Copenhagen’s Blue MBA – a success story

With a good number of graduates whom we consider as our ambassadors and with their help we shall make constant efforts to nurture the community spirit of the Blue MBA and find resources to live up to our reputation as the best Executive MBA in Shipping and Logistics in the world. We take great pride in our Blue MBA graduates who come from a variety of cultural, professional and academic backgrounds, a very dynamic and talented group who share a common goal for the pursuit of excellence in their professional lives and a dedication to the improvement of the different aspects of the maritime industry.
We draw our strength largely from the support of our graduates. They help us recruiting the right profile of participants, mentoring, coaching and guiding students with a great enthusiasm… they simply enrich our Blue MBA community.
Our Advisory Board
Our Advisory Board Members, although very senior individuals occupying senior, decision-making positions within their respective companies and representing different segments of the most prosperous industries in the world, they take time to help us advance our program …. they let us know when they think things are going well and give us straight talk when they think things are on the wrong track.

Our current class
For an Executive MBA program such as the Blue MBA which does not consider its participants as students but partners in its growth process, it is not surprising that the class feels more like associates of the program, and the Blue MBA the community where they belong. It has been essential to make an effort to offer the best to our participants and create an environment that supports the philosophy of an open, caring and team-based community that is the foundation for such a cooperative environment.
The nature of shipping industry dictates an international perspective and this industry, in order to stay competitive, must be regulated constantly not only by the domestic but also international requirements. The Blue MBA has always strived to reflect the international and diverse nature of this industry in the composition of not only its faculty, advisors, coaches but also its student body. The current class comprises of 35 students from 16 different countries with a diverse professional background which represents all the segments of the industry.
Together, this group, acquire knowledge of the industries and branches they serve, perform industrial analyses with the aim to understand how industry is developing, and its future needs. They carry out competitor and market monitoring activities, acquire the knowledge to understand the drivers of competition, diversification of products and services and the ability to react to change in commercial conditions.
The Norwegian interest
During the last couple of intakes we have seen an increased interest from our Norwegian colleagues; today we have as many Norwegians as Danes. This is probably due to a couple of reasons. One reason is that The Blue MBA offers a unique global environment reflecting the very nature of this industry both in terms of diversity in the presence of representative from all the different segments of the industry as well as the professional background of the participants, world class lectures, coaches, and others involved. At the same time participants, through The Blue MBA will have the opportunity of having access to a very impressive network which is second to none. On the other hand, the growth of the offshore industry in Norway which is a leading country in this sector, and the new developments in the area of oil exploration and production in deep water have enhanced floating structures which are more and more influenced by the shipping industry. Hence, the program is also of great interest to the offshore sector.
Our Research Center
Our newly established research Research Center for Maritime Transport, Management and Logistics which is an integral part of our Blue MBA is to serve as the research base for the program, as well as being a source of providing support and enhancing the up-to-datedness of the curricula. The research center will play a major role in meeting the current and anticipated needs within the industry.
We make efforts, both through our Blue MBA as well as through our Research Center for Maritime Transport, Management and Logistics, to contribute to the Danish National aspiration to make Denmark the Shipping Capital of the World.
Some testimonials:
“The Blue MBA program provides a shipping and logistics specific foundation to further build your career on. The recruitment of many management positions in shipping has traditionally been to offer the best Masters and Chief Engineers a shore-based position. It is imperative to have insights in how to operate a ship, however, it is equally important to have a thorough understanding of the market, the business environment and how to manage and lead people. I therefore see the Blue MBA program as the perfect opportunity for people with technical and sailing background to boost their shipping careers. Although branch specific, the Blue MBA topics within leadership and economics are of a universal nature, the program is therefore very well suited for other industries that support the shipping industry.”
John Christen Jensen, General Manager, Barber Ship Management (BSM), Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, Norway (Graduate, Class of 2005).
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“This Executive MBA prepares leaders for a shipping industry which is not a secluded maritime activity focused on technology anymore, but an integrated part of the international commerce which requires world-class management and leadership skills for a global industry.”
Peter Bjerregaard, Managing Director, Danish Shipowners Association
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“I constantly use the toolbox I acquired at CBS attending the Blue MBA. Everything from my personal leadership abilities to my strategic analysis capabilities are put on the test every day. And not to forget the network of maritime professionals that includes team-mates, professors, experts and the whole alumni group of the Blue MBA.”
Mikkel Bronnum Hansen, Senior General Manager, AP Møller-Mærsk, Denmark (Graduate, Class of 2005).