Alexander Kaiser
BSc Bus. Adm. (Fin & Acct.), UAS Western Switzerland
MBA, Monash University

“Changing from a hectic, highly competitive corporate life in the banking sector in Switzerland to the lecture theatres at Monash was a challenge. But the MBA program at Monash helped me to gain distance from the day-to-day business and enable me to reflect on some very valuable concepts and tools that I can apply in the future.

The tremendous value of the MBA results from a combination of each of the group member’s personality, cultural background, basic education and professional experience. It led for instance to situations where a Brazilian IT-consultant, an Indian pharmaceutical scientist, an Australian Chartered Accountant and a Swiss banker together assessed and analysed a market-entry strategy for a US retailer into China. This multicultural student body from different educational and professional backgrounds helped me to understand other positions and opinions. It is also a reflection of the highly international environment in which business today operates.

The emphasis of the Monash MBA is on refreshing existing knowledge, as well as focusing on the application of what we have learnt to real life situations. The use of case studies in different units provided an excellent foundation for good group interaction. In the supply chain and operations management unit, our group analysed and assessed a supply chain in the chemical manufacturing sector, visiting the company’s manufacturing site in Melbourne for discussions with the company’s senior executives. The MBA capstone units, Strategic management and International business, were not only highly interesting and relevant, but also emphasised the integration of all functional units of the program.

I experienced a knowledgeable, helpful and very open-minded faculty that facilitated interesting and fruitful discussions in class. Knowledge is easily accessible and all members of the faculty provided very valuable additional insights, especially on enquiry.

In my opinion, the students who derive the greatest benefit from the Monash MBA are those who come to the program with a reasonable amount of managerial experience. Most of the concepts taught become much more lively and tangible if you have already experienced a problem previously and have the capacity to bring the theory into a practical context. ”