What was your previous education and work experience?
I hold a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne. My majors were energy and automation, with a special interest in renewable energies and energy efficiency. I then interned at Mitsubishi Electric Corporation's Advanced Technology R&D Center here in Japan and returned to Europe where I worked for Maillefer Instruments and Matisa Materiel Industriel before moving back to Japan.
Tell us about the content of your work.
Our products are heavy duty machines for the railway maintenance. The core business activities of my section are putting the machines into service, repairing, and selling parts for machines sold in Japan. My responsibilities range from managing a small team of engineers on a daily basis, strengthening sales activities (including assisting market researches, translating or acting as a French-Japanese interpreter during sales promotion tours), and acting as a liaison with headquarter (to align our business strategy with the company's priorities). Although the IT maintenance is outsourced, my role consists of planning for the company's IT needs, and optimize utilization of servers and processes for internal communication.
Why did you want to study for an MBA and how do you see it helping you in your career?
I was looking to expand my career opportunities. An MBA degree struck me as an ideal complement to my engineering background. In addition to the useful concepts learned (MIS, Finance, and Corporate Strategy), I believe that the network of fellow students and Alumni will be very valuable as I move to make a career shift.
What did you find most difficult in the course of studies towards gaining an MBA?