We borrowed Anne Abraham Marbrandt, CEO of Marbrandt Business Intelligence AB and CEO of NyföretagarCentrum Öresund, for a few quick questions about the Executive MBA’s three-day residency session on management control.
What was your impression of the management control residency session?
The module made me more secure in my management skills. I gained valuable and directly applicable tools to be able to manage and shape growing companies. My clients currently have 50–100 units across Sweden and a solid foundation, communication and clarity are necessary to achieve effective management.
What were the best lessons you learned from the management control residency session?
What gets measured gets done. Figuring out what’s actually most important for the company and what should be measured on that basis lets you hone in on the right activities locally, while also enabling greater autonomy at the offices where freedom with responsibility is exercised. Including parameters such as customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction in addition to the more obvious financial performance indicators boosts motivation and dedication among individual employees. Everything is interrelated, which creates a good bottom line.
Did you learn anything that you feel directly benefits you in your position?
I gained some of the most important tools so far in the program, such as the balanced scorecard and the DuPont model, as well as profit optimization and quality assurance models. I also broadened my view of budgeting and performance measurement in social media.
What do you hope to gain from the Executive MBA?
In light of my background as an entrepreneur, business advisor and CEO, I’m aiming for a future of CEO positions in large corporations and being a board regular. I’m glad that I’ve already gained two new professional board positions during the program. My goals are to contribute to professional management in the companies I become involved with and to inspire others to become involved and professionalize their work on management teams and boards of directors. The friendship, goodwill and trust built among the participants are also invaluable resources.