Even before his graduation, Mads Tarp Møldrup signed an apprenticeship agreement as a freight forwarder at Blue Water. While his friends took gap years, he set course from Esbjerg to Oslo, where he would work at the shipping office for two years. That was in 2016.
– The apprenticeship provided me with a job, education, and travel experiences. It was like a Kinder Surprise. And I would definitely advocate for young people to pursue vocational education while gradually gaining a better understanding of the theoretical knowledge they need to advance their careers, says Mads.
He has lived up to his own advice. This summer, at the age of 26, he completed a Master’s degree at IBA Erhvervsakademi Kolding.
Prior to his MBA, he had a career that took him to Blue Water, Arla Foods, and Doctors Without Borders. The humanitarian organization sent him to crisis-stricken South Sudan, where he was responsible for a logistics warehouse and a medical warehouse. Both tasks required Mads to lead people under very challenging conditions.
– Things went well, but along the way, I felt that I needed better leadership skills. I had a sense that it was necessary to be better equipped for where I wanted to go in my career, he says.
Building on Top
Mads discussed the matter with his father back home in Denmark, as his father has experiences in a similar field. His father initially pursued vocational education as a plumber/pipefitter and is now employed as a municipal director. It also required further education for him to reach that position.
– It’s important to seek your own path. And when you know what you want, you can start building on top of that, says Mads.
He sat down at his laptop and searched for further education online, stumbling upon IBA in Kolding. They offer MBA programs in collaboration with Leeds Beckett University in England.
– It was crucial for me that the program was offered online, so I had the necessary flexibility, especially since I was in South Sudan. I also felt confident in the quality offered by IBA, he says.
Ready for More Responsibility
With his main requirements met, he began his studies. Mads was pleasantly surprised that the MBA program specifically focused on his everyday life. The assignments were based on the issues he dealt with on a daily basis in South Sudan.
– It was perfect because those were exactly the issues that led me to start the program. So right from the beginning, I started gaining the tools I needed, he says.
Mads had another leadership position at IPA in South Sudan before returning to his current job at Siemens Gamesa. He is a team leader there and is responsible for building the logistics behind the company’s offshore projects.
– Fortunately, with my MBA, I have acquired the tools needed as a leader in a global company. And I have gained the theory and skills I need if I want to take on even more responsibility in the long run.
The MBA programme
Today, it is more important than ever for leaders to be able to comfortably navigate the ever-changing international landscape. It is important to be at the forefront of the many changes – and not least, to understand them.
An Executive MBA gives you high-level management skills and enables you to lead your company and employees with confidence and professionalism.
The MBA programme is offered in collaboration between Leeds Beckett University in the UK and IBA International Business Academy.
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Contact
| John Ahle Petersen |
| jape@iba.dk |
| +45 25 57 72 03 |
| Journalist |