The Executive Education program at Munich Business School (MBS) has also not been spared by the Corona crisis. Some seminars were postponed to a later date due to their nature, which requires a presence format, while others were successfully converted to online formats. This was also the case with the Certified M&A Manager course, which MBS offers in cooperation with the established Controller Institut.
The in-service training course for Certified M&A Manager is aimed at all those who wish to round off their commercial training and are active in the field of mergers and acquisitions. MBS and the Vienna Controller Institut offer a seven-part modular seminar for precisely this target group, which can be completed over a period of four months. Interested parties can either book the course as an all-round package or register for individual modules.
Course start in Munich was already on February 17, 2020. When the situation worsened due to the coronavirus and in mid-March restrictions were imposed in both Austria and Germany, it was clear that measures would have to be taken to ensure the ongoing course operation. In fact, the two cooperation partners had already discussed this scenario – also due to Austria’s small “lead” in terms of restrictions – and were thus able to react quickly and professionally.
Within a very short period of time, the planned presence modules had to be converted for online implementation. So far, the teams of MBS and the Controller Institut had not yet implemented such a transformation project of this dimension and with such tight time management – the next module was already scheduled for March 16 and 17. “The time for decisions was very short and it was not always possible to analyse all scenarios as usual and to weigh up different perspectives. This kind of cooperation demanded a lot of commitment, spontaneity and self-organization from everyone in the team,” explains Clemens Nachbauer, head of program management of the Controller Institut. “The fact that the online changeover was carried out successfully shows that the teams of MBS and the Controller Institut are working well together and that there is sufficient mutual trust as a basis. In such a situation, demands for perfection and personal sensitivities must be pushed into the background.”
New tools were quickly tested and implemented. It was also crucial to get the trainers on board and train them: without their commitment, the rapid changeover would not have been possible. The trainers and heads of seminars had to ensure that the content would also work online or adapt it if necessary. “Webinar instead of seminar – for me as a lecturer that was a leap in the dark. But a worthwhile one! No technical problems at all – and despite the unusual way of presenting, a surprisingly positive experience,” says Andreas Hable, trainer in the M&A Manager seminar. Besides the trainers, the participants had to be informed at the same time.
In the end, Munich Business School and the Controller Institut can now look back on a successful conversion to the online format, which is also appreciated by the participants, as Larissa W. reports: “All in all, given the difficult circumstances, the conversion to an online course was very successful. I was able to follow the content well and enjoyed the lectures very much. The digital availability of the documents was also given. The medium GoToMeeting seems to be well suited for the lectures. In general, I appreciate very much that MBS and the Controller Institute opted for this solution in time before the travel restrictions were tightened and that it was communicated quickly.”
The remaining three modules as well as the Case Challenge will also take place exclusively online until the end of the course on May 18. Interested persons will find further information about the still open contents and registration here.
About the Controller Institut
More than 35 years ago, the Controller Institut was established as the first address for further education and training in controlling, finance and management as well as a partner for competence development in companies and organisations. Originating as a spin-off of WU, it quickly developed into an independent and successful organization. Today, the Controller Institut is a recognized educational partner for business, non-profit organizations and public administration. Every year, more than 5,600 participants attend the Controller Institut’s application-oriented courses, seminars, conferences and in-house trainings. All programs are based on a generic competence model developed in cooperation with leading experts in the field.
Since fall 2017, Munich Business School and the Controller Institut have been strategic cooperation partners, and can thus offer a joint portfolio of executive education programs in Munich. An overview of the courses offered in cooperation with the Controller Institut can be found on the MBS website.
