It could almost be a movie scene. While planes take off and land outside the windows, and eager travelers roll their suitcases towards the gate, Isabel Pinar Rubio sits with her laptop in the middle of the airport – diligently working on her next assignment.
27-year-old Isabel has just completed a master’s degree from IBA Erhvervsakademi Kolding. She chose to pursue the leadership program alongside her daily work in export sales. And that’s why this busy businesswoman has been studying while on the move in countries like South America, Dubai, Israel, Holland, and Japan – you name it!
– One could safely say that I’ve taken an international exam. Because I’ve worked on my cases in all those airports where I’ve sat and waited for my next flight. It’s quite funny to look back on, says Isabel.
She can now call herself a Master of Science in International Business. The program is offered by IBA in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University in England. Isabel chose to take the program online, so she always had the opportunity to manage her job as well.
– Of course, it has been tough at times, having to manage both education and a full-time job that involves a lot of travel. But it has also been very motivating to be able to immediately apply my knowledge in practice every time I learned something new in class, she says.
Go for the opportunity
At the beginning of her studies, she worked as an Area Export Manager at Jacobsen Bakery, and since then, she has switched to a job as a Key Account Manager at Northern Green, a food company in Vejle.
Northern Green produces liquid herbs in a wide range of flavors used in salads and stews. Isabel is responsible for developing markets in Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. And since joining the company at the end of 2021, the energetic Spaniard has spearheaded the opening of new markets in 15 countries. This includes establishing a solid partnership with 150 international airports.
– If I see a new opportunity, I believe we should go for it. And fortunately, I have received great support from the company, says Isabel.
Nice country and culture
When she unpacks her suitcase, it’s in Kolding. She has been living there for nearly seven years now since she first came to study at IBA. Back then, she was seeking an overseas adventure – and found it in Denmark, a country she didn’t know much about.
– From the moment I stepped off the plane, everything was completely new to me – the language, the weather, and the culture. Especially the short days in winter were very different from what I was used to in Spain. But you adapt to the new impressions, and Denmark is a really lovely country to live in, she smiles.
When she arrived seven years ago, it was to complete a bachelor’s degree in International Trade and Marketing at IBA. But her stay lasted longer than expected. Even before her final exams, she got a job at Jacobsen Bakery in Hedensted, a company with proud traditions of selling Danish cookies in a well-known blue tin. Isabel worked there for five years, finishing as an export manager before moving on to her current job at Northern Green.
Her career continues with a brand new master’s degree and exciting challenges every time she lands in a new airport.
Master of Science in International Business
With a Master of Science in International Business, you develop and update current skills in order to understand the ever changing landscape within the field of international business.
The course will provide you with theoretical and practical skills to handle your company’s management and international challenges, bringing it into the future.
The MSc in International Business is an international degree, offered in collaboration with Coventry University, UK, with on-campus tuition at IBA, Kolding, in Denmark.
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| Britt Johnsen |
| bhjo@iba.dk |
| +45 41 39 37 43 |
| Head of Communications |