Besides providing a fine all-round executive education, the Richard Ivey EMBA also imposes certain obligations.

Mark Staudenmann Executive director UBS

“Part of the school's credo is to develop business leaders who make a contribution to society,” said Mark Staudenmann, an executive director with UBS, who completed the programme in 2005. “There is always an element of giving something back, and I want to put more emphasis on that going forward.”

The president of the Hong Kong chapter of the school's alumni association first saw this principle in practice when his class organized a charity dinner in 2004. All funds raised went to building a school in an impoverished area of southwest China, where it will have a positive impact on the lives of underprivileged children.

“I was astonished by how much we could achieve, and was so happy to do something for the community that it really drove me to do more,” he said.

These all provide a great opportunity to bring graduates, faculty members and students together, strengthening bonds and giving each person the chance to extend the network of contacts the programme naturally creates.

“When I first looked into courses, I found the Ivey community was the most friendly,” Mr Staudenmann said. “It was very noticeable how warm the welcome was even before you had started classes.” Since success in the higher echelons of business depended as much on who you knew as on what you knew, he felt that taking an EMBA, which attracted outgoing individuals from widely diverse fields, offered a genuine career advantage.

“You are looking for an executive education, but you are also looking to build your network, to have people who can point you in the right direction or give insights about their specialist areas,” Mr Staudenmann said. “Not nurturing those relationships would be the most costly mistake anyone could make.”

Running the association, he found, involved a lot of work, but there was usually no shortage of volunteers prepared to “champion” specific projects. “You get out as much as you put in,” he said. “By doing your part, you find that other people are willing and forthcoming when you need help, and that you are creating friendships for life.”

You are also looking to build your network, to have people who can point you in the right direction or give insights about their specialist areas.

SCMP
27th February, 2008