Roger’s MBA transformed the way he thinks about business

In September 2023, Roger Akayesi moved from Ghana to Belgium to participate in Vlerick’s Full-time MBA. Now, a few months after graduating, he’s in a strategic marketing role at Belgian biotech company Univercells. He describes his time at Vlerick as a transformative experience.

“My background is in mineral engineering – I started my career as a metallurgist,” he says. “After a couple of years in mining, I changed direction completely and moved into advertising – then marketing.”

But it was when Roger joined a consulting firm that he realised he needed to broaden his business knowledge. And he knew an MBA was the right next step.

Making the move to Vlerick

“For me, choosing Vlerick was a straightforward decision,” he says. “Two former colleagues had completed the MBA and strongly recommended the programme. I’d been working with European companies, so I knew I wanted to study in Europe. And Brussels is an ideal place to learn about European business.”

Roger loved living in Brussels – and decided to stay in the city after graduating.

“Brussels is such a cosmopolitan city,” he says. “It’s great to see such a mix of nationalities. I lived in the city centre for my MBA, and I loved it – and I liked being near my course mates, we were a close-knit group. The only thing I can’t get used to is the dark winters!”

Roger describes his year at Vlerick as intensive, challenging – and enlightening.

“The MBA was more than a full-time job,” he says. “There’s so much to do in a short time. But that’s how you’re able to develop so much.

“My favourite course was strategy. But the one that really enhanced my knowledge was corporate finance. Being able to read a balance sheet and understand the numbers can tell you so much about an organisation. I also enjoyed the AI course. It’s something that’s becoming more and more important to business – so it’s great that the MBA is helping to future-proof our skills and knowledge.”

Embracing competition and camaraderie

Alongside his core courses, Roger found working with his classmates opened up whole new perspectives on business.

He says: “It was a super diverse cohort. We were 12 nationalities and a mix of professional backgrounds – hospitality, engineering and so on. You gain new perspectives and an appreciation of how different industries work.

“The group assignments were challenging – but ultimately, very rewarding. In my graduation speech, I said that when you bring brilliant people together, you get a little bit of craziness, but the best collaborations. When your peers first challenge your ideas, you can be defensive. But then you reflect, see their point – and rethink. The MBA really is a blend of competition and camaraderie.”

Honing his strategic skills

One of Roger’s MBA highlights was his consultancy project. He and his team took on a strategic challenge for Belgian company Aliaxis, a global leader in piping systems for water and energy.

He says: “It was a strategy-driven project. The company wanted to explore a potential move into a new market – and we were tasked with researching whether this move could add value. We had to draw on everything we’d learned throughout the MBA and then present our recommendations.

“It was a really good experience. We worked in the corporate HQ in Brussels, so we could network, share ideas and get feedback. The company moved forward with what we proposed – and our project gained one of the highest scores in the programme.”

Shaping his next leap

In fact, Roger’s experience had such an impact on him that he decided to pursue a similar role once he graduated.

He says: “I was specifically looking for a role in a future-focused industry – biotech being one of them. And Brussels became a comfort zone during my MBA, so it was an easy decision to make my next move in Brussels.

“The role at Univercells had what I was looking for. I wanted to focus on strategy, and I became surer about that as I went through the MBA. The work I’m doing now is similar to my project.”

Roger finds he draws on his MBA knowledge on a daily basis.

“I use a lot of finance knowledge when I’m analysing competitors,” he says. “And of course, I use the frameworks we learned on the strategy course every day.

“In terms of softer skills, Univercells is a very diverse organisation After working with such diverse groups at Vlerick, I’m not intimidated by different perspectives. It feels like second nature to me. I’m also looking forward to an opportunity to use my negotiating skills – and in the future, I hope to draw on the leadership skills I developed on the MBA.”

Having the support to succeed

Another highlight for Roger was the support he received from the MBA careers team.

“The coaching was fantastic,” he says. “Minna and her team are so dedicated. I don’t think any other school does career support quite like Vlerick. I could text Minna at any time with any issue. I’ve even gone to her with questions after graduating – and she’s happy to still offer advice.

“Each week, they put together a curated list of companies you may be interested in, which was so useful when I was looking for my next move. They also organised company visits – which is where I first came across Univercells.”

Connecting with a vast professional network

It wasn’t just the careers team that helped Roger secure his role. He also benefitted from Vlerick’s global alumni network.

“I’m new to the Belgian job market – which means my references have come from my project supervisors and professors,” he says. “So being able to reach out to alumni and make the most of those connections is vital. There are Vlerick alumni at my company – and indeed, it was an alumnus that first shared the job advert with me. The network is so valuable.”

Taking the leap to transform your career

Roger isn’t sure what his future will look like. But he’s confident that his MBA will help him reach new heights.

“I plan to be in Brussels for the foreseeable future,” he says. “I’m working in an international setting and I can grow within the role I have now – hopefully into a leadership position in the next five years. It feels like a new chapter in my career.

“If you’re a professional and you want to up your game, I would definitely recommend the Full-time MBA at Vlerick. I don’t know if I would have got the same level of support elsewhere. The quality of teaching and the connections are on a different level.

“An MBA pushes you to a new level. You have the knowledge to contribute meaningfully to business conversations. You know what’s possible and what you’re capable of – and this gives you a new level of confidence. It’s intense, and you’re fully immersed from the beginning. But that’s the level of intensity you need if you want to transform yourself – and your career.”