"Originally, I did a masters in electrical engineering in The Netherlands. Electrical engineering was fascinating, but at the same time I was always looking at how to put what I had learnt into practice business wise. Even while I was still studying for the masters, I took a number of business courses, and they fired my enthusiasm for business administration.

When I finished the masters I started working in bid management, responsible for coordinating complex and international bids with respect to marketing, pricing, technical proposals, commercial proposals, presentations, etc.

Over time the projects began to grow in size, I began to coordinate increasing numbers of people in my role as team leader, and there was more involvement in the strategic planning of the business, in forecasting and other general business and management tasks. It was then that I decided to study for an Executive MBA, so that I could improve my skills as a manager and increase my understanding of various aspects of the way an organisation works optimally in terms of finance, strategy, HRM, etc.

After considering, and deciding against, staying in The Netherlands to study, Saïd Business School at Oxford University was an obvious choice. It is international in terms of faculty and peers, I wanted to stay in Europe because of travel time, and of course there is the Oxford University brand name. And the Executive MBA (being part-time) was the right choice as it allowed me to put the learning into practice immediately.

The programme has been everything I expected. The lectures are first class, they are both challenging, and forward looking. And I not only learn a lot from the lecturers, but also from my fellow students, especially as it is such a diverse class, in terms of geographies, types of business, and areas of expertise. From the United States to Japan, from the motorcycle industry to accounting firms, from consultants to general managers, there is always somebody present in class to give new insights to case discussions, for example.

I'm now the head of the department of bids and programmes/projects in our services business unit. So I manage a department with about 20 bid and programme managers. As part of the management team I am actively involved in the strategic planning and business processes. The things I learn with the Executive MBA are beneficial to me as a person, but are also beneficial for the company.

One thing I would say to anyone thinking of taking an EMBA is that it helps to get the support of your organisation. Especially if they can help you decide on possible subjects for the written assignments that you will be doing, and for the entrepreneurship project and core project.  Being able to immediately relate the course material to an actual problem in the business is very useful. And enjoy your time in Oxford with your fellow students."