ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
MAKING MOVES, MANAGING PEOPLE
Carlo Viray, Class of 2013, tells us how his Executive MBA helped him to successfully
scale the management ladder.
Fun times at Hult.
You have extensive experience in a range of management
roles at Sony; do you have any management tips for young
managers just starting out?
During my time at Hult, there was always a constant reminder that
each one of us is special. With this mindset, we were encouraged
to explore our core strengths and develop these to differentiate
ourselves from the others. My advice to aspiring managers would
be to thoroughly enjoy the work you do. Know what you like
doing, join a company where your values are aligned, and where
almost all of its products or services mean something to you—this
will make a huge difference to your working life. It is important to
always strive to be the best in whatever you do—know your area
well, and never stop learning about different cultures. It pays to
know how other nationalities think, behave, and make use of their
money and time. Clichéd as it may sound, but I can honestly say
that I enjoy my work too much to even notice the passing of time!
With extensive global management experience in consumer
products, Carlo tells us more about his role at Sony, as General
Manager for Business Information Solutions in Europe.
Why did you decide to pursue an EMBA at that particular
stage of your career?
After being in a company for a number of years, you are constantly
looking for challenges. Middle management position, while a good
level to be in for my age group and at this stage in my career, is
also a tricky position to be in. It is a level where others are comfortable with what they have achieved so far, or one where they’re
striving to move up the ladder of an organization—almost like the
tipping point of whether to continue to be ambitious, or to remain
within your comfort zone. In order to move forward and constantly
be challenged, it’s important to equip yourself with the necessary
knowledge. Working in the electronics industry, where there is a lot
of innovation and new competitors everywhere, I was craving to
learn new techniques to improve Sony’s connection with customers, and help ensure its leading market position. I found the soft
skills taught during the EMBA program, particularly leadership and
management, to be the most useful for me.
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Shanghai class: Leadership in the Global Village.