“I gained a boost for my vision of advancing the conditions for the management and growth of the public sector in Sweden,” says Executive MBA participant Linda Fastén, Innovation Manager, City of Helsingborg. She will be graduating on Saturday along with the other Executive MBA class of 2017 participants.
Your 18 months of the Executive MBA are almost over. How does it feel?
It feels good. A lot has happened during the program – at work and in life in general. This makes these 18 months feel both short and long when I look back. Most of all, I feel stoked and excited about the future – to be able to apply the knowledge in new initiatives and projects.
You work at a municipal enterprise. How well do you think that the Executive MBA was suited to you and the challenges you face?
The City of Helsingborg has over 9000 employees and procures products and services for SEK 3 billion per year. All administrative units as well as wholly-owned and partially owned companies in the organization form a large group – the Helsingborg Group – which reports sales of approximately SEK 18 billion per year and is managed in the same way as a large commercial business in many aspects. The Executive MBA was therefore a perfect fit for me in many ways. I work on several comprehensive innovation and development topics, which tie into basically everything the Executive MBA addresses
Is there anything you do differently now in comparison to before you started the program?
I gained a boost for my vision of advancing the conditions for the management and growth of the public sector in Sweden. The public sector faces major challenges in the coming years. Radically new ways of thinking are needed to deliver the public services of tomorrow and active collaboration is required between a variety of entities in various industries. My experience from the program also played a part in my current position as innovation manager for the City of Helsingborg.
When you look back on your experience, what has been the best part?
The opportunity to jointly reflect on my own development and that of my organization with others. You’re never done learning when it comes to leadership, strategy or management. But if you have the drive to understand more and develop, your chances of success are high.
What advice do you have for new participants thinking about starting in the fall?
Be open to new perspectives and set aside time to take in all the knowledge. You need to be driven and curious – whatever the subject.
