What have you done, professionally, before you started the DBA?

I work at Porsche Consulting as a Senior Manager - also before and during my DBA studies. In my role, I am responsible for managing various projects, developing new strategy concepts and acquiring new clients. At Porsche Consulting, I am also responsible for the topic of sustainability. I advise clients, who not only come from the automotive industry, but are also based in the pharmaceutical or consumer goods industries. Thematically, I support them in building a sustainability strategy for decarbonization and optimizing ESG strategies.

Why did you decide for a DBA program?

My strongest personal motivation and ambition to pursue a DBA was to make a valuable contribution to real-world business problems, within my working environment. Since I have been successful in business for many years, I was convinced to work independently on a new research question. Disruptive trends such as sustainability (e.g. reduction of CO2-emissions) or reshoring (e.g. driven by the Covid-19 pandemic) have caught my attention early, and I became strongly interested in conducting more complex research in those areas.

I was also looking for a new intellectual challenge by balancing research and my Senior Manager role at Porsche Consulting. Having completed a part-time MBA degree, I wanted to gain further professional experience, broaden my academic skills and capabilities to grow as an individual. The DBA provided a new challenge that went beyond the practical knowledge that I acquired during my studies or work experience. It helped me to re-establish myself as a researcher, contributing to a new academic field.

Why did you decide for Munich Business School?

Munich Business School offered me a program that matched my goals and requirements. It was important to me to join a renowned business school with access to a strong faculty. In addition, the program offered flexibility, fitting in with my professional workload and frequent business travel. The modules scheduled in Munich and Sheffield fit very well with my commitment and goal to complete the program. I also considered the question of costs, and the program at MBS together with Sheffield University was able to offer a fair price-performance ratio.

How was your experience?

My experience with MBS and SHU was very good. Our cohort was very well instructed from day one, the modules were very well planned and the professors supportive at all times. A very good choice was made in regards to my supervisor. We quickly established a very good and close collaboration model to write my thesis. I usually received very detailed feedback within a week and thanks to his knowledge and experience, he was able to guide me very well through the program.

How do you benefit from the DBA now?

Thanks to this program, I gained a much deeper understanding of the research process. I got the most benefit from doing practical research and observing how the dissertation developed. Seeing that my work had value and brought new ideas to the debate helped me develop confidence and persistence. For me, completing a doctorate is the highest level of professional and personal self-fulfillment. Conducting my research project has allowed me to discover different viewpoints, opinions, and meanings that people ascribe to a phenomenon, and thus evaluate divergent findings. It has also challenged me over the past 3.5 years to master three projects - working for Porsche Consulting, completing the DBA, and maintaining relationships with my wife, family, and friends.