„Keep doing and planning“

Dear Ghassem, can you briefly start by telling me in which company you currently work? When did you start there, and what are your tasks?

I work for Bergler Industrieservices GmbH, a family company with a high focus on Logistics and fulfillment. Information flow is like blood for a fulfillment company, and IT infrastructure is the circulating system. So as the IT manager of the company my duty is keeping this circulating system running. This is my task in regular daily business. But also I am the responsible person to define projects to realize changes in the industry, like growing up or shrinking down in the market, new business requirements, etc. I always need to work with our partner companies and find new partner companies to fulfill our information technology requirements.

Can you tell us about your project? What made it exciting for you to work on the study project for Bergler Industrieservices GmbH?

Bergler industries services GmbH is a fast-growing middle-size company. It started with basic IT infrastructure. Several annoying problems regarding the infrastructure interrupted the daily business and blocked the company from scaling in the market, so Evangelizing the infrastructure to cloud computing and establishing remote maintenance were pain-relieving projects that got immediate customer satisfaction. This excites me and gives me a satisfying feeling.

Why did you decide to start a job-integrated study program? What do you think about the combination of studying and working at the same time in the framework of SIBE's Master Program?

I had 3 entrepreneurship attempts which 2 of which totally failed, and the third one didn’t make sense for me after all. I moved to Estonia from Iran and started a new business, which shocked me to see how different the EU business ecosystem is from Iran. I could see the lack of experience and knowledge in the business area, so I needed both. SIBE offers these two factors well coupled together in the heart of the European industrial ecosystem, Germany; for me, this was an answer. Now, after graduation, I emphasize my decision. Currently, I keep learning management in the company that I work for, but I also work on my own startup with opened business eyes!

It was challenging for me because I was new in Germany, but I appreciate the SIBE crew for fully supporting me in coping with all those hardships. Thair patience and step-by-step support played a significant role in my success in the other stages of study. I will describe the SIBE crew as being professional, responsible, and result-oriented people. After six months, I could find the balance and proper timing, but it was not easy but worth it.

How important is the formation of an international professional network during your studies? How do you benefit from the M.A./MBA (USA) program in terms of building your network?

One of the pleasant aspects of the SIBE is you are interconnected with people with similar concerns of management and business both within the school and workplace. When I started in SIBE, I had a couple of companies as my customers. Nowadays, I have a grown-up network not only within Germany but also in the USA.

You're now graduated; how did you manage to organize yourself and combine your work with your study program?

„Keep doing and planning.“ this is how it worked for me. I used an online planning tool called Trello to write down and organize my tasks efficiently. These sorts of tools give you the chance to quickly change your planes with less aftermath to get more agile. Thanks to the SIBE KODE program, I could see my competencies structured so I could work on them, and the endeavor makes me a better planner and executer.

What did you like most about your project? Where were the challenges?

The direct and immediate effect of the project on the company’s success is quite satisfying for me. The most challenging part of the project was risk management. The project had to be applied to a running system, and this needed a comprehensive risk management plan. It looks like a compassionate cardio surgery.

In which ways would you say your studies at SIBE benefit you the most? To whom would you recommend this program?

Imagine a puzzle, not a typical puzzle. A puzzle that its parts can change their shape and pattern but still make a meaningful shape. What you learn in SIBE is to see the whole picture despite the changes; you can shape your future. This is being realized by working on your competencies structure. In SIBE, for the first time in my life, I could see how I looked like when I worked in a normal condition and under pressure condition. This is the baseline for you to understand what competency you shall work to approach your goals. You learn how to effectively express your goals and objectives.

I would recommend the program to those who want to manage their own business or manage within an organization. But my particular recommendation goes to technical graduated people who want to step up to a management position.

Do you have tips for people who are considering applying for the SIBE program?

The program is definatly worth it, and roll up your sleeves. There are a lot of challenges you will have. But the good news is you will be accompanied by the most graceful and helpful crew of SIBE.