After the program, Aalto EE alumni have the opportunity to take part for instance in the Singapore or Helsinki Summit. “The one-week brainstorm is a privilege that I can recommend for every alumni”, says Jari Hurttia, Director of Corporate Development at Beneq.
Jari Hurttia completed his Executive MBA in 2008. Fast forward to 2017, and he is sitting at a session at the Aalto Executive Summit in Singapore. It’s the turn of a visiting speaker, Hak-Peng Chng, Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Symphony Orchestra, to take to the stage.
Chng shares about his own leadership style and lists leadership must-haves for changing the world.
Distancing oneself from work to think about what should be done differently at the workplace."
The session leaves Hurttia impressed. Distancing oneself from work to think about what should be done differently at the workplace is a thought that has especially stuck in his mind.
“In a way, this Summit is time off from my work back in Finland. Talking with people from different sectors brings new perspective for one’s own work. The world keeps spinning even when you’re not sitting behind the desk, and the idea is to make things run more smoothly by being away and seeing the areas that need developing.”
According to Hurttia, the opportunity to take part in modules and summits after finishing the actual studies is one of the main benefits offered by Aalto EE to alumni. It provides a chance to update skills and bounce thoughts with a new set of people.
“I’ve jotted down how topics discussed in the lectures apply to my own work and life”, says Hurttia, tapping his notebook.
Jari Hurttia now works as a Director of Corporate Development in Beneq, a Finnish company that is a leading supplier of Atomic Layer Deposition equipment and thin film coating services and the manufacturer of Lumineq displays. Beneq thin film equipment is used in spaces where other coating methods cannot be applied, such as electronics, displays and energy storages. Lumineq displays are used in rough environmental conditions where receiving the information is critical, such as in process automation, work machinery, transportation, safety, security and medical applications.
What did Hurttia come away with from the EMBA program a decade ago?
“An awful lot”, he says.
Everything could be linked to what I had done and seen at work.”
Hurttia was an engineer when he began, and business studies came as something new. But perhaps the most important part was seeing business as a whole: finance, calculation, accounting, strategy, marketing – everything tying together. Another important factor was that with so many years into working life, studying was different than as a youngster.
“Everything could be linked to what I had done and seen at work.”
There were around 25 participants in Hurttia’s group at the time. Discussions were so lively that sometimes the professor acted mainly as a facilitator for debates.
“In Singapore, you gain a new network of contacts.” Although one of the members of the network is extra close: Jari Hurttia’s wife, Päivi Hurttia, works for the Red Cross and is currently completing her Executive MBA degree at Aalto University.
Aalto Executive Summit brings together around 150 participants from different locations. The Summit is about studying with world-class faculty, developing your personal leadership potential, and meeting business leaders. Learn more.
The Aalto EMBA program is designed around the four major areas of strategy, leadership, finance and marketing, with a special emphasis on strategy and leadership in a global context. Read more about the program.