“Besides the individual modules, what I benefited from the most was the chance to network and exchange knowledge and ideas with colleagues from a wide range of fields.”
René Bürgisser is Head of Sales- and Businessmanagement Private Clients at Basler Kantonalbank. He is married and has two daughters aged 14 and 17. René Bürgisser successfully completed his Executive MBA in March 2021.
What motivated you to study for an Executive MBA?
I was looking for a course that would give me access to the latest academic findings and enhance my years of practical experience.
Why did you choose to do your Executive MBA at the University of Zurich?
I’d already completed a CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) in Business Management (German), at the University of Zurich, and I wanted to explore the topics and specialist fields we’d covered during that course in even greater depth. The knowledge and experience I gained during the CAS led me to realize that the University of Zurich was also the perfect place for me to complete my Executive MBA.
You graduated in March 2021. What were your impressions of the course? What would you evaluate critically? What stood out in particular?
Coronavirus meant that modules involving study abroad couldn’t go ahead as planned. That was a real shame, and we were all sorry to lose that aspect of the course. That being said, the replacement program was a massive plus on all fronts. What I benefited from the most throughout the course was the individual modules and the chance to network and exchange knowledge and ideas with colleagues from a wide range of fields. Finding out that some of the challenges we all face are tackled very differently in other sectors has really broadened my horizons.
How has the EMBA helped advance your career?
We plan training and further development very carefully at Basel Cantonal Bank. I talked about the different options with my manager in great detail, and even before the course began, we were both convinced that the EMBA could help me continue to take my career path in the right direction.
What skills from the EMBA can you apply in your current job?
I can apply a massive amount of what I learned to my day-to-day work. The insight I drew from the Strategic Management, Innovation and Marketing modules in particular still helps me to gain an even better understanding of the current challenges and deal with them accordingly in my working life.
How did you balance family, work and the EMBA at the same time?
Juggling them all at once requires a lot of understanding on all sides. Without support from your spouse and children on the one hand and your manager and colleagues on the other, the workload is just too much to bear. That’s why you need a precise, jointly agreed plan in both your personal and professional life.
