Learn, work, grow - an MBA for the working professional

Often there comes a stage in your career where you ask yourself: am I ready to lead and how can I effectively channel my potential?

That is certainly how Peter Hair, manager of the regional sewer monitoring network at the Metro Vancouver Regional District, felt when he considered pursuing more education.

Hair first moved to Vancouver in 2014 from Australia and already possessed an undergraduate degree in Engineering and Com­merce from the University of Western Australia. In his first role in Canada, he worked in the private sector in the municipal water and wastewater engineering consulting industry. That’s when the realiza­tion hit – he wanted more out of his future.

Hair was seeking a greater pur­pose in his work and so he sought a way to build on his education and keep his career momentum active. That’s when he found the Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA) program at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business (UBC Sauder).

The UBC PMBA program was designed to unify collaborative coursework and personalized career coaching to help profes­sionals deepen leadership style, build understanding of the inner workings of an organization and cultivate strategic thinking skills.

UBC Sauder’s PMBA program also provided a chance for Hair to widen his perspective through global immersion opportunities such as the ones offered through the Global Network for Advanced Man­agement spearheaded by Yale Uni­versity. All of these factors proved to be a compelling combination.UBC Sauder is the only Canadian school in the Global Network for Advanced Management.

Around the time he was reflect­ing on his educational future, he made the jump to the public sector into his current role which meant he would need a program to fit around his full-time work schedule, a decision that heavily influenced his final decision. After much con­sideration, he made the leap.

“The part time nature of the PMBA program at UBC is what I believe makes it so relevant. The cohort represents a variety of backgrounds and industries, and everybody can bring their current real-world experiences to class discussions, which adds a healthy dose of practicality to the course content,” said Hair.

“Being able to learn something theoretically on a weekend, then go to work on Monday and either apply it right away or see it being done in your organization creates a powerful learning experience.”

Throughout the program, Hair was able to see in real-time the impact his education was having on his ability to view an organization from a higher ground and under­stand how to effect change from the ground up.

Most importantly, UBC Sauder’s link with the Global Network, a prestigious collaboration of 31 graduate schools around the world, presented an invaluable opportunity for Hair to understand global perspectives and connect with like-minded individuals from around the world on their own leadership journeys.

Hair was selected to participate in an Aspen Leadership Seminar at Oxford University, an opportunity reserved for solely for students of the Global Network, and also par­ticipated in a summer study abroad program in Germany.

“I felt incredibly honoured to be selected for the Oxford Aspen Seminar, and the experience was amazing. We spent four days deep in discussion on a range of issues rooted in a variety of classic and contemporary texts. It was great to have such a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives represented,” said Hair.

“During the summer study abroad program, we spent two weeks travelling around Germany visit­ing car manufacturers and mobil­ity startups, learning about the transportation industry from a European perspective.”

The generous exposure to so many varying cultures and perspectives inevitably allowed Hair to see a panoramic view of organizations not seen before.

What’s more, the culmination of all the experiences encountered over two years of study aided his transition to the public sector and helped Hair become the type of professional leader he had always imagined for himself.

“I have always believed in leading by example and with integrity,” said Hair. “Earning the trust and respect of colleagues regardless of formal roles or authority can go a long way to ensuring success.”

Through collaborative coursework and personalized career coaching, the professional MBA builds business acumen, helps students develop ethical leadership style and cultivate strategic thinking skills. To learn more, visit sauder.ubc.ca.