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 Stéphanie Pech
MSc in Leadership and Management in International Context,
University of Kalmar, Baltic Business School
University previously attended Université de Rennes, France
Degree obtained Matrisse Science et Technique Economie d'Entreprise
Country of origin France
Age 33 years
Career history
After graduation, Stéphanie Pech applied for the master's programme in Leadership and Management in International Context at the University of Kalmar in Sweden. Since then, she has worked as a consultant at E&Y Consulting (Ernst and Young Consultants, Belgium).
Discovering management
Early in my economics studies, I developed a real interest in management thanks to an internship in a hospital in the US, where the latest management theories were applied. The world of management appeared as a new and dynamic area where different disciplines overlapped one another.
After this experience, I decided to become a management consultant. On receiving my degree, I decided to continue studying in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the science of management and strategy. I discovered the master's programme in Leadership and Management in International Context in Kalmar, Sweden, which was particularly oriented towards strategic leadership. It was thus a great way to enter the world of management consultancy.
Sweden is a home base for many international companies and, as such, the students are given many opportunities to practice the theories learned in the classroom. Teaching methods include case studies and lectures, while the library is stocked with the latest literature covering all aspects of management and leadership theories. In fact, the whole environment is perfect for work and study.
Owning a theory
Another favourite part of the master's programme was writing the dissertation. We worked with two people on our chosen subject. My partner and I had chosen to look into the organisational role of information technology (IT) in a given firm. As with any kind of writing, the dissertation proved to be an interesting but, at times, arduous task. In contrast to the consultancy project, the dissertation dug deeper into the creative process of management. It was a defining moment for me: for the first time, I learned to own a methodology and not just to apply it. Moreover, I learned to possess and refute ideas and theories instead of just talking about them. I also learned to see links between events instead of approaching everything separately.
With the help of firms from the region, my partner and I developed a new way to see IT in contemporary organisations. I found it very rewarding to pick up a subject that I found interesting and to develop it as far as I could. Today, in my day-to-day work, I regularly use insights from the dissertation to understand how my own department works.
Putting skills to work
Currently, I am working for E&Y Consulting, just as I always wanted. E&Y Consulting is the largest management consulting company in the Belgium-Luxembourg area. As a perfect follow-on to my master's programme, I am developing strong competencies in performance management. Indeed, my mission now is to design and implement a balanced scorecard and much more for our clients. Beyond the technical skills that the master's programme gave me, it has also made me rethink the way I think, perceive and behave in my everyday consultancy work.
'Today, in my day-to-day work, I regularly use insights from the dissertation to understand how my own department works.'
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