Life after my MBA in Madrid

This article is sponsored by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Learn more about courses on offer at the university

Caspar Bos, an alumnus from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid MBA (class of 2012) shares his career successes, experience of the course, lessons learned along the way and gives some encouraging words of advice.

What is your background?

My name is Caspar Bos, I'm 34 and I'm a Universidad Carlos III de Madrid MBA alumnus from the class of 2012. I currently run the investor relations department at Ziggo, a large telecommunications company in the Netherlands. After five years of studying business economics in the north of the Netherlands and an internship at TNT Mail, I started my career at DSM – a global life sciences and biotech company. My first project related to the introduction of an innovative rice product (Nutririce) in Shanghai, China. Afterwards, I worked as an analyst at the DSM Headquarters in the Netherlands on a project sourcing Petrochemicals and Energy. I wanted to learn more about finance, so I continued working for a couple of years as a consultant at Cushman & Wakefield in Amsterdam before going to Madrid.

What made you want to study an MBA?

I always wanted to do an MBA and consider it essential to keep gaining skills and qualifications in order to better myself. Life after an MBA is a continuous learning experience; I am particularly focused on honing my entrepreneurial skills. Being part of a diverse group of people and enjoying a yearlong European placement was more than enough encouragement to submit my application.

What aspect of the course did you find most useful for your personal and career development?

I believe that I have not only acquired technical business knowhow, but have also strengthened my mindset and interpersonal skills, which I have utilized in my life after an MBA. I think that the MBA provided me with business networking opportunities, the building of cohesive cohorts and lifelong personal relationships.

What has the MBA course helped you to achieve?

The capacity to listen to yourself and to others is, in my opinion, an undervalued but important trait that is intrinsic to learning. The MBA course helped me learn these lessons and find my way. The most fulfilling moment, at the end of the day, is realizing that you have made the right choice, and I believe I did.

What important skills do you need to have in an MBA program?

It is crucial to understand that your perception and attitude are lenses with which you look into your own world and towards your own truth. Your norms and values, your beliefs and opinions result in specific behavior. As you are part of an MBA group of around 30 different nationalities it is expected that there are many differences. I had an entrepreneur from Iran, an architect from Spain, a biochemist from the USA, a doctor from Sudan, and a film producer from Colombia in my class. Being among such diversity makes it necessary to be respectful, while having dignity and convictions are also extremely important. Intrinsic motivation is obviously needed if you want to perform well and enjoy an MBA. I'd like to refer you to two inspiring short films. One is from Dan Pink (´RSA Animate´ on Youtube) and the other is of Simon Sinek (´Inspire Action´ on www.ted.com). Both show surprising sides of motivation.

I think that you need to be capable of finding the right balance between your books and your social network. Through events, lectures, company visits etc, you can profit as an MBA alumni from newly acquired contacts. Last but not least, I would like to share a quote from Anil Joshi (www.Itida.nl) which I find quite applicable if you are thinking of conducting an MBA or are currently studying: “Even when you do nothing, do it with intensity”.

What value does an MBA add to your entrepreneurial skills?

I believe the combination of interesting people with different backgrounds and business experience leads to creative and new ideas. During the second half of the year a lot of time was dedicated to setting up our own business. My team and I came up with RED de GANADO, which utilized our entrepreneurial skills This was an integral solution for the livestock sector of Spain, which is in need of modernization in order to achieve more cost effective ways to conduct business, and to align itself with the internet economics of the 21th century.

If you want to find out more, check out the video we made for the final investor pitch for the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid Business panel: https://vimeo.com/45622326.

What was it like to study in Madrid?

Brilliant! The people, the food and the weather amazed me. The daily mix of culture and vibrant night life has been far above expectations and made studying an MBA here very enjoyable.

If you hadn't gotten an MBA, what might you be doing now?

In 2010 I climbed the 6,150m high Stok Kangri for charity (www.atmachallenge.org). It was a beautiful experience which I highly recommend. My goal is to climb at least two more mountains, on two different continents, both preferably higher than the last. Running a marathon is also on the bucket list! If I hadn’t done an MBA I would probably be traveling and trying to accomplish these endeavors. 

What words of advice or encouragement would you give someone studying or considering the MBA course?

Marketing guru Philip Kotler once said: “Today you have to run faster to stay in the same place”. Nowadays this applies even more. In a very rapidly changing world, it is essential to know what you want in the future without forgetting to live in the present. Goals are important, but to hold too rigidly to them will only bring you frustration. Future managers need to be the ‘trend trackers’ and ‘opportunity seekers’ of the company in their life after an MBA. Keep looking around you, otherwise you miss chances.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is a great institute full of people who make the MBA experience very special. After graduation, the small but fast growing MBA alumni network is a useful platform where you can share contacts, knowledge and stories. That’s added value; use it to your advantage.

This article is sponsored by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.