From Istanbul to Manchester: A Global Executive MBA experience
Gaining new global perspectives with a professional MBA
Taner Caglar, who hails from Turkey, doesn’t want to just 'go through life,' he is determined to 'grow through life.'
Student profile
Nationality: Turkish
Country of residence: UK
Industry experience: Extensive experience in senior management roles including product portfolio management & customer services with experience in senior sales and marketing positions
Role: Global Head of Product Portfolio Management & Customer Services, Siemens.
Having lived and worked in the bustling ancient city of Istanbul for twenty years, with a population of 16 million (almost the population of London and New York together), Taner and his family felt like a change.
Taner started his career in Industrial Services and Solutions at Siemens, where he worked in several different positions: putting eight years under his belt in sales and marketing, as well as working as an engineer, a specialist, and a manager.
He now lives and works in the picturesque Cheshire market town of Congleton, where he is the Global Head of Product Portfolio Management and Customer Services at Siemens.
How did Taner get there?
Well, one of Taner's mottos is: 'it's never too late to learn'.
Never too late to learn
When Taner was looking at MBA programmes, he inquired at a number of Turkish universities, where he found that an MBA would take up half of his working week.
With his dedication to his work and his team, and 'the need to conduct day to day business properly,' this wasn't going to work. He parked the idea, needing something more flexible - an MBA that complemented his busy work schedule.
Choosing a UK MBA
Taner moved to the UK because of the incredible relocation opportunities available at Siemens, and because he saw an unbeatable opportunity to bring people together in the great team he would be allocated. He valued the opportunity to develop and aid people both individually and as a team.
When Taner moved to the UK, he still felt the urge to study. After a few years away from an academic arena, he wanted to 'push' himself 'to learn again.' He started to look into UK options for an MBA, and the good reputation of British universities encouraged him in his quest to find the perfect course.
He wanted a MBA in the UK that had both a 'global outlook and an internationally recognised school and programme.'
The feeling of learning something new with academics is truly unmatched, and can leave you with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction that is hard to replicate through other means.
A truly global MBA
The Manchester Global Executive MBA offered 'a perfect balance of remote and in person meetings,' Taner says. He liked the fact that the university has 'multiple learning centres which allows you to engage with different cultures - which was a clincher.'
Taner wanted to be sure that his learning was imbued with diversity and was 'a multicultural experience,' especially given how multicultural his work was.
Taner's choice paid off. He found that the MBA cohort was 'truly global' - he was able to complete workshops both at Alliance Manchester Business School and The University of Manchester Southeast Asia Centre in Singapore.
Learning with and from others
One of the challenges of the MBA was 'overcoming the challenge of time zones when working on group projects, and prioritising tasks based on the movement of the Sun.' But he found that 'the benefits of learning from people with different cultural experiences more than made up for a few early mornings or late-night meetings.'
Taner has no buyer's remorse. He found that despite 'two years of hard work with late nights, weekends, a busy job, and a pandemic' the MBA was 'an excellent chance to get to know and network with an outstanding group of Global MBA fellows, professors, and senior lecturers worldwide.'
A real achievement
Academic work and assignments on top of an already busy work schedule was a serious challenge, but the Executive MBA pushed Taner, rather than reducing his ability to do his job.
'When you learn something new, it can give you a sense of accomplishment and boost your confidence. It can also make you feel more knowledgeable and capable, which in turn can lead to better decision making and problem solving skills,' he says.
Taner was able to remain tenacious as he enjoyed learning something new in each session of his MBA. He found that in just a few weeks, he was able to apply what he learned in the MBA to what he did in his working environment.
Taner knew all about the long-term benefits of the MBA, but the 'here and now' of the day-to-day growth opportunities were just as attractive.
Giving back
Taner found the mentoring aspects of his MBA fulfilling and aims to give something back. He approvingly notes that '90% of people who are mentored will go on to mentor others.' He is already doing so.
He has gone back and presented on the Global Executive MBA course with his innovation team at Siemens.
Journey of learning
Taner cannot speak more highly of his MBA. He says:
'I've genuinely loved the journey and gained valuable insights into strategic management, finance and senior leadership. The feeling of learning something new with academics is truly unmatched and can leave you with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction that is hard to replicate through other means.'
Taner has found that the MBA has helped him in so many aspects of his work as Global Head of Product Portfolio Management & Customer Services at Siemens. He says:
'As someone who has always been fascinated by innovation, I've come to realise that true creativity requires a foundation of academic insights. Without a solid understanding of the foundational concepts and theories in a given field, it's difficult to push the boundaries and come up with truly innovative ideas.'
Chosen electives
During the programme our Global Executive MBA students have the opportunity to customise their MBA to suit their personal goals and interests through three electives with the opportunity to study across our global centres in Dubai, Hong Kong, Manchester, Shanghai and Singapore.
Students on the Manchester MBA can choose specialist electives tailored to their interests, career goals or to explore new fields of interest Approximately 20 plus electives are offered on the programme at any one-time.
While at Alliance Manchester Business School, Taner undertook the following electives:
Work Psychology for Managerial Success in Manchester
Through review of psychological theory and research, students will unpack the skills, competencies and career strategies that determine managerial success. Covering three key areas of personal development, leading and influencing others and career management this elective shares how you can manage others, and your career, successfully.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management in South East Asia Centre
This elective gives MBA students the tools to develop or elevate entrepreneurship skills the skills for the management of the entrepreneurial life cycle. With innovation being a key driver of success for new venture creation and growth the course uses an integrative approach to teach how to manage the entrepreneurial journey and how to design and construct innovative business models.
Additional centres visited
South East Asia
Located in the heart of Singapore, our South East Asia Centre gives delegates the opportunity to immerse themselves in one of the world’s most cosmopolitan business environments.
- AMBS has had a presence in Singapore since 1992
- 400 active students and 1,500SE Asia Centre alumni
- Registered with the Singapore CPE (Committee for Private Education).
East Asia
Hong Kong is a key strategic location for multinational corporations and the financial and educational hub of East Asia, making it the perfect place to immerse yourself in Asian business culture. We opened our first overseas centre in Hong Kong over 25 years ago to meet growing demand for business education from English-speaking professionals in the region.
- Our first overseas centre, established in 1992
- There are over 13,000 students and alumni in East Asia
- The only UK institution in Hong Kong to have a centre with its own staff, teaching facilities and student support.
Middle East
The University of Manchester's Middle East Centre was established in 2006. Set in Knowledge Village, the centre is part of Dubai's premier destination for professional development and training.
Dubai is a multicultural business hub with ambitious investment in creativity and innovation - the perfect location for The University of Manchester's largest overseas centre.
- Established in 2006
- Supported 3,400+ Manchester Global Part-time master's students, representing 105 nationalities
- 5,000+ regional alumni supported by the Middle East Centre.
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