Motivation to learn is what gets you started

As women increasingly join MBA programs and become business leaders, stories of motivated professionals who thirst for new knowledge become more common. This story is about Donata Koren, Vice-President of Finance at Emnify, who is also pursuing her executive MBA at ESMT Berlin. 

Much of her work experience is in large corporate environments, including nine years in a Big 4 tax department. Curiosity drove Donata to learn more about business processes in-house, so she spent the next five years at Zalando, one of Europe’s largest online retail platforms. To shake things up again, she recently joined the startup Emnify, which provides connectivity for the Internet of Things. Her new role allows her to build something innovative from the ground. 

Donata already has two Master’s degrees, in law and ethnolinguistics, but she joined the ESMT Executive MBA program to equip herself with the latest knowledge. She tells us, “From the certificate perspective, I didn’t need it, but I was missing the experience, the fact that I could learn new things in a very interesting environment.” (00:31)

Though her executive MBA journey isn’t over, she shares the details of her story so far.

Finding the right executive MBA program

All aspirant MBAs face the crucial decision about the type of graduate school and program they want to join. Full-time MBA programs would demand too much time for working professionals with a family like Donata. Thankfully, the flexibility of an executive MBA ensured she could fully engage in the program and make the most of the learning opportunities it offered. 

Donata applied for her EMBA during the first Covid wave. Amidst all the uncertainties, finding a program in Europe was a priority. Donata undertook a lot of due diligence investigating various business schools before deciding on ESMT Berlin for its rankings and accreditations. It was an advantage that the school is in Berlin, a hub of innovations.  

Additionally, it was important for Donata that the program was broad, combining the skills and knowledge she needed to excel in her day-to-day work environment. Donata explains, “For me, coming from the finance area, I wanted to learn about the other areas, not necessarily finance, so I looked for a balanced program.” (02:48) The ESMT Berlin curriculum integrates group and individual coaching and evidence-based real-life learning. So that was a perfect match.

Embracing different life perspectives

For Donata, the Executive MBA program at ESMT significantly departed from her previous academic experience. Rather than strictly focusing on theory and individual exams, the program emphasized group work similar to the real world. “You acquire practical business knowledge in a practical business environment,” Donata explains. (03:51)

The world has become increasingly global, and so have business schools. ESMT Berlin has exceptional international representation in its classes, with most students coming from outside Germany and opportunities to study abroad. Working with people from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds can shine a new light on even familiar subjects. 

“When I saw so many smart people in the room, I started to develop imposter syndrome because I thought, ‘Oh my god, what am I doing here? They have got some great answers,’” Donata humorously says. She quickly saw that was a strength of the program. “You learn to see things from different perspectives, and that’s probably one of the most valuable things you can get here.” (04:07) 

Embracing diverse perspectives has been instrumental in helping Donata develop her leadership skills and think more strategically in her current role.

Learning is a lifelong process

Technology is evolving faster than we are. The landscape of technological advancement has given birth to many processes, products, and services. Businesses all across the globe are facing enormous challenges as they are working with new technologies such as the Internet of Things, AI, etc. 

Working in a tech startup, Donata felt the need to update her skills to keep pace with the change; learning is a never-ending process for her. She stresses the importance of staying engaged even after graduating. “It’s very good to update this knowledge and also the sources where you can get the knowledge so that you can leave the school but still be able to develop yourself,” she says. (06:51) 

Donata’s experience at ESMT Berlin is learning new skills, gaining self-confidence, acquiring business knowledge, and embracing different perspectives from an international cohort. Though balancing work, school, and family leaves little personal time. Donata is happy to make small compromises in her private life and doesn’t lament. With a lot of determination, she says, “That kind of an investment you do knowing that you get a lot of learning.” (05:02)

You can reach out to more ESMT Berlin ambassadors for more such inspiring stories.