Recently, the EMBA-38 group had a meeting with Gregory Perelman, an analytics manager at Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco, USA) and a guest lecturer in finance at kmbs. Participants talked with Gregory about changes in the global economy, inflation, and investor expectations in the American markets. They also analyzed practical examples, engaged in active discussion, and ultimately managed to understand quite complex financial aspects of the current global situation.

Additionally, three groups Executive MBA — EMBA-36, EMBA-37, and EMBA-38 — had a great opportunity to learn why both managers and all business employees should master design thinking. It's not just about the fact that companies embracing this approach, according to McKinsey, perform 2.5 times better than others.

Professor Remko Lenstra from Antwerp Management School explained to MBA participants how transformational the implementation of design thinking can be at every level of an organization. "They say we first sharpen our tools, and then they sharpen us. The same happens with design thinking," he says. "Initially, we study its processes and tools, and later they transform us and our organization."

Meetings with international professors are an integral part of MBA programs at kmbs, even during wartime. Olena Zhiltsova, head of Executive MBA at kmbs, is convinced: "The ability to think broadly, see the big picture, understand global rules of the game, and effectively communicate with representatives of different cultures is no longer a nice-to-have but a must-have for a modern top manager. Intellectual interaction with experts from different countries and industries undoubtedly develops such capabilities. And as a pleasant bonus, it also allows for building a useful network, whether on the west coast of the USA or in the Scheldt river basin."

Learning in an International Context