Thomas Wiegelmann, Managing Director of BLUE Asset Management in Munich, recognizes that there is much to learn from the expertise and experiences of the world's leading business owners and the wide knowledge of HBS's renowned faculty. That's why he enrolled in the Owner/President Management program at Harvard Business School, an investment that he now considers one of the best he has ever made. He discusses aspects of the first unit of the program that surprised him, impressed him, and changed the way he thinks.
I treasure the time I spent participating in OPM. It was an inflection point in my life. I now know why this is a flagship Executive Education program at HBS. The facilities were superb, and I thoroughly enjoyed the diverse and intense curriculum. The professors were very impressive and at the top of their field, with a teaching methodology that was completely relevant to the real world. I appreciated their openness with one-on-one discussions and expert advice on the projects and ideas I was working on. I found the case study method to be refreshing and particularly valuable because I could compare my thought process with those of others during classroom discussions. The overall program and support team were excellent.
Networking was valuable from a professional standpoint, but it was my classmates' real-life experiences and diverse backgrounds that broadened my perspective. I developed solid relationships with many of my classmates, and some of these relationships have the potential to flourish into lifelong friendships. We often meet or email each other, and they are becoming something like a personal board of directors whose judgment I trust. This was an inestimable feature of OPM, and it's something I did not expect.
When I enrolled in OPM, I had several objectives. I wanted to gain a broader global perspective by exposing myself to insights and best practices from a wide range of industries across the globe. At BLUE Asset Management, we invest in real estate for international institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and larger family offices. Aiming to grow the company--now with approximately $1.5 billion in assets under management—I sought insights into market dynamics and investment trends in other industries and from the high-profile real estate professionals who participate in OPM. I wanted to learn from the exceptional faculty at HBS about their academic and empirical work and case studies. Also, I wanted to expand my network with business owners and the wider HBS community, and to learn from their real-life experiences and expertise. And, of course, I wanted to enjoy Harvard with its vibrant, international, and intellectual campus.
Among the highlights were the invigorating energy and entrepreneurial spirit of OPM and its participants, which were contagious and still inspire me in my daily life. I came back to Munich with a fresh and holistic framework, and I was full of ideas.
The program provided a great platform for learning and discussing entrepreneurial frameworks, tools, and perspectives, which are helpful in identifying opportunities and crafting business models. I gained immensely from the life cases, which focused on how successful entrepreneurs make use of business model analytics to turn a viable opportunity into a focused strategy and initiative. I specifically enjoyed the finance-related part of OPM and the lessons on managing financial resources strategically.
Also, the negotiation seminar was very useful for me. The real-world negotiations within our groups were enriching and well structured. Building on the latest research and best practices, the negotiation class went beyond simplistic formulas such as "win-win" and "win-lose," and instead provided practical, intensive, and transformative techniques that today help me reflect on my own negotiation style.
Discussions with faculty and my classmates further sensitized me to how disruption is continuously afoot in almost every industry. Since the real estate industry and the wider finance sector will experience significant impact from disruptive technologies in the coming years, learning more about them was very helpful.
OPM provided me with structure and an in-depth understanding of entrepreneurship, finance, and the management of business processes. The curriculum addressed cross-cultural experiences, which are so important in today's business environment and within my industry, which is becoming more and more global in terms of capital flows. Expanding my knowledge of key business frameworks and approaches allows me to better analyze and respond to trends in the real estate asset management sector and as a result, anticipate how the industry landscape may evolve and affect my organization.
There were a few surprises. I was amazed at how much content was covered in just three weeks, and at the way the program's comprehensive format enabled me to develop on professional, intellectual, and personal levels. I was also impressed with the world-class OPM faculty and the open access to Harvard's larger faculty community. And it was striking to have the opportunity to engage and collaborate with 160 outstanding business owners from over 40 countries. These interactions challenged my assumptions on diversity, offering a platform for growth opportunities and new business ideas. Learning from this collective experience was wonderful.
I am thrilled to be joining the ranks of nearly 5,000 OPM alumni and the wider global HBS community. Overall, OPM has been one of my best investments.
