Building the Right Skills for a New Role
After more than 20 years of experience, Sandy Damm (GMP 29), Group CEO of Bull Cygnus Group, was looking to move beyond his comfort zone and consider other opportunities. On the other hand, Fabian Schober (GMP 26), CEO of TÜV SÜD America, wanted to continue learning while contributing to his professional development. Although their paths differed, Damm and Schober both applied to the General Management Program (GMP) at Harvard Business School Executive Education. Collaborating with senior executives and HBS faculty, they left GMP reinvigorated and ready to take on a new role.
Why did you apply to the General Management Program (GMP)?
Sandy Damm: Prior to GMP, I was in the process of exiting as CEO of a building management systems manufacturer. I saw GMP as a reset after 20+ years of professional experience and used the program to reflect on what to do next. I knew the immersion with senior executives and professors would open my eyes to new focuses and determine where to orient my career next.
Fabian Schober: I was intrigued by the cultural and intellectual diversity that the program attracted and wanted to meet fellow executives and professors who also enjoyed having intense discussions in a setting that facilitated this. At that time, I had recently finished my doctorate degree in Switzerland. I wanted to continue my learning journey by gaining broad, global perspectives in the most condensed form that would also contribute to my professional development.
Did the program and faculty meet your expectations and objectives?
SD: 100%. I found the faculty very humble and supportive. Mihir Desai, Rawi Abdelal, and Stefan Thomke each contributed to my ongoing projects. Challenged on a daily basis, the 120 individuals in my cohort remain friends today, and we continue to enjoy our conversations on our respective WhatsApp groups.
FS: Absolutely, it was refreshing to get outside perspectives even in areas that I was quite familiar with, especially in finance (Mihir Desai) and geopolitical developments (Rawi Abdelal). The class setup and the environment were highly professional and made it easy to build relationships and dive deeper into topics.
How did GMP prepare you for your new role?
SD: GMP was an eye-opener in many perspectives: it helped me assess what and how I'd done things over the previous 20 years, taught me different ways to look at challenges and opportunities, and, most importantly, how to communicate with my teams in more efficient ways.
FS: The exposure to and discussions with colleagues in other industries and functions helped me see similarities and navigate certain difficult situations. In Linda Hill's class, we discussed potential pitfalls and career derailers and were able to apply the learnings to our personal and professional lives through 360-degree feedback and personal HBS Executive Coaching.
What learnings and frameworks from GMP have been most useful as you navigate your new role?
SD: The experimentation and innovation module helped me rethink my weaknesses, and the geopolitical session strengthened my passion for international relations, including how to navigate them as an individual and an organization. The interactions with my learning group and classmates have changed the way I manage my direct and indirect teams. The two most important questions I ask almost daily are:
- How can my organization or I make a difference and make this world a better place?
- How can I bring purpose into my organization and ensure every individual feels empowered to contribute to our project?
FS: I had been leading the finance function in various organizational dimensions and thought that I had a holistic view on the organization through my mergers & acquisitions background. The exposure to thought leaders in so many different areas and industries encouraged me to see opportunities more easily in my sector, approach projects with excitement, and instill confidence in my teams—moving from a "capital is scarce" approach to more of an "opportunities are scarce" mindset.
What were some of your favorite experiences during the program?
SD: It's difficult to pick! The live exercises in negotiation, brain-stretching classes, numerous social gatherings, sessions at the fitness center, and the magical atmosphere of the Baker Library are a few that come to mind. The entire HBS experience is like La Mecca of Education, where nothing is left to coincidence.
Overall, GMP is a human experience, where the hard skills were, for me, less than half. My big gains were the soft skills.
FS: The on-campus experience was most memorable. We had so many insightful and motivating discussions during classes and in the evenings, that I not only learned a lot about my colleagues, their cultures, and their businesses, but also was motivated to go back and contribute to my environment, professionally and personally.
How would you summarize the program's value to others who are considering applying to GMP?
SD: As in any experience, you'll get out what you're ready to bring in! It's life changing if you're ready and open to it. Some people have a lightbulb moment on campus during the program, while for others, it clicks later. Last precious advice: DO read your cases!
FS: I've always been a curious person and wanted to bring my professional experience into academia and vice versa. HBS is at the intersection of this. Its state-of-the-art research is highly applicable in everyday situations. The personal connections and the network reignited my curiosity. This still holds true years after finishing the program through the great alumni community and continued opportunities to interact and get insights from faculty.