Students - HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

20 Research & Programs
The first 100 days in
HHL’s full-time MBA Program
Driving down a lone desert highway not far
from Roswell, New Mexico, USA, the only
company I had was the fabled presence of
alien stories that are so famous in these
parts. Little did I know that in only seven
months time I would be stepping off of a
plane half a world away in Leipzig, Germany,
for an 18-month MBA adventure at HHL. To
make a very long story very short that is ex-
actly what happened. And now after 100
days here at HHL I can’t be any happier. Almost
daily I learn something new. Not only
from my classes but also from my classmates.
I still find myself impressed by the quality
and international breadth of the students
here. From learning calculus from Ugandan
Lydia Nakayenze and Indian Adarsh Adula or
being taught the basic principles of what a
Benefit from different backgrounds: HHL MBA students Lydia Nakayenze and James B. Downs
My motivation to start a part-time MBA at the
end of 2007 was based on the fact that as a
marketing manager and board member of a
business unit of a multinational company
since 2006, I had been confronted with management
issues that were new to me. I had a
strong background in marketing, but some of
the financial and production issues discussed
in monthly management meetings
were slightly mysterious to me.
I chose HHL’s MBA Program because of the
excellent ratings, and the interpersonal at-
mosphere in the MBA department convinced
me right from the start. The program seemed
to fit both the needs of my position at the
time and my ambition for the future.
Over the last two years, it has proven to be
the right decision. Every course I have taken
has made me more secure in business situations
and discussions. I have been able to
use concepts and theories from class in my
daily work, and vice versa: I have been able
to judge theories encountered during class in
terms of their practicality. Last but not least, it
HHL News – wiNter 2009/2010
“ln” is by fellow American Jay Crouch (still not
sure on this one – some kind of logarithm or
something). I have also discovered the
finer principles of financial calculators from
our resident calculator guru, Dima Dizhevskiy
(who also collects beer bottles interestingly
enough). Moreover, fun has also been no
stranger here. I have had the pleasure of an
interesting Schnitzeljagd on one of our first
days here. I have golfed with good friends like
Jeff Tomer, kegelbahned with others, attended
the opera with our culture club FAUST
and played some poker with friends like Paul
Erdman from HHL’s M.Sc. Program. Though
the classes are hard, I suffer no doubt that I
will leave HHL much more prepared to fulfill
my career goals than I have ever been. I see
a future rich not only with opportunity but
also with a network of close friends with
whom I will enjoy a lifetime of friendship. I nev-
er would have thought that lonely desert road
back in New Mexico would lead here. Maybe
the aliens had something to do with it.
James B. Downs (M10)
From theory to practice: How HHL’s parttime
MBA Program helps me in my job
has been a pleasure to work with my classmates.
My fellow students’ different backgrounds
and jobs have given rise to enriching
discussions in class again and again. The
whole MBA Program has been a very interesting
journey, which has helped me better
understand many areas of business – and
become a better marketing manager.
Mart Verhoog (P4)