Senior Strategic Communications Advisor
United Nations Development Program

TRIUM Global Executive MBA, Class of 2008
Diploma, Master of Business Administration

Northern Arizona
Diploma, International Affairs

Adam Rogers is a recent graduate from the class of 2008 who is currently the Senior Strategic Communications Advisor and Spokesperson for the United Nations Development Programme for Western Europe, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously the head the Communications and Public Information office at the United Nations Capital Development Fund, Adam assumed his new position upon graduating from TRIUM. He shared with us some of his thoughts on why he chose TRIUM and what return he realized from the program.

The benefits I received from the TRIUM program were far and above anything any other program could have offered me. I knew this going into it, from researching different EMBA options at more than a dozen other universities. When I discovered TRIUM, I didn’t even bother applying to anything else.

Adam was very focused on finding the right blend of senior professional peers to learn from and with throughout the program. It was the thought of his potential cohort that sold him on TRIUM.

“While other, seemingly similar programs offer an international student body and faculty, I knew that TRIUM would attract the kind of people I would want to travel around the world with. I wanted to study with and be around people who were not only serious about their business, but also interested in the people with whom they are doing business -- their politics, their cultures and their socio-economic issues. People who are attracted to TRIUM, both students and faculty, are globalists in the true sense of the word – they see the world as their home, and not just as their market.”

When it comes to selecting an executive MBA program one of the key criteria for senior level managers has always been return on investment. Pursuing an Executive MBA, especially a global one is an incredible commitment both fiscally and emotionally.

“TRIUM requires a huge investment, not just in terms of finances, but in time and energy. But the returns are phenomenal. My individual ROI can be measured in increased confidence and a firmer grasp of complex globalization issues, and a better understanding of corporate financial issues and business dynamics. It also provided me with a new conceptual framework through which to see the world, a framework replete with a constant flow of new ideas and opportunities. On a more mundane level, the degree also led to a promotion and a transfer to Geneva, a city I have always wanted to live in.”

Many TRIUM alumni, given their experience, go on to serve as brand ambassadors for the program. This can be attributed to the positive experience but also because helping to recruit the best new candidates simply means establishing over time an impressive global network of Alumni whom can continue to share ideas that have a profound effect on the world.

“I absolutely would recommend TRIUM – not just for anyone, but for those who are ready, able and willing to make the commitment to take their careers, and their lives, to the next level. While there are a host of reasons I would recommend the TRIUM program, the foremost of them are probably because of the combination of the US, British and French business traditions enriched by study in dynamic emerging market locations, the top-notch faculty and finally because of the amazing people the program attracts from all over the world.”

The Final term Project is another attribute of the TRIUM program that sets it apart from other EMBA programs. Taking professional experience and knowledge from the modules as well as the power of collaboration from the cohort leads to impressive results. Many alumni utilize this initiative as a launching pad for a new business endeavor, a good deal of which are not only very entrepreneurial in scope but socially minded as well.

“The Final Term Project was really the icing on the cake. Rather than selling an idea I created, I picked a team with whom I wanted to work and who were open to co-creating an idea. We are now in the process of incorporating the project and getting it funding. Whether or not it will turn into something that will pull me out of my public sector work at the United Nations remains to be seen. However, I would like to see it grow wings and fly.”

A less tangible measure of investment in the program often comes across in the way graduates view and address business challenges moving forward. It is a common theme to see an entrepreneurial spirit develop which quite often manifests itself in socially minded solutions. Adam when asked about his cohort and their approach noted:

“We are entrepreneurial but in a way that is at harmony with the world. Globalization which we study and apply during our tenure at TRIUM is rooted in change. To us change is good as it presents opportunity. We always felt we needed to be a part of change and embrace it.”

While this may not be a quantitative measure of return on an academic investment, most TRIUM alumni find this a key theme that leads to their success and personal fulfillment in their careers and in life. That is quite a return all in itself.

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Adam Rogers is the Strategic Communications Adviser for the Geneva Liaison Office of the United Nations Development Programme. In this capacity, he advises the organization on donor relations, advocacy and public affairs for Western Europe. UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources. It works through a network of 134 country offices, delivering $5 billion in development assistance annually to 174 countries.
Adam was born in Arizona, grew up in Canada's Yukon, and has lived and traveled in more than 100 countries worldwide. Aside from his TRIUM MBA, Adam also has an international affairs degree from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Alberta.