Marko Hantula’s thesis on the
strategic development of maintenance-service product offerings has been
chosen as the best Executive MBA Thesis of 2016 by the team of Avance programme
managers. Congratulations!
How was your
overall experience of working on the EMBA thesis?
In retrospect, doing my EMBA thesis was a fantastic, iterative journey that
integrated the areas of business, strategy and management. A lot of reflection
was needed over the theme, title and approach. Furthermore, there were changes in
my organization and job description during the writing process, which affected
the topic and approach. However, right at the beginning of the programme I knew
that I would focus on the subject area of strategy in my thesis. This choice was
chiefly based on my personal need to grow in the area of strategic management
and, naturally, on the benefits of strategic business growth to the company.
What were your
central learning experiences?
The EMBA thesis helped me understand how important a balanced and realizable
strategy is for a company, as well as how important it is to find and promote the
company’s competitive advantage in the market. Viability is an integral part of
a strategy, and even a ‘good’ strategy is not good if its implementation stumbles.
I also learned to analyse company operations from a long-term strategic
perspective and came to understand how challenging it is to create and
implement a strategy in the context of ownership, management and market changes.
In the area of management and leadership, my strengths have been in management
and execution. My most significant personal learning took place in the area of leadership
– in other words, with people – when I learned to engage people in joint
activities and to understand how essential it is to do so. All of this taught
me calmness and enabled me to develop a vision for my own management and
leadership.
What in
particular did you learn about strategic management through your EMBA project?
I learned to view strategic management as an entity in which the strategy
process is as participatory as possible. The strategy is compiled and developed
through a process. Over the course of the process, the staff members also learn
from the strategy and commit to it, which makes implementation easier. I
understand a strategy more and more as winning logic and as discovery and
development of competitive edge. A winning strategy must also be based on the long-term
utilisation of competitive ability, which must be pursued systematically.
What are your
tips for future authors of EMBA theses?
The theme chosen for your thesis should be challenging – an area in
which you want to develop and which benefits you and your company. It is good
to examine the topic and content with your supervisor when choosing it and to
use the supervisor’s advice in the work. Try to define a key question that you
want to answer in your thesis as well as a thread that is easy to follow. Then
you just need an open mind to take on the challenge. Good luck!
What is going on
in your life?
Everything is just fine. I got plenty of new challenges in December 2016
when I began to work with Valmet Technologies Ltd. In January 2017, I moved to
the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Valmet is opening a new maintenance centre here,
and I am in charge of the maintenance business and its further development at
Valmet Indonesia. My family is moving here in August, and my children will
start school here after the summer holidays.
What are your
greetings to the Avance network?
I am grateful to my former work supervisor, my thesis supervisor, the entire
Avance personnel, my cooperation partners, classmates, and all the fantastic
people I met on the way for all the help and sparring. This has been a
fantastic, positive and energising journey!
The EMBA programme provided excellent opportunities for creating and
expanding networks. My own LinkedIn network grew by hundreds of great experts
and managers from different fields. I encourage everyone to create networks
during the programme as well as afterwards. Irrespective of your field and task,
the challenges in business are alike. Through the network and background
created in the programme, all of us now have better chances to discuss and
resolve challenges.
Best regards to the entire Avance network!
Marko Hantula
Head of Services, maintenance
services at Valmet Technologies Ltd,
Valmet Indonesia
Valmet Indonesia
Interviewer: Ari Manninen, Avance Executive
Education
Translated from Finnish by University of Jyväskylä
Language Centre / Language Services (kielipalvelut@jyu.fi)
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