MBA Holds Panel Discussion on Strategic Management

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On April 13, 2022, the AUA Manoogian Simone College of Business and Economics (CBE) Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program Chair Dr. Mane Beglaryan hosted a panel discussion featuring three MBA alumni who reflected on their successful journey through the corporate world. The focus of the dialogue was on the mindset, skills, and competencies gained in the program that had contributed the most to their career success.

The panel discussion was a dynamic examination of strategic management competencies and successfully synthesized the perspectives of three different groups: alumni, current students, and potential applicants. Besides sharing diverse viewpoints, the panelists also had the opportunity to intermingle, get to know one another, and hold smaller group or one-on-one conversations. The invited panelists were Hasmik Martirosyan, chief operating officer of Synergy (MBA ’11), Arpine Manukyan, assistant manager at Ernst & Young (MBA ’14), and Lilit Gaboyan, chief financial officer of Evocabank (MBA ’12). 

The central themes the discussants put forth included strategic foresight, agile management, and leadership. They maintained that these are the most essential characteristics for professional advancement in today’s corporate environment. The panelists shared their individual success stories, recounting how they made their way to senior leadership positions in the business world. Each of them placed substantial emphasis on the role the MBA program has played in their career growth, underscoring that the knowledge and competences they had acquired during their MBA studies at AUA had helped them develop essential strategic management skills that were instrumental in leading effectively, achieving the organizational goals, and maximizing the bottom lines of their respective firms.

The structure and efficiency of the MBA program allows people from various backgrounds and experiences to adapt quickly and get immersed in their studies, building a strong foundation and gradually acquiring relevant business skills. Summing up the purpose of the gathering, Dr. Beglaryan emphasized: “We organize these events to applaud the successes of our alumni and also to provide them with the opportunity to share their corporate journeys through the prism of the knowledge, competencies and mindset they developed in the MBA program. We believe that such events are informative for our prospective students and an opportunity for them to gauge their expectations from the program, experience the MBA in action, and connect with peers and the larger MBA community. What they learn through these events is an important determinant of their decision to pursue studies in our program.”

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.