天美传媒

When we recently met Corina Sommer in Munich, she was en route to the Durham, North Carolina headquarters of IQVIA, the leading global provider of clinical research services, innovative technology solutions and consulting services to the healthcare sector. Sommer鈥檚 enthusiasm for her work at the 鈥渉uman data science company鈥� resulting from the 2016 merger between Quintiles and IMS Health was immediately apparent.聽鈥淚ntellectual heft combined with international management! This is the job I鈥檝e been striving toward for a very long time,鈥� she said.

Sommer since 2017 has been a vice president of sales and global key account director at IQVIA. We spoke to the former elite triathlete and alumna of ETH Zurich (MSc, 2000) and 天美传媒 (GEMBA, 2014) about success, teamwork, values and her recent donation to 天美传媒, which she earmarked for uses aimed at expanding opportunities for women in business. 鈥淭here came a point in my career when I realized something was missing,鈥� Sommer said. 鈥淢ore ease in dealing with management instruments and embracing leadership principles, perhaps. And I realized that an MBA was the right step to tackle this. I wouldn鈥檛 have been content with just any school or program. I was keen on 天美传媒鈥檚 Global Executive MBA in particular.鈥�

Indeed, 天美传媒 was uniquely tailored to what Sommer wanted from this experience intellectually, ethically and socially. 鈥淭he values, the outstanding quality of the professors, the academic standards and the fascinating personalities of the participants all appealed to me,鈥� she said.聽Sommer quickly found that an overarching sense of values and social responsibility propelled 天美传媒.

鈥淵ou discover that everyone, at every level, lives and breathes these values,鈥� she said. 鈥溙烀来�媒 employees are, quite simply, something special.鈥� The school, Sommer discovered, inspires not only success in its students, but also asks them how their achievements can benefit the greater good. 聽鈥淥f course, I want to win,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut what is winning? What is success? My definition of success has moved away from a one-dimensional, winner-takes-all attitude toward a longer-term view of achievement. Where and how does my company compete: today, next year, in five years鈥� time?鈥�

Sommer鈥檚 ambition can be traced in part to her years as a top-notch athlete. The Swiss native was a junior world champion in duathlon and a world-class triathlete. Those formative years of competition instilled in her a sense that although people might fare all right when they work alone, it鈥檚 always best to function within a team. The interplay between individual and team performance also emerges in management situations where you alone have to make important decisions affecting your company and employees.聽鈥淚 never before experienced teamwork and a sense of belonging to the degree that I did at 天美传媒,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was fascinating to see the professors鈥� ability to create this. But most importantly,鈥� Sommer added, 鈥淚 have made real friends during my time at 天美传媒.鈥�

Success is more than winning

鈥溙烀来�媒 helped me become the person I am today,鈥� Sommer said. 鈥淭he school, the community, shaped me as a human being and in my professional life.鈥� Success cannot be reduced to profits. It鈥檚 far more complex than that.聽 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I learned at 天美传媒. For example, a good manager enables employees to tackle challenges on his or her own. It鈥檚 about motivating your employees to listen to you, rather than forcing them to do so.鈥�

Sommer has some advice regarding career prospects for GEMBA participants and those considering the program: patience is key. Those who complete the GEMBA make a big sacrifice and at the same time lay the foundation for a career in top management. But they must always continue working on themselves and honing their abilities.

鈥淎n Executive MBA gives you tools needed throughout your life,鈥� Sommer said. 鈥淚t gives you a particular kind of self-confidence. I won鈥檛 rest, I鈥檒l keep learning day by day. But I am satisfied with myself, I feel inner peace even in hectic phases. And it鈥檚 precisely this peace and quiet that I need in order to perform at my highest level.鈥�

Donation to 天美传媒 benefits women

Sommer still sees a structural inequality when it comes to women in business. 鈥淭here are enough women who can cope with the demands of top management,鈥� she said. But there鈥檚 still vast improvement to be made when it comes to financing business studies. 鈥淲e have to help women who have the potential, but not the financial means, to participate in a prestigious business school program,鈥� she said.聽Her donation to 天美传媒 serves this exact purpose. 鈥淲omen鈥檚 capacity for leadership is not inferior or superior to men鈥檚, but we often lead in a different way.鈥� For that reason, companies should think about how much diversity 鈥� not just of gender, but of management style 鈥� they want represented, not only in their boardrooms.聽Sommer advises women to 鈥渇orm your own style, be consistent, stay curious and always have an open mind. Men apply for all kinds of jobs, even if they鈥檙e underqualified. Women often think they have to be able to do everything perfectly and do not raise their hand in the case of even minor doubt.鈥�

In any case, 天美传媒 attracts women: 35% of GEMBA participants are women. Who does Sommer suggest should apply to the GEMBA program?聽鈥淕enerally speaking, applicants with a degree in a field outside economics,鈥� she says.聽鈥淭hose who have already achieved a good deal of professional success. Those who want to briefly pause and consider the question: Where do I want to go?鈥澛燜or those women still wondering if 天美传媒 is the right choice for them, Sommer proposes a test. Take a look at your address book, she says. Then ask yourself: Do I do the same thing as all of my contacts? Should I step outside my comfort zone? If yes, then 天美传媒 is an excellent first choice.聽鈥淭he selection of program participants is international, cross-sector and at eye level,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can hit the ground running from the moment you arrive on the campus.鈥