American University In Bulgaria

Taulant Mecaj (EMBA ’24) Driving Economic Growth in the Balkan Region Just as the main AUBG campus serves as a magnet for students throughout the region, the University’s EMBA program in Sofia is acquiring the same status. This AUBG ripple effect is getting noticed in the larger labor pool, particularly in nearby Albania. Taulant Mecaj, 35, decided he needed an advanced education in business. As a manager in a telecom firm in Tirana, technological innovation, competition and the demands of foreign owners made lifelong professional education a necessity. Already fluent in English, he learned about the AUBG EMBA and decided to apply. His wife encouraged him. A long road to success He was accepted a couple of years ago. Needing to be on campus every other week, for the next two years, he knew he needed plenty of self-discipline—and a good car. “I drove the eight and a half hours each way. I got to know that route so well. It was relatively easy. All I needed was my Albanian passport. Sometimes my parents looked after my two kids while my wife and I made the trip. Other times, we all traveled together. They had fun in Sofia, while I attended classes.” He was greatly relieved when during drives in winter he finally approached the border crossing in the dead of night. “I was so happy when I saw the guard post in the gloom. It meant better roads and Bulgarian roadside assistance if the car broke down.” It wasn’t easy. He was often bone tired, and the coursework challenging. Luckily, the program taught him to make more efficient use of his time, a skill that he deliberately sought. “The program really trains you on time management. You need it in my field, when as a manager, you’re constantly bombarded with simultaneous challenges. How do you prioritize? I’m much better at it now.” He also uses an app called Read that records his video calls, as he did for this interview with AUBG. It creates a transcript and produces a nifty summary with key points using AI. A feature includes an analysis of what meeting participants say, how they say it, and critiques their effectiveness. The business world and business education are rapidly evolving. All the more reason for continuous learning. Big on teamwork He said that in his previous education, the emphasis was on recall, not insights. “It’s more important to apply the knowledge to practice,” he said. “There’s a balance to be found, and we did this through heavy emphasis on teams which is the way modern organizations operate or should.” When he returned to his workplace in between course sessions, did he feel a dissonance between his newfound skills and attitudes and his colleagues who did not share his experiences in graduate school? “I fed things into the business as I learned them. I introduced small changes in small increments. I was purposely not a disruptive force but believe I’ve made a positive difference.” For sure management styles are different, and the post-Communist hangover still hangs heavy in the air. “I contribute to change and influence a lot of people.” There are 700 employees in the company which provides cell service and associated hardware. Mecaj is in charge of the retail unit. “I want to be a role model. Help people advance and develop. I want to act with a sense of democracy and fairness in the workplace and hope it will have even more impact by being reflected in the larger society. These are revolutionary ideas compared to what Albania was like when I was growing up. My kids live in a different world.” Would he consider sending the kids to AUBG for their undergraduate education? “I would, and while I was visiting Blagoevgrad during my graduation ceremony, I imagined how good it would have been if I had the chance in my past to have studied there. Enormous campus, great energy.” Borderless business education His deftness at time management precludes him from spending too much of it longing for what could have been. Instead, he’s thinking about what he’s learning can benefit others by working with and through AUBG. The first order of business is to get more Albanians to study business by crossing the border like he did. “In my belief we should have a more direct approach on targeting prospective students. Yes, we do awareness campaigns, however, we should identify in local high schools students that excel in results and showcase potential in terms of personal and professional growth. Our approach so far is in a way less direct. In addition, collaborations in business to business and business to government growth segments would add value to upskill employees that promise growth potential.” He’s confident that a virtuous circle can be created with more Albanians participating in AUBG undergraduate and graduate programs. The time is also ripe to assist the Albanian business startup culture, which has been gathering steam during the past few years. “We are a SoHo (Family Owned) based economy. So, by definition there are startups in our culture. We are mostly positioned in the service industry and retail. The biggest obstacles to further growth are access to and cost of financing, tax policies, EU Integration, and modernization of the tourism sector.” He said that there is significant need for more and better professional education and access to good, affordable education at all levels. All things AUBG is good at providing on the ground and via better pedagogy and policy. Albania and other countries in the region are adversely affected by people who leave for other countries in Europe. Good jobs go begging for qualified technical workers. “There is currently increased awareness among businesses to make compensation packages more attractive. In addition, there are initiatives from government in terms of retention of students, especially for critical sectors such as medicine. Many multinational companies are setting up in the region, offering good salaries and training. This attracts people to come back home. The diaspora is also very active by providing money and expertise. Emigration is not a zero-sum game.” In four or five years, Mecaj says he’ll have the maturity and business acumen to run for public office in Albania, another area where there is much good to be done, especially in economic development. For now, he wants to focus on strengthening the AUBG alumni network in his country. “The AUBG connections are fantastic. Being in the same classroom and discovering together how things work. People are eager to share and to keep in touch. I made a lot of friends who will remain such during the next phase of our lives.”

