Vladimir Golubyatnikov comes from Russia.

Currently, he is living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, working in Eurasian Resources Group as the Group Head of Investment Planning.

2019, he was selected by Poets & Quants as the world’s Best & Brightest EMBAs, among another 100 winners.

Career Achievement: Change of Capital Investments Management System

Eurasian Resources Group is an international diversified metals and mining group with ca. $5 billion annual revenues. Since Vladimir joined the company in 2014, he had implemented a major step change in the capital investments management system for ca. $700 mln annual capital expenditure portfolio. Specifically, he has built investment planning and evaluation function from scratch, gathered and trained the team, developed process regulations, implemented new governance system and managed reviews of capital projects. All these functions were virtually nonexistent in the company when he joined. His efforts helped the management to ensure controlled capital spending and informed investment decision making.

Vladimir mentioned that this achievement makes him proud for two major reasons. First, it was a major challenge for him: He was leading a much bigger team than ever before, he had to work with more experienced people, and he was in a constant learning mode, working in a relatively new field. Second, he had to not only exercise his professional knowledge and skills, but also practice change management, as implementing new approach to capital investments required changing long-standing practices in the company.

Understand China, Connect with TIEMBA

When considering pursuing an EMBA program as a step in progressing career, Vladimir was driven by two motivations. First, he wanted to become better in leading others, and to have a positive impact through business leadership. Second, he wanted to get a better understanding of China, particularly in the business context.

“It was important for me in my role. As Head of Investment Planning in ERG, I was working with a portfolio of major capital projects, some of which involved technologies, contractors, and capital from China.” Vladimir said, “I also felt that understanding how to do business in China is crucial for any international business leader because China is a major force in the global landscape. ”

In choosing the best option for his executive education, Vladimir short-listed several top-tier Global Executive MBA programs with a focus on Asia. He believed that, “Although there were quite a few programs focused on Asia in the global context, only TIEMBA’s curriculum exactly matched the priorities that I set for my business education. And the powerful partnership of two leading schools (Tsinghua SEM and INSEAD) in this program was one of the deciding factors.”

Interesting Courses, Memorable Experience

“TIEMBA gave me a lot of memorable moments, and every study module was unique.” Vladimir highlighted the three courses he thought were the most memorable.

· TechMark simulation.Our very first course on the program was a two-day business simulation called “TechMark.” The class was divided into five teams, each team representing a company operating in a virtual industry and making a set of business decisions – from marketing and R&D to operations and investments. By playing in our “sandbox” industry, we gained insights about the industry life cycle, the importance of strategy, the impact of senior leadership, team process, and accountabilities. It was also a genuine ice-breaker for the whole class as we went through a tough challenge together, working long hours under time pressure, figuring out how to interact with each other, and debating decisions.

· Electives Module.“Our second-to-last module was in France, where we mixed with INSEAD Global Executive MBA’s and took four elective classes over two weeks. It was an excellent opportunity to take a deep dive into the topics of professional and personal interest and meet a lot of new people from all over the world. My choice of electives focused more on soft skills as I took classes on Psychological Issues in Leadership, Negotiations, and Art of Communication. It was also an excellent opportunity to travel around France with my classmates.”

· Leadership Development Programme (LDP).LDP was a series of workshops and meetings throughout the program, where each participant was working in a small group with a few classmates and an executive coach to address a specific personal or professional challenge. It was a deep and transformational experience for all of us. For me, it was a great opportunity to reflect on my professional journey so far and to ask myself the questions about the future development of my career.

Achieve Your Goal and Manage Your Time

“Before I joined the program, I heard opinions that after university education and years of work experience there is not much to learn in an executive MBA”. But the experience in business school made Vladimir realize that this notion is totally wrong. Both the academic content and the class discussion contributed a lot to his learning experience. Many topics were familiar to everyone, but still, discussing them with people with diverse experiences and views made him think about these topics in a different, more holistic fashion.

“An opportunity to reinterpret your work and life experience in an attempt to transform yourself into a better person and a better leader and, on top of that, have fun and make new friends along the way” – Vladimir commented on his journey with TIEMBA. "Once you decide to study for EMBA, go for it. But know what you want to achieve (e.g. network, relocation, career shift, academic knowledge etc.), choose the program with the best fit for your individual purpose, and be prepared to live on a super tight schedule.”

“Overall, my TIEMBA study was an exciting, enriching, and transformational experience that positioned me to become a better international business leader. At the moment, I am taking a new role in the company and starting to work on several new projects in the clean energy space. With the things I’ve learned and the network I’ve built in the TIEMBA program, I’m sure that this transition will be successful.”

Vladimir Golubyatnikov