Ingo Gottschlich
Changes, Chances and Challenges
How Deutsche Post employee Ingo Gottschlich has experienced receiving his MBA at ESMT
 Ingo Gottschlich |
Changes
Ingo Gottschlich, member of the Executive MBA Class 2007-2009 at ESMT European School of Management and Technology and vice president, tender management, Deutsche Post, is a cautious man. He is the first one to admit that as a trained lawyer, he was nervous to start an Executive MBA degree. But the chance could not have come at a better time for Ingo. Just after his boss nominated him to the first Executive MBA class at ESMT, his company Deutsche Post AG decided that his resources would be put to better use in the marketing department. So Ingo Gottschlich had two big changes at once: moving from the corporate legal department to marketing and beginning the MBA program.
Chances
"I was nervous," says the 39-year-old. "But the experience has been almost perfect for me. In comparison to what I have heard from colleagues doing their MBAs at older schools, the ESMT program is much broader and much more intensive."
In the course of the past 19 months, Ingo has learned not only how to interpret numbers, but also insights into a broad range of topics, the so-called "big picture." As Ingo puts it, "It all fits together now—the strategic, financial, legal and sustainability issues."
He has also been able to improve his communications skills in English. As a member of a class made up of participants of 13 different nationalities, English is the common language. "Although we all have very different backgrounds, it was easy to get into the program quickly," says Ingo. "For me everything was new, but the other participants supported me from the first day on."
Challenges
Ingo describes himself as a hard worker in the traditional sense, disciplined and ambitious. Still, the MBA program is a challenge. "I was never interested in finance, statistics or accounting," explains Ingo. The support he has found within the class and faculty has made it possible for him to complete these subjects successfully. At the same time, he admits you have to stay focused. On top of the workload in the office and at home, the MBA program often requires at least two hours of study a day—including (or maybe especially on) weekends.
Skeptical at the start, Ingo describes the program as fun now. "It was my destiny to change from legal to marketing—and to start the ESMT Executive MBA program at same time."
ESMT European School of