When Michael holds development reviews with his employees at Semikron Danfoss, he makes a point of telling them to invest in their own professional development — and he takes his own advice.
For Michael, it’s all about “remaining relevant” — keeping his skills up to date and expanding his professional knowledge, including through further education.
This mindset led Michael Petersen to begin studying for an European Executive MBA at the IBA two years ago. The IBA offers the programme in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University in England.
“I’ve gained several new perspectives through my MBA. It’s really forced me to pause and absorb new knowledge. More than once, I’ve had to remind myself to ‘check the literature before continuing with what you think you already know’,” says Michael.
He has worked at Danfoss for 15 years in procurement and supply chain management, and currently holds the position of Procurement Director, leading a team of three employees.
Michael Brings His Passport to Work
Over the years, Michael has gradually taken on more and more responsibility at Danfoss. For many of those years, he was based at the company’s headquarters on the island of Als, close to where he lives with his wife and their two children, aged 13 and 8.
But his short commute changed in February 2024, when he was appointed to a leadership role at Semikron Danfoss — a department located on the German side of the border. Specifically, in Flensburg — just a 40-minute drive from Michael’s carport in Sønderborg.
With a family, a demanding leadership role, and a cross-border commute, fitting in an MBA might seem impossible. But this is where flexibility became key.
“I chose to study the programme online because it gave me more flexibility in my daily life. Some weeks I’d sit at my home office on a Saturday to write assignments. Other times, I’d spend a few weekday evenings working on my studies,” says Michael, adding:
“Of course, it also helps that I’m quite good at managing my own time.”
The MBA has shaped Mikael as a leader
Michael graduated with his MBA in June 2025 and takes a great deal from the programme with him. He often thinks of his uncle, who gave him the valuable advice that one should always pursue further education to be prepared for the next step. Michael has followed that advice several times throughout his life – most recently with his MBA.
And the new leadership training has transformed him:
“It was a tough start after not having studied for ten years. But the flexibility has worked wonders for me throughout the course. The content of the programme has been highly relevant and up to date. The lecturers are truly skilled at communicating and challenging me in the right way. So I can highly recommend the programme to others,” says Michael.
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| Britt Johnsen |
| bhjo@iba.dk |
| +45 41 39 37 43 |
| Head of Communications |