Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business: Alumni Interview

Head of Group Controling, WARSTEINER Group, Germany
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
Class of 2008

Jan Zimmermann’s EMBA has led to many business connections as well as life-long friends. He talks to Ann Graham about the demands and rewards of business school.

“I decided to pursue an Executive MBA program for two main reasons,” says Jan Zimmerman. “One, to extend my managerial skills and two, to intensify my international experience. Fuqua’s Cross Continent program provided a good fit allowing me to continue my career and to get a high-class education with an international focus.”

Zimmerman is Head of Group Controling for WARSTEINER Group, in Warstein Germany, one of the leading German brewery groups with a revenue of more than €500m. He is responsible for the financial controlling of major subsidiaries, national and international M&A projects, and the implementation and improvement of the group’s reporting software systems.

“I was promoted to this position during the [EMBA] program, however, from my point of view, it is hard to directly trace the impact of the Executive MBA program to my career,” Zimmermann says. “Clearly the program has broadened my thinking and business acumen, which is beneficial to my career and will likely encourage increased responsibility in future projects or positions.”

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Cross Continent Executive MBA program is based in Durham, North Carolina in the US. But the program also includes international residencies in Europe, Asia and India, which, Zimmermann says, greatly enhance the program. “They provided the opportunity to get involved in other cultures and business structures, through company visits or tours explaining country specific industries.”

Teamwork

Yet for Zimmermann, one of the best parts of the Executive MBA program was the teamwork. “Teamwork was one of the major pillars in the program. It was not only one of the most challenging experiences to achieve effective teamwork, eg. over different time zones, but also the most interesting,” he says.

“Furthermore, the diverse background of students in terms of professional experience, industry and geographical background, and the collaboration in study team projects and in classroom discussions broadened my view on how to approach challenging tasks.”

It is this group of diverse students that have formed an invaluable EMBA network for Zimmerman, although he says without regular residencies and team assignments it is a challenge to stay in touch. “Through the use of virtual tools, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, everyone makes an attempt to stay connected,” Zimmerman says. “This network is extremely valuable and has led to a variety of business connections as well as life-long friendships.”

Reaping the rewards

Even though the Executive MBA program is demanding and requires a high level of commitment, Zimmerman would still encourage others to follow in his footsteps. “The rewards are plentiful,” he says. “If you are willing to put in the effort, the program will provide you with the necessary tools to improve your business skills, including the ability to explore a variety of different perspectives.”

But this EMBA alum also says from his point of view it’s not the actual degree that provides people with the greatest advantage. “It is the official and ‘unofficial’ learning that takes place during the program that is the greatest advantage of the Executive MBA,” Zimmermann says.

“This is created by continual interaction with world-class faculty, as well as the professional collaboration with students from all over the world and the different industries who challenge you to pursue other approaches – to tackle problems in ways you would have never thought of before.”