Brush-up and Upgrade
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Jari Punkari Vice President, Modernization Business Kone International S.A. Graduate Diploma in Management program |
Already a few years ago I started to feel like I needed to upgrade my business skills and knowledge. But finding the time to do so was a problem, explains Jari Punkari, vice president of the modernization business for Kone International S.A. in Brussels, Belgium.
Jari found an answer to his dilemma in the HSE EE's Graduate Diploma in Management Program, which he chose over an Executive MBA. In less than a year he had obtained his diploma. The effort paid-off career wise; after getting his diploma, Jari was promoted to his current position at Kone International in Brussels.
Thankfully, the program was flexible, as I started one course later than the others. We studied quite intensively and regularly from May to March. Actually, it was good not to have long periods of time between the courses even though my work schedule limited studying, says Jari.
The timing was right for more education as over 15 years had passed since Jari received his Master's degree from the Turku School of Economics. Right after graduation he started at Kone as a business controller. Over the years his career developed more in the direction of operative business.
It's essential to have a wide understanding of business when you make decisions. The Graduate Diploma offered a good brush-up on what I learned years ago. It also refreshed some ways of working and upgraded my managerial skills, says Jari.
About as important as the information was the opportunity to get to know people from a very wide variety of business fields and occupations. The personal contacts were at least as important as what we learned. I never would have made these kinds of contacts without the program. This was a great setting for networking, adds Jari.
Managing people seems to get increasingly important in today's rapidly changing world. I would like to make people understand the needs for change. Then it would also be easier to motivate them to take part in the process of change.
Source: Profile 2/07