Hendrik Buske
“Curious, service-driven leader who listens deeply, simplifies complexity, builds cohesive teams, and embraces growth”
Graduation Year: HEC Paris Class of 2024
Current Role: Director Customer Success Management at Serviceware SE
Why did you decide to pursue an Executive MBA?
I was motivated by a strong desire to keep growing, both personally and professionally. I had reached a point where I wanted to challenge my own thinking, step outside familiar patterns, and deliberately open myself up to new perspectives.
I expected an EMBA to sharpen my strategic capabilities, deepen my understanding of the forces shaping an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and expose me to topics beyond my day-to-day professional experience.
Equally important was the opportunity to learn alongside people with very different backgrounds, industries, cultures, and viewpoints. For me, pursuing an EMBA was not primarily about adding another qualification. It was about curiosity, personal development, and the decision to make another significant leap in my life and career.
What lead you to the HEC Paris EMBA, and how did you know this school and this program was the right fit for you?
My journey to the HEC Paris EMBA started almost by chance. In early 2022, I attended a short executive program at HEC Paris. During that experience, I came across the Executive MBA brochure, and something immediately clicked.
I was at a point in my life where I wanted to challenge myself again, grow beyond what I already knew, and deliberately expose myself to new perspectives, people, and ideas. HEC Paris felt like the right environment for exactly that.
What convinced me was the combination of academic excellence, international diversity, strategic depth, and a strong emphasis on leadership. I was not simply looking for another qualification. I wanted an experience that would challenge the way I think, broaden my view of the world, and help me grow both professionally and personally. The HEC Paris EMBA felt like the right fit from the very beginning.
How did you customize your learning experience?
I tailored my learning experience by making the most of the diversity around me and by choosing a specialization that was closely aligned with my own professional passion.
Although I could not choose my cohort, I felt incredibly fortunate from day one. It brought together people from across the world, from very different industries, cultures, and professional backgrounds. That diversity became one of the most valuable parts of the EMBA experience, constantly exposing me to perspectives very different from my own.
For my specialization, I chose Design and Deliver Exceptional Services. Service has always been at the heart of how I think and work, so I wanted to deepen my understanding, challenge my existing assumptions, and explore new approaches to service excellence.
I also made use of networking opportunities beyond my own cohort. Meeting participants from other groups and backgrounds further broadened my perspective and added another dimension to the learning experience.
How did you manage the EMBA alongside your professional and personal commitments?
Balancing the EMBA was definitely challenging, but the most demanding part was managing it alongside a very intense professional schedule.
My job involves significant responsibility and a great deal of travel, so most of the remote learning, preparation, and theoretical work had to happen outside regular working hours. That often meant long evenings and, at times, very late nights. Staying focused and disciplined over such an extended period was probably the trickiest part.
At the same time, I was fortunate to have strong support from my employer, particularly for the on-campus modules, which took place roughly every six to eight weeks and required me to be away for around two weeks. That support made a significant difference.
Ultimately, it was a constant exercise in prioritization, discipline, and making conscious choices about how to use my time.
What’s a standout memory from your time at HEC Paris?
What stands out most to me is not one single moment, but how the entire experience came together over time.
My cohort was a huge part of that. I had the privilege of meeting remarkable people from very different backgrounds, industries, and cultures, and learning with and from them throughout the program.
At the same time, I was deeply impressed by the quality of the content, both on campus and online. What fascinated me most was how the different subjects gradually connected. Module by module, ideas that initially seemed separate started to reinforce each other, and the bigger picture became increasingly clear.
Watching that puzzle come together intellectually, professionally, and through the people around me is probably what has stayed with me most.
How has the program helped you grow since graduating?
The program had a profound impact on me, both personally and professionally.
Personally, I became much more open-minded. Being surrounded by such a wide variety of people, perspectives, cultures, and professional backgrounds challenged many of my own assumptions and helped me grow well beyond the academic experience itself.
Professionally, I took on greater responsibility after completing the EMBA. More importantly, however, the program fundamentally changed the way I think. I became much less focused on individual issues in isolation and much more conscious of the broader context, the interdependencies, and the bigger picture behind decisions.
That shift in perspective has had a lasting influence on how I approach leadership, strategy, and complex situations today.
What are some of the biggest takeaways or skills you gained from the experience?
One of my biggest takeaways is the ability to step back and look at the bigger picture.
Before the EMBA, like many leaders, I was often deeply involved in individual topics and immediate challenges. The program taught me to look beyond the issue in front of me, understand the wider context and interdependencies, and approach decisions from a much more strategic perspective.
At the same time, I learned just as much from the people around me as I did from the academic content. Being exposed to such a diverse group of personalities, cultures, industries, and viewpoints made me more open, more curious, and more conscious of the fact that there is rarely only one way of looking at a problem.
The EMBA strengthened my strategic thinking, but perhaps even more importantly, it changed the way I listen, question, connect different perspectives, and ultimately lead.
What advice would you share with someone thinking about pursuing an Executive MBA?
If you are genuinely curious and feel that desire to grow, go for it! But go into it with the intention of fully embracing the experience.
An EMBA alongside a demanding career is not always comfortable. It requires discipline, commitment, and quite a few long evenings and late nights. But the value goes far beyond the academic content. Be open to the people around you, engage with perspectives that are different from your own, ask questions, participate, and make the most of every opportunity to learn.
And do not think that there is a perfect point in your career or life to do it. I made a very conscious decision to take another significant step later in my professional journey, and it turned out to be one of the most enriching experiences I have had.
If you are willing to challenge yourself, the HEC Paris EMBA can change much more than your CV. It can change the way you think.
DON’T MISS: 10 profiles of HEC Paris EMBA Alumni
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