Class of 2014

Eva Kienle

Eva was already a corporate veteran with extensive management experience when she decided it was time to refresh her view of the world.

Globalization had changed the world significantly since the beginning of the century, new markets were emerging, and innovation and product and service development were getting faster and faster; I wanted to better understand and get an insight into the roots and consequences – current and future – of these changes

Eva, a native of Stuttgart, is Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Board of KWS SAAT SE, a global agricultural company headquartered in Einbeck, Germany, that breeds and produces seeds of many varieties. Her areas of responsibility cover the global leadership of finance, controlling, IT, HR, legal, procurement, and shared services. Previously, she worked for Unilever and Walmart.

After researching several EMBA programs that could potentially provide the experience she wanted, Eva chose TRIUM both because the time away from her job was minimal and high-quality and because <em>a program that was out of the ordinary was of higher interest to me than the classical Ivy League EMBAs.</em> Last but not least, she adds, the modules in China and India distinguished TRIUM from other two-site programs.

Upon meeting her cohort at TRIUM, Eva was instantly taken by her classmates. “Everyone was very open and had an eager-to-learn attitude,” she recalls. “We connected right away. We share the same set of values.” As the months passed and personalities, working styles, and attitudes emerged, her relationships deepened, especially with those with whom she worked closely.

It was very interesting to understand the thinking and working patterns, as well as the professional backgrounds, of my direct team members for the pre- and post-module work

The work/life balance was challenging: Eva is a mother of three school-age children, and quality time with them became extra-special. “Having strong support, not only from your private surroundings, but also from your employer or your business partners is essential! My husband was literally taking care of everything regarding family life and logistics, and fortunately I had no really big topics or projects in my job.”

TRIUM has helped Eva sharpen her performance at work in several ways. For instance, “The insights gained from my personal ‘profile’ and leadership feedback helped me very much in setting up a clear action list for interacting with my direct reports,” she says. And TRIUM’s emphasis on strategic planning has strengthened her contribution as a member of KWS’s Executive Board. Significantly, though Eva finished the program last year, the TRIUM community remains a part of her life.

I regularly talk or meet with a handful of former TRIUM classmates, plus I have a ‘travel list’ with the location of my classmates: if possible, I try to schedule a coffee or a dinner with them if I travel to their place – if time allows. Some TRIUM students from earlier or later classes have reached out to me for specific questions, so if I can, I help them with their issue, thus leveraging the TRIUM network.