An EMBA Journey: Navigating Career Transformation in a Changing World

HEC Paris EMBA student Christian Moehlen, EMBA '24, recently stood at a crossroads in his career, poised to take his professional journey to the next level. He embarked on the EMBA journey to help him gain the tools for the next stage of his journey. 

In an ever-evolving professional sphere, individuals often encounter pivotal moments where they seek to elevate their careers to unprecedented heights. One such individual is Christian Moehlen, EMBA ’24, a lawyer by training with over ten years’ experience in strategic and managerial roles and a serial learner at heart.

Recently, the German native stood at a crossroads in his career, poised to take his professional journey to the next level.

“Digitalization is revolutionizing every facet of society, including business operations,” he explains, bringing his immense experience in several sectors to bear. “Success in this new era requires daring to step into the unknown, fresh ideas, and the implementation of forward-thinking visions.”

The HEC Paris EMBA is helping to equip him with critical tools and frameworks to navigate these changes and lead organizations towards lasting success.

From law to leadership

As a Co-founder and Board Member at CraftStrom, a pioneering renewable energy startup, and former Global Head of Legal at Kry, a digital healthcare unicorn from Stockholm, Christian's pre-EMBA career was already consequential. That, and far-flung: his work has taken him to every continent in the world except Antarctica.

"An Executive MBA equips me with the critical tools and frameworks to navigate these changes to steer organizations and lead people towards success that stands the test of time.”

These experiences have taught him the importance of adopting new perspectives, embracing fresh ideas, and innovating to remain competitive in the ever-evolving business landscape. The traditional paradigms of business are becoming obsolete, he says, necessitating completely new organizational and cooperative structures.

“I honestly believe that we are only at the beginning of this transformation. An Executive MBA equips me with the critical tools and frameworks to navigate these changes to steer organizations and lead people towards success that stands the test of time.” Specifically, courses on strategic management and transformation have given me new perspectives on leading change and driving innovation.

Christian, who holds a law degree and a doctorate, believes this constant change necessitates a lasting commitment to learning.

“I mean more than just reading a book, even though I've gained substantial knowledge from reading,” he says. “My initial educational experiences taught me that there's a profound understanding that can only be attained through direct interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.” For example, working in different cultural settings taught me the value of diverse thought in problem-solving and decision-making, an insight that I bring to my current endeavors.

“This is why I believe the EMBA program is perfectly suited for this purpose. It brings together individuals with backgrounds in engineering, medicine, law, and management, each fluent in their respective professional languages. It is a totally unique environment of highly professional people and also facilitators around that allows you to share."

In other words, he says, this safe environment encourages the exploration of new ideas and approaches that may not be feasible within one's regular work environment.

An EMBA's Immediate Career Impact

One of the signature aspects of an effective EMBA is the immediate applicability of acquired skills and knowledge. Indeed, among the most useful elements of the program for Chrsitian was its nearly real-time impact on work challenges.

"Something that's very powerful was the leadership development," he says. The program's leadership development component, which bookends the EMBA’s 5-module core curriculum, proved immediately valuable to him.

“One key takeaway for me was the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, which I've since applied in my work, resulting in improved team dynamics and productivity. As we were told on day 1 of the EMBA, ‘What got you here won't get you [where you want to go].’”

Christian and classmates from HEC Paris and Oxford during this year's Sustainability Specialization module.

In other words, “leadership at the executive level demands mastery over soft skills and adeptness at political maneuvering, networking, and alliance-building. For this, it is, in my opinion, insufficient to read ‘manager booklets’ available at airports that offers quick fixes.”

“HEC Paris professors have been great to base their teachings on sound scientific insights, or on ‘what actually works’, while giving us the space to directly apply these teachings in practical work or simulations.”

"The EMBA is a professional environment, but it's a safe environment,” he says.

"It helps you start connecting dots that you didn't see before, just because you didn't have the chance to speak in-depth with somebody from a particular industry previously unknown to you."

Feedback, continuous improvement, and a safe environment for professional growth

Meanwhile, his involvement in various business ventures, including a stealth project, benefited greatly from the tools and frameworks introduced in the EMBA.

