Names

Professor

Finance

3rd march 2012

Admission into the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program

My experiences in the past have exposed my limitations in business management and this is the main reason why I want to join the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program. Before joining Socar Georgia Gas, I worked for Milio international which was relatively a small company compared to Socar Gas. Our team at Milio International was made up of about 10 employees and customers and this made Management relatively easier since I was dealing with a small number of staff and clients as well. Joining Socar Georgia Gas (SGG) proved to be quite a challenge for me since I had never worked for such a large company in the past. At Socar Georgia Gas, I manage 900 employees and serve about 100,000 customers compared to 10 employees and 10 customers at Milio international. Working at SGG was not an easy task for me and it required a total overhaul of the management style that I had used at Milio international. Due to the small number of employees and customers at Milio, I managed through cultivating a personal relationship with each customer and employee. This strategy proved difficult to use at SGG since managing such a company requires a deep understanding of corporate structures as well as delegation of duties.

Initially after starting to work at SGG, I made mistakes here and there mainly due to lack of experience and it took me some time to learn how things work. Right now, I can boldly say that the company is well managed and this is clearly reflected by its financial performance over the last few years.

Before I joined SGG, the company was making losses but this has changed in the three years that I have been there as I have been able to turn a company with 30% of gas losses in the system into one of the most successful one in the local market. A bigger management challenge is on the way for me as Socar Georgia Gas is in the process of acquiring our main local competitor. This acquisition is expected to be finalized in the next three months, which means that in 3 months time the number of my employees will double and the number of my customers will triple.

The competitors that we are acquiring were not performing so well and this explains why they are on sale. On one hand, this acquisition fills me with professional satisfaction while on the other hand it raises serious concerns on my ability to manage one of the largest national companies in the gas sector. My main short term goal is to acquire the necessary skills and experience required to run this company .TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program will offer me all the necessary managerial skills and will also offer me the chance to gain experience through mingling with other students from all over the world.

Socar Georgia Gas is a subsidiary of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Socar) which changed in the last ten years from being a local government monopoly into a multinational corporation with operations in Singapore, Germany, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Austria and Ukraine. The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) has very aggressive expansion plans in the future as it seeks to increase its customers and raise its earnings. A good example of these plans is the recent announcement that the company will bid for privatization of the Istanbul Gas Distribution Company (IGDAS) this year.

IGDAS is the largest gas company in Turkey with four million customers and the best gas distribution network. My long term goal is to be part of this change and take the opportunity to also grow with SOCAR. Currently, there is a shortage of well qualified and experienced managers at the company and taking part in the Trium Global Executive MBA Program will equip me with advanced management skills and also the necessary knowledge to do business globally. These skills will go a long way in advancing my career as well as helping SOCAR as a group grow.

Working in one of the largest gas companies in the country has given me the chance to interact with managers and businesses people from all over the world therefore increasing my global perspective. Although it’s unusual for young people run large companies like SOCAR, I have been privileged to represent the company at several global meetings. These meetings have raised my self confidence and also have given me the chance to gain experience through interacting with other business people. While working at both Milio and SOCAR, I have learnt that the main reason why many companies fail is because of poor management practices. Many managers are used to managing small companies that operate locally and so they find it difficult to manage multinationals. As stated earlier, am planning to be part of SOCAR as expands its operations into many other countries and I know that I need to deepen my business and management knowledge to do that. Although I have a lot of skills and experience from my previous jobs, I still need some important management skills mostly in entrepreneurship and finance.

The TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program is the ideal link to take me from where I am to where I want to be. The one thing I like most about the TRIUM program is the uniqueness and inventiveness of its managerial and finance programs. Through interacting with other people while at the program, I will raise my management skills as well my practical knowledge of matters related to business. Business studies at TRIUM do not end at the lecture rooms but go on through extra curriculum activities and internship. Just like any other good business school, TRIUM provides students with a balance between theory and real world experiences through management field studies, associations and internships. I am also attracted to TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program because of the importance that the institution places on technology and teamwork as shown by courses like international finance and management. The institution also runs programs aimed at teaching students to think and act globally. This enables the students to start seeing the world as a global village therefore enabling them run multinational companies. The TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program admits students from all over the world and this enables students to learn through sharing experiences with people from different countries.

The programs at the school are also very flexible and this will enable me to modify my studies to my career interests as well as enabling me to take advantage of international alumni of the school. Above everything, TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program will help me sharpen both my managerial and finance skills to enable me carryout my current duties at SOCAR well. The skills gained at TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program will also enable me achieve my long term goal of being an integral part of SOCAR as it acquires its competitors and expand its operations to more countries

Reference

http://www.triumemba.org/program/curriculum_structure.php