From biotech to boardrooms: how CBS helped build a career with impact

Disillusioned by the traditional mindset of US business schools, Zeke Shepherd made a fresh start in Copenhagen – and transformed his employability in the process.

When Zeke Shepherd first considered enrolling on an MBA programme, he faced a dilemma. “I had been loosely interested in an MBA where I'm from in the US,” he recalls, “but the thing that always held me back is that I didn't feel like I would fit in. I felt like the programmes I looked at were made up of 100+ hyper-entrepreneurial finance-minded extroverts, and I would end up getting lost.”

It wasn’t until he relocated to Copenhagen that Zeke discovered a better fit; a programme aligned not just with his professional aspirations, but also his values and personality. “The CBS FT MBA immediately resonated with me. The focus on sustainability, the diversity and maturity of the average class, as well as the smaller class size really drew me in.”

And it proved to be a perfect fit. Not only did CBS provide the academic rigour and career support Zeke was looking for, it also helped him build the cultural understanding and leadership capabilities that he would need to succeed in a new country and a new professional landscape.

Real world learning environment

Zeke’s MBA journey was shaped by the quality and commitment of CBS’s academic faculty – many of whom are internationally recognised thought leaders. Says Zeke: “Our ‘Managing Sustainable Corporations’ professor, Andreas Rasche, came to class every day with fresh news about ESG in the real world. I still follow him on LinkedIn and get a notification every time he posts, because I feel like he is truly an expert in the field.”

The practical, applied nature of the CBS curriculum was another strong point. “I came into our macroeconomics class with zero background,” Zeke explains, “but our professor, David Jenkins, contextualised everything through current events. He even taught us ‘macro babble’ – the kind of economic jargon that shows up in the news – which made the subject a lot more accessible.”

Crucially, CBS’s emphasis on presenting alternative perspectives helped make the learning experience richer. “Jenkins introduced us to views I didn’t expect, like the idea that we might be better off focusing more resources on the present than the future. I still believe we should do all we can to fight climate change – so does the professor – but being exposed to that kind of thinking made the whole lesson that much more fulfilling.”

A clearer view of the workplace

While the MBA offered Zeke new academic perspectives, it also helped him decode the cultural aspects of the Danish job market.

“One valuable lesson I learned during the programme is how Danish culture impacts the way of working. Danes have an informal ‘Law of Jante’ that essentially means no one person is better than another. It plays out in corporate life through flat hierarchies, where every employee should feel empowered to speak up, no matter who is in the room.”

Zeke Shepherd

Project Manager, Novo Nordisk

That mindset – so different from Zeke’s previous experiences working in biotech in California – was refreshing. “Back in the US, work culture rewarded staying late and showing off how much you work. In Denmark, people check in on you if they see you staying later than them a few days in a row. And onboarding tends to be faster too – the mentality seems to be ‘we hired you because we think you can do it, so go do it!’”

This cultural understanding helped Zeke hit the ground running at Novo Nordisk, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, where he now works as a Project Manager in the manufacturing expansions department.

“The role is in line with my previous experience,” he explains, “but with a much broader scope. The MBA gave me a more informed perspective on strategic decisions and helped me make the jump from strictly technical roles to ones that involve high-level and long-term decision-making.”

Supporting career transitions

Throughout the year-long MBA, CBS offers a variety of practical workshops designed to help students find their next opportunity. These sessions, says Zeke, were both comprehensive and relevant. “We had workshops on interviewing, CVs, networking, even developing a LinkedIn profile,” he recalls. “Not everything was relevant for me, but I grabbed valuable insights from each.”

A strong advocate of preparedness, Zeke made full use of the career support services available. “I learned how to tailor my CV for particular job posts, and developed an elevator pitch for myself that I used countless times during interviews and networking events.”

Those lessons paid off. Zeke secured his position at Novo Nordisk shortly after graduation – and has since drawn on multiple aspects of the MBA in his day-to-day work.

Making the difference

Looking back, Zeke identifies three core areas where CBS helped him develop lasting professional strengths:

1. Personal leadership
“The CBS MBA included a 10-part Leadership Discovery Programme where we learned about different forms of leadership and how to apply them,” he says. “One concept that really resonated with me was Personal Leadership – understanding how your energy and focus can influence a team. I try to keep that top-of-mind now that I’m in a role with greater leadership expectations.”

2. Multinational collaboration
Working in a multinational corporation means interacting with stakeholders across the globe. Zeke credits the CBS cohort for giving him the confidence and flexibility to manage those interactions. “Collaborating with my classmates – both professionally and personally – helped me develop my conversational flexibility and cultural understanding. Plus, all the networking we did made me a lot more comfortable meeting new people in general.”

3. Integrative thinking
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of the programme was the way it forced Zeke to think holistically. “The MBA gave me a broader understanding of finance, economics, sustainability and business strategy – but more importantly, it taught me how to integrate these topics and understand how they affect each other.”

“I even used my old company as a case study for a few exams,” he continues. “Seeing a company I was really familiar with through an MBA lens was a powerful experience. Now that I’m back in the workforce, I have a much clearer sense of how strategy is shaped by the external environment – and how that, in turn, informs the decisions I make each day.”

Tools for the job market – and beyond

Zeke’s story is one of transformation. From the uncertainty of finding a programme that matched his values, to securing a leadership role at a global company, the CBS MBA gave him the confidence, knowledge and cultural insight to build a successful new chapter in Copenhagen.

For those considering a similar leap, his experience is proof that with the right tools, anything is possible.

“I moved to a new country, joined a close-knit class, and transitioned into a role with real strategic impact. The CBS MBA didn’t just prepare me for the job market – it helped me understand the kind of professional I want to be.”

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