The lasting impact of EMBA studies on leadership thinking

Before starting his EMBA studies, Pirinen had worked extensively with companies facing challenging turnaