Roberto D'Amico

Online Masters in Business Administration (MBA), 2020

Why did you choose to study an online MBA?
After taking the decision to embark on an MBA, I had to decide what format would fit my needs and especially my life. I needed a program that would flex around my life rather than the opposite, and the online option is perfect in that sense. It offers the possibility to learn nearly anywhere and at any possible moment of the day.

On top of this, current technology allows us to easily connect to each other and access information from any place in the world. Therefore, reaching fellow students and professors as well as listening to a lecture and reading a paper becomes easy.

What made you choose to study at Heriot-Watt?
Edinburgh Business School (EBS) provides its students with an incomparable level of flexibility, and flexibility was top priority for me.

During my MBA I had to cope with several changes in my life - changing position and company, and becoming a father, just to name a couple. I was looking for a program that could adapt to my life and facilitate learning, rather than creating rigid schedules.

EBS offers the opportunity to study each course self-paced, yet it provides support from the faculty whenever it is needed, plus a huge network of MBA students and professionals to rely on.

Also, EBS offers online MBA students the possibility to join live as well as distance lectures. Having all this freedom allowed me to focus on learning rather than adding more complexity to my life, and when I look back it was a good choice.

Another decisive factor was the structure of the program. I was looking for something lean in terms of subjects but at the same time comprehensive and deep. I found the EBS offering very attractive because it matched these requirements. Especially the fact that accounting, economics and finance were all extensively covered in three separate modules was important for me. These subjects are of extreme importance to address business and strategic problems and I wanted a deep dive.

How would you summarise your time studying an online MBA with the Edinburgh Business School?
It was intense. Lots of learning, tight scheduling and long nights but I would say very rewarding. It is not just about reaching a goal after some hard work, it is also about going through a journey during which you feel enriched at every step you take.

Tell us about your career since graduating from Heriot-Watt.
For the largest part of my studies at EBS, I worked as a product manager for a leading company in the field of measurement solutions. I held this role until the end of 2020, when I moved to a business development position. In this position I create the bridge between the market and technology, plus I am responsible for the long-term strategic development of my business area.

How has your online MBA benefited you professionally?
In my daily job I need many – if not all – of the subjects that I have been taught in the MBA.

The key contribution lies in giving all subjects an inter-connected structure and the right level of depth. I think this is important in today´s world. Sometimes managers miss this holistic approach and, in the worst cases, this results in poor decision making. So, I would say that so far the MBA has contributed to making me a more skilled and knowledgeable professional, who can tackle a business problem from various perspectives.

This has high value for me, especially today when the business world is more complex than ever.

How has your online MBA benefited you personally?
One benefit is certainly the steep learning curve on topics which are applicable to aspects of my life other than work. Another benefit is the possibility of accessing a huge network of students and alumni all over the world.

What advice do you have for current students?
Set your goals carefully. Choose and shape them well. Those are the ones that will give you motivation and will make you run the extra mile. The rest is simply hard work and commitment.

What is your lasting impression of Heriot-Watt University?
Since the very first moment, Edinburgh Business School gave me the impression of an institution highly geared towards spreading high-level learning opportunities as much as possible and especially beyond physical distance.