For 18 months, participants in the EFL Executive MBA program, provided in partnership with the Lund University School of Economics and Management, have been growing their strategic management skills and sharpening their ability to lead and develop businesses. They celebrated their graduation on Saturday at AF Borgen in Lund.
Amid family, friends and representatives of their organizations, the Executive MBA class of 2019 received their well-earned diplomas during the ceremony on Saturday at AF Borgen in Lund. The mood was collegial and festive when EFL CEO Henrik Lundgren, Director Executive MBA Tony Åkesson and Program Director Thomas Kalling handed out diplomas.
The afternoon of the graduation ceremony was filled with laughter, memories, applause and thank-you speeches, but also some sadness that the program was over. For the past 18 months, the participants not only sharpened their leadership and management abilities but also became a tight-knit group and friends for life.
“This is a really delightful and well-earned grand finale for hard work up to the last moment,” says Director Executive MBA Tony Åkesson. “In the final week, the participants have put all their effort into presentations of actionable business plans and market potential analyses for their international business projects, which were conducted this year in Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Botswana, Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It has been fun and exciting to follow the participants in their enriching journey and see the growth and fantastic results that were achieved in the program.”
During the 18 months of the program, the participants completed the Micro Bachelor, Business Fundamentals, Business Solutions and International Business Project modules. “It has been a privilege to follow your growth and the fantastic results you have achieved,” says EFL Program Director Thomas Kalling, who also highlighted the class’s unique group dynamics.
The graduates can now look forward to being a part of a strong alumni network, to which they were welcomed by EFL CEO Henrik Lundgren. One alumnus in the network is Johan Åström, CEO of MECA Sweden, from the Executive MBA class of 2016. Johan told those gathered how the lessons he learned from the program have aided his career ever since. Maja Troedsson Thuroczy, Anders Yngwe Söderstjerna and Gunilla Wejfeldt were appointed by their classmates to close the ceremony. In a fun and moving way, they told those gathered of the exciting journey of the class of 2019 from the outset one warm September day in 2017 until crossing the finish line in March 2019 This journey was characterized by many pages of reading, discussion, networking, sharing experiences and friendship.
In October, EFL will launch its new executive management program, Leading IMPACT, which builds on the successful teaching concepts developed and refined over more than 20 years of Executive MBA education.
“Leading IMPACT – Executive Management & Leadership Program takes the successful concepts of our Executive MBA to the next level with our unique teaching model that has participants learn from their real-life cases,” says Tony Åkesson. “The aim is to create significant impact for both the participant and the organization they represent. The first class of the 15-month program will kick off in October with management, leadership, strategy and business development in focus.”
All graduation ceremony pictures can be found on our Facebook page.
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Executive MBA scholarship recipient Azadeh Pourjanaki in HD-Sydsvenskan 8till5 (in Swedish)