AUBG EMBA Student Ljupka Tancheva on the Benefits of the Program Ljupka, who is originally from North Macedonia, is an accomplished civil engineer with professional experience coming from several countries in the region. Currently a Cost / Commercial Manager based in Sofia, Ljupka decided to further enhance her knowledge with the AUBG EMBA Program. We spoke to her to learn more about her motivation behind this decision, her experience as an international student and her future career plans. Professional experience I hold a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the state university in Skopje, North Macedonia. Immediately after graduating, I spent 6 months on one of the biggest construction sites in the world – Ilisu Dam in Southeastern Turkey. This was a unique chapter which allowed me to experience living in a remote place at first hand, far away from everything and everyone I knew. The project team of consulting engineers was very international and, as I often say, I learned a bit about engineering and a lot about life. After this, I continued my career in Skopje, first working for a property developer and then working in the tendering department in the biggest construction company in North Macedonia, where I participated in the preparation of bids for public procurement procedures. During this period and based on my experience, I started realizing that I am willing to continue my career in consultancy, preferably in an international environment, so I started exploring the possibilities. After attending various networking events and sending numerous e-mails and applications, I have received a job offer from a Bulgarian consultant with extensive professional experience in England. I made up my mind and moved to Belgrade, as part of the Bulgarian-Serbian supervision team of the reconstruction of two main boulevards and one roundabout in the city center. The project was very intense and challenging and it brought me a lot of knowledge. I was lucky enough to have not just a manager, but a true mentor with immense passion for his job. Being the only person on the project able to communicate in both Bulgarian and Serbian as well as English was a great advantage, and it made me realize the importance of communication when doing business. My main tasks were related to assistance with contract and claims management, preparation of payment certificates, reporting and monitoring the project budget and program. Upon completion of this project, I moved to Sofia more than four years ago. I continued to work in the field of contract management and preparation of bids for supervision services in the region. In 2019, I worked as a consultant to a German contractor responsible for the construction of a railway and systems for signaling and communications in North Macedonia, providing contract and claims management services. Later that year, I got an offer to work as cost / commercial manager for an international project management company with offices in Sofia and I have decided to go for it. This brought me the opportunity to work on several Bulgarian retail, hospitality and office projects with clients from the private sector. I am glad to say that this gave me insight into the world of construction project management on the Bulgarian market and allowed me to meet with amazing professionals, some of them being my colleagues and collaborators, others my clients. Why EMBA at AUBG? After completing my Bachelor’s degree, I was fully focused on building my professional experience. To my understanding, a master's degree and especially an executive one requires maturity, life challenges faced and ability to see the bigger picture in every aspect of life. For me, it was very important to first find my place in the wide world of civil engineering, as there is a number of career paths that a civil engineer could take. Once I realized that I am very inclined toward project management and in particular its procurement, contractual and financial aspect, there was no doubt that an EMBA program would add to my knowledge, skills and aspirations. Naturally, I did research on the business schools in the region and the type of programs they offer and after careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation decided to apply for the EMBA Program offered by AUBG. My father, who is a university professor himself and taught me from an early age the importance of education and one of my mentors in Sofia, who is a civil engineer with an MBA degree, are my strong support system. I appreciate the structure and clear presentation of the Program as well as the fact that it is delivered in Sofia. My initial contact with members of the admission team was very encouraging and they were very helpful and welcoming. I find studying in Sofia, the place where I live and work and which feels like home since the first day, very beneficial, as it enhances my already strong sense of belonging to this city and society. EMBA: Challenging and rewarding Our cohort is from a broad range of industries, and I am genuinely impressed by the experience and contribution from the class. It is clear that we all have very similar goals and willingness to share our experiences. Classes are taught with passion and many of the professors are truly inspiring. What is also rewarding is how our critical thinking is encouraged and how we are continuously reminded of our potential for achievements as future leaders. The most challenging part for me would be the fact that I have no business background due to which I try to dedicate as much time as possible for course preparation. I strongly believe that in today’s fast-paced world, every person should strive for financial literacy. Future plans My short-term goal is to rise to a senior management role in the consulting industry, and in order to achieve that I need the operations and management skills that the AUBG EMBA Program has to offer. Also, working together with future leaders at AUBG will surely help me polish up my leadership style. The skills and the network acquired, along with my industry experience, will help me achieve my long-term goal to lead a consultancy company, re-shape its business, and drive competitiveness through innovation, high performance, and talent development. Taking into consideration my experience and interest in the Eastern European market, I would like to define a strategy for various countries in this region that will include multifunctional consultancy services offered and directly managed by a centralized organization. In addition, and as a response to the current pandemic situation, I would like to define a sustainable strategy in the direction of cultivating new client relationships and strengthening existing ones during these challenging times. Piece of advice Think it through and allow the idea to grow in you. Discuss it with supportive people from your circle and someone who has already obtained such a degree. Be prepared to get outside of your comfort zone and feel a bit overwhelmed at times. A strong incentive is of utmost importance. Finally, take a deep breath and enjoy the journey.