We interviewed American MBA graduates James and Michael Delaney from California. The brothers work together in their family business, Worldwide Environmental Products, Inc., founded by their father in 1984. After several years in the growing company, Michael and James decided to pursue an MBA in Spain, Europe. Now back at work in California, they confirm that they use what they learned at EADA daily.
Why did you decide to do a MBA?
M- I believe that learning is something that never stops. I am always trying to grow and improve and I thought that an MBA was something that could help me. I am a strong believer that comfort and growth cannot coexist, you have to step out of your comfort zone and work hard in order to really better yourself.
J- I felt it was the right choice, at the right time. I wanted to continue to learn and gain knowledge that I could bring back to the family business. It was not easy to leave my family and company for a year, but I knew that in the long run it would be beneficial for both myself and our organization.
What makes EADA’s MBA different?
M- The opportunity to live in the middle of a unique city like Barcelona is something special, but EADA’s Residential Training Campus is what I feel really makes EADA different: the activities and modules there provide a unique way to improve your soft skills.
What have you learnt from your MBA that you apply on a daily basis?
J- In my position now, I apply the skills I learned from the finance courses. I also use the managerial skills –in other words, soft skills– that we worked on at the EADA Residential Training Campus.
M- Be coherent and consistent with everything you do.
Which was the most unforgettable moment of your year in Barcelona?
M- Performing the final pitch for the Final Business Project. It was special that our group was given the award for Best Project, but more than that, it was the seeing the result of all the hard work and effort that our group put into the project during the presentation. The final presentation was a nice moment to finish off a wonderful year –a year that was rewarding in many different ways.
J- Graduation day…and, reflecting back, all the time in the classroom, studying, and fun I had living in the city for a year.
What are your future career plans?
J- My future career plans are to continue growing our family business. I am now the Chief Financial Officer, a position that carries a lot of responsibly. We have a lot of ambitions to expand into new markets, and I will need to support our firms’ growth on the finance side. The opportunity to structure financials for new projects as well control and manage budgets will provide me with more experience to continue improving myself.
M- I plan to continue to play an integral role in growing my family business. I feel extremely confident that if, for whatever reason, I was to work for another company other than the family business, I would be a key asset with an immediate positive impact. I believe that the MBA has an important role to play in that.