“I now work for J. Lauritzen A/S, based in Copenhagen. We transport dry bulk commodities – grains, coal, iron ore, scrap metal etc. – all over the world. In my job as Global Head of Research I get to put my analysis and trading skills into action, trying to anticipate the movement of the market and the rates so we can position our fleet the right way. It’s exciting and it’s fast paced. But like every other industry, there are challenges which I want to be able to help address.”
Broadening horizons
“I knew from the time I started at university that I wanted to do an MBA at some point, so when J. Lauritzen A/S offered to sponsor me, it felt like the right time. As a company they are very pro employee development and skills, and they could see the benefits going forward.
“Perhaps the Blue MBA was the natural choice given my industry, but I wanted to address the future sustainability agenda and didn’t necessarily want to be locked into shipping for rest of my life. A big part of the reason I chose CBS was that they had the shipping expertise, but I wanted to broaden my possibilities by choosing the Executive MBA instead.”
Multicultural diversity
“I only started my EMBA in May this year and have been on campus for two separate weeks covering a module each time. Those weeks were quite intense, but it’s been great getting to know the others on the course. We have people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the US, China and Brazil to name a few, and it makes for fascinating and varied discussions. I’ve noticed the multicultural nature is reflective of the shipping industry itself, as well as my company which values diversity, and makes everything we talk about highly relevant and meaningful. I can already use the things I’m learning in my day-to-day job, both from a cultural and a subject matter perspective.
“The EMBA is a fairly big workload, and my job takes up a lot of my time as well, so it is a case of prioritising. I have children and when they go to sleep, I’ll start working or studying to get everything done, hence the support from my wife is essential on this journey.”