fantastic network of knowledge, insights, and capabilities through the vast connection I had established back in the programme. This network still supports my day-to-day life as I can easily reach out to a contact who works in a particular industry to discuss specific questions and challenges.”

Advising the other EMBA candidates, he says, “The Nanyang EMBA was an extremely valuable, rewarding, and fantastic experience from both personal and professional viewpoints!” Thus, he emphasises the importance of finding the right programmes that can accommodate personal goals. “For me, the curriculum with an updated and relevant programme, cultural and industry diversity of the cohort, the quality of the faculty, and a robust alumni network were important factors for the decision,” he concludes.

 

The Nanyang Executive MBA is a part-time 13-months programme that is designed for senior leaders aspiring to innovate and transform the way they lead. The programme aims to embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to deliver a relevant curriculum to business leaders to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.

 

Download the Nanyang Executive MBA brochure

Click here to learn more about the Nanyang Executive MBA programme or contact us at execmba@ntu.edu.sg.