“I tackled a challenging situation within our executive team by strategically employing a tool introduced in class,” he explains.

The written deliverables were structured to easily transfer to challenges at work, enabling him to apply the acquired knowledge effectively.

“I could address real-time challenges, like leveraging a full-day leadership session to tackle a strategic, complex leadership issue at my firm. My peers really helped me to navigate the situation more effectively. I also learned a lot by listening to the challenges the other team members where experiencing.”

“This analytical approach paved the way for a revamped structure and a clearer distribution of responsibilities, which was readily embraced by the team.”

“HEC's diverse offerings, from courses on AI, data science, sustainability, and decarbonization to collaborations with other esteemed institutions and non-business professionals, allowed me to deepen my knowledge in areas I was passionate about.”

Christian's experience underscores how an EMBA program equips professionals with the skills, insights, and tools needed to excel in their careers immediately.

"The EMBA program is not about learning theories by heart.”

Instead, it provides a supportive environment where experienced professionals can receive honest feedback and guidance from faculty, mentors, and peers. And where you learn to ask the right questions.

Customizing the Program for Career Goals

The ability to customize an EMBA program to align with specific career goals is a vital aspect of its value proposition. It ensures that participants can gain expertise in areas that are directly relevant to their career trajectory and future aspirations. Christian’s journey through the EMBA program at HEC Paris put the program’s customization possibilities into full and deliberate effect.

“HEC's diverse offerings, from courses on AI, data science, sustainability, and decarbonization to collaborations with other esteemed institutions and non-business professionals, allowed me to deepen my knowledge in areas I was passionate about.”

Christian's approach was twofold.

First, he remained open to exploring unfamiliar subjects as they were offered. Second, he strategically delved into topics that aligned with his passions and career aspirations.

This customization of the program included the "Transforming Businesses for Sustainability" Specialization, a decision driven by his belief that understanding sustainability dynamics is crucial for excelling in the future of the private sector.

Memorable and Valuable Experiences

Christian's EMBA journey has been punctuated by a series of enriching and memorable extracurricular experiences. He highlighted the joint sessions with Oxford University EMBAs and an upcoming venture to the Amazon as particularly exciting forays. As such, he stresses the importance of fostering deep connections with his cohort. To him, the program’s value extends beyond merely paying for courses; it's about being part of a community that he's willing to invest in.

“It's to be with certain people in a room and to be part of a community. I'm willing to pay for that, because it's not only for the 18-month program: I see this as becoming part of an alma mater that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Sharing accommodations during modules and hosting social gatherings allowed him to build strong relationships with like-minded individuals. These connections, along with the insights gained from academic rigor, provided a well-rounded learning experience.

Christian also appreciated the program's flexibility, offering online lectures and readings to optimize his learning experience. Face-to-face interactions were reserved for practical sessions, ensuring, as he puts it, “the best of both worlds.”

The ideal platform to enhance understanding and prepare for the challenges ahead

Christian’s journey through the HEC Paris Executive MBA serves as a remarkable example of how an EMBA can be a transformative journey, leveraging its innate diversity, immersive learning, fresh perspectives, immediate applicability, and long-term career guidance.

"The EMBA program is not about memorizing theoretical concepts," he explains in conclusion. The program excels, he says, “with seeing what the gap may be between where you want to go and where you are,” before equipping you with a roadmap and tools to bridge that gap.

“My initial educational experiences taught me is that there's a profound understanding that can only be attained through direct interaction with people from diverse backgrounds.

I am convinced that the EMBA program is the ideal platform to enhance our understanding and prepares us not only to navigate the labyrinth of uncertainties that define our era but also empowers us to perceive these uncertainties not as obstacles, but potential.

In this dynamic landscape of uncharted territories, every challenge can be turned into a future opportunity, awaiting to be harnessed.”

More CEOs of Fortune Global 500 companies have graduated from HEC Paris than any other university in Europe. Nearly 4,000 graduates are currently CEOs, CFOs, or have founded their own companies. The Executive MBA at HEC Paris perennially ranks among the best in the world.

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