Marius Zuurbier

Why did you choose to go back to school for an MBA? And why did you choose RSM?

Over the years I have grown towards a strategic and visionary product manager in business while expanding my team. I have gained valuable insights on the job about what does and what does not work in business. However, my technical background lacked clear expertise in how to successfully oversee the full company dynamics with core theoretical aspects such as finance, marketing, strategy, and more.

The RSM Executive MBA (EMBA) provides a strong network of like-minded individuals that are all striving to make a step-up in whichever position they are. We are all ambitious, eager to take on the extra workload without complaining, and open to share our expertise. That is a great leverage.

I chose the RSM EMBA programme because of the international network of fellow students in combination with a strong academic offering.

How is the Executive MBA preparing you to do business in an uncertain world?

The world is changing faster than ever. Geopolitical trade wards, energy insecurity and the AI race to the bottom is part of our daily news feed. When I recently talked to a CEO of a manufacturing company he said: “What Trump posts today is impacting our order book tomorrow morning”. The impact on that scale is becoming reality and our businesses have to become more flexible and resilient.

I chose the study trip to Washington to learn more about business and politics and the non-market strategy. How can we interact, respond on the spot and strategize while keeping these uncertainties in mind. 

AI is changing business as we speak. Where some companies are struggling to get AI adopted in-house, others see their business completely diminishing. The accumulated knowledge of our cohort is an excellent sparring partner to discuss how to work with that and share each other’s experience.

How would you describe your RSM EMBA experience so far?

Having started my EMBA is the best decision I have ever made! I love the interaction with my classmates, value the discussions with our professors, and never hesitate when, after a long day of work, I have to open my books and do the reading.

While the theory might only scratch the surface on some parts, the deepened discussions we have about applicability to business and about our own experiences is a thousand times more valuable. That’s where the rubber hits the road so to say, and where we see true value of the frameworks. Applying this to my own teams, to my own work experience, and to my own future is truly transformational and it challenges me in different ways.

However, there is one thing that I was warned about before and I have discovered that to be true every single time. Adjusting my mindset on Monday morning at work after an immersed weekend of EMBA remains a challenge. Luckily, the next EMBA weekend is only two weeks away.

What has been the most inspiring or challenging assignment or course during the EMBA so far? How did it challenge you?

One of the first courses during Module 1 was Strategic Management. During this specific course, our leadership team (a group of six students) was assigned to come up with an answer on a strategic question for one of our companies within the following two weeks. The amount of energy and ambition we each put in was already inspirational itself. 

A well-known chocolate company had been making losses for the last years while the chocolate market was increasing year over year. Our team decided to dive into this problem. We peeled down the structure into the core elements that were needed to grow and expand for the years to come. But we didn’t stop there, strategy is nothing without execution. So, based on what we learned from that company’s past, we delivered a full execution roadmap with step-ups, pilots, KPIs, and which people to hire next. 

Each of us brought our own expertise to the table and that was exactly what worked. By adding our own insights, we had an open view and excellent brainstorm sessions on new expansions and collaboration models.

Getting to tour the factory after the assignment to see how the chocolate was made, was the icing on the cake.

How have you applied new knowledge and skills from both inside and outside of the classroom in your current role?

For each course, whether that is Finance, Strategy, or Marketing I strive to meet with the senior leadership in my company to understand how the concepts I am learning are applied and what practical take-aways I can distil. That gives me a better overview of how the company is run and it extends my network within the company.

Additionally, within my current role I have specifically implemented the financial Net Present Value calculations and the strategical frameworks. Mostly, it is not necessarily about the frameworks but about the manner of approaching the business with a mindset I have learned in class. 

What impact does the Personal Leadership Development (PLD) component of the programme have on you?

Personal Leadership Development is without a doubt the most transformative course that is run within the RSM EMBA. The way our professor, Björn Atterstam, leads this course forces us to have a look at where we are, where we came from and in which direction we want to go.

One of the assignments was to write a detailed life journey. And by ‘detailed’, Bjorn definitely meant detailed. Amongst others, I have approached this by conducting an elaborate conversation with my parents about how I was in my younger life, which specific interactions they vividly remember and how they see me now. I truly loved the interaction on that level with my parents, and it gave me many insights into my life as a kid.

How are you planning to create impact through business or in your organisation? 

Personally, I have always been passionate about leading teams in business and making an impact together on which we can celebrate, be proud of and look back on. Next to that, I have a strong drive for making a social impact, which contributes to my advisory role for the Dutch policy makers. In both these areas, the key theoretical aspects and what I have learned during my EMBA study help me to make a stronger impact. 

What has been the highlight of the EMBA experience for you?

So far, it’s the network. With this, we are undergoing a transformative experience. The interactions we have with each other, the willingness to support each other, and the experiences we share in class are so valuable for the overall learning. Each of us shares our different views from different backgrounds, industries and experience levels. In addition, I genuinely enjoy learning about finance more than I expected. Where I thought I would be overwhelmed with the theory, diving into the financial statements from international companies was quite insightful. I now find myself listening to financial podcasts, such as The Wall Street Journal.

How have you utilised the alumni network so far?

The alumni network is a great place for guidance and recognition of where I am currently am. RSM really supports the use of the network for all individual purposes, which I really like. By offering the support from this unique group of people, students like me are aided to grow further in our learning journey. I definitely plan on making more use of the alumni network throughout the programme and afterwards. 

Has your MBA journey changed your outlook on your career? If so, how?

One of the first questions Björn, our PLD professor, asked was whether we wanted to stay where we are, improve our current job and grow further, or undergo transformational change. The first months of my EMBA have really changed the way I look at my career. By broadening my view, it also allows me to look at my position in a different way than I did before, and I am using the coaches from RSM to help me figure out what I want to do as a next step for my career. This study and these insights might not equal a full transformation, but they give me a clearer direction of where I get energy from and what slows me down.

How is an EMBA from RSM setting you apart from your colleagues and peers?

After a couple months in the programme, I returned back into the office on a Monday after an EMBA weekend to share a marketing assignment we had done and discuss how that impacted my view on a company. In that specific moment, I realised that I was talking on a different wavelength. It’s important to apply what is being learned during the EMBA to the work currently being done. By having a helicopter view on discussions about leadership, strategy or marketing, I can now differentiate myself and bring a unique perspective to the table.