PROMO / January
Publicity photos
THE EXECUTIVE
MBA
For already 25 years, the Stockholm School
of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga) has
been providing world-class education in
economics and business.
Many senior executives and cross-functional leaders from the
Baltics and a broader Northern and Eastern European region
choose to study in the Executive MBA (EMBA) programme
at SSE Riga. There are a number of reasons that make this
two-year postgraduate programme quite unique. It is a rich
and challenging learning experience spent together with
people from different backgrounds, industries, and countries.
It also offers great value for money since similar Executive
MBA programmes in Europe require a greater investment.
The dynamic of each class is different. SSE Riga enrolls
a mixed group of people with backgrounds in IT, finance,
engineering, production, and other fields. But there is no
better way to get to know the Executive MBA programme
than by listening to those who have experienced and
graduated from the programme.
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Another successful graduate is
Kristaps Tomsons, a former lawyer
and business development professional
at Intrum, a market-leading credit
management company. Prior to enrolling
in the Executive MBA programme, he had
studied law at the University of Latvia,
but then there came a point in his career
when he realised that it would be handy to
have some in-depth knowledge of financial
and business management as well.
The Executive MBA turned out to be an
investment of a lifetime for Tomsons, and
it has paid him back in many ways. The
study process itself was something he will
never forget – the impressive number of
highly skilled academics and practitioners
in one place made the experience
extra special. In classroom discussions
and projects, Tomsons learned how
to understand processes on a macro
perspective. From global leadership and
marketing to strategic management and
financial modules, the Executive MBA
studies covered several aspects that are
indispensable to today’s leaders and
senior executives.
For Tomsons, another perk of studying
at SSE Riga was being in a class of
diverse students from around the Baltics,
Northern Europe, and Central Asia.
Tomsons was very lucky to meet five great
peers with whom he still spends time
after work and shares business interests
and activities.
Tomsons believes that the return on
investment for education is higher than
anything we can expect in some financial
markets today. When people invest in
their educations, it is very important
to evaluate the pros and cons and then
choose what best suits their needs. The
choice Tomsons made was based on the
international outlook and ranking of the
school. SSE Riga is recognised globally
and is consistently nominated among the
top business schools in Northern Europe.
Yuliya Daineko is a more recent
graduate of SSE Riga. She is currently a
marketing director at one of the largest
mobile service operators in Belarus and is
about to move to a new position in Vienna,
Austria. Like Tomsons, Daineko was
looking to broaden her skills in various
operational areas. Having spent most of
her career in the telecom industry, she
decided to pursue an Executive MBA
degree at SSE Riga, which incorporates
many valuable business disciplines from a
European and global perspective.
Riga is close to where Daineko lives
and works, but just an hour by plane
makes so much difference. She agrees
that it was a very dynamic and eye-
opening experience to be away from her
hometown. No longer surrounded just
by telecom professionals, she had the
opportunity to study with a diverse group
of business people and senior experts
in their fields, each of them bringing a
different skill set to the table.
Studying in the Executive MBA
programme in Riga allowed Daineko
to continue working and take classes
once a month. During her studies, she
understood the importance of delegation
skills and learned about the difference
between the work of a general manager
and the work of an operations manager.
Other takeaways from the programme
include developing a strategic vision and a
good sense of direction. The international
module in Southeast Asia helped Daineko
to clear her mind and look at her business
and market differently.
Vlad Koriagin
Kristaps Tomsons
Yuliya Daineko
Together, the graduates agree on one
thing: the Executive MBA has definitely
been a push forward. In conclusion,
Koriagin adds that whenever he passes
Strēlnieku iela – the street where SSE
Riga is located – he feels proud that he
got to spend a part of his life on the SSE
Riga campus in the beautiful Art Nouveau
district of the Latvian capital.
Career advice from business minds –
Vlad Koriagin is CEO of Baltic Travel
Group, a leading destination and travel
management company in the Baltic
region. Before starting his studies, he felt
he had reached the peak of his career,
but now he believes that the Executive
MBA programme was a great source of
inspiration and ideas. Koriagin comes
from a humanities background and
knew little about the theoretical side of
business management. The Executive
MBA programme helped him to better
understand the nature of business
processes and build up his self-confidence
to a completely new level – in fact, it
began a new chapter in his life.
Koriagin wasn’t able to take a
break from his career to undertake
graduate studies, but the Executive
MBA programme at SSE Riga allowed
him to continue his full-time CEO job
while getting his degree. Initially, the
managerial and financial modules
seemed a bit daunting to him, but as time
progressed, the truly international and
experienced team of faculty experts – all
of whom teach in the best schools around
the world – made the experience very
enjoyable and enriching.
Koriagin still keeps in touch with
people with whom he studied, and some
of them have even become his clients. SSE
Riga’s alumni network is like a society in
which people engage and connect with
the business elite of this region.
Baltic Outlook
/ 2019 / 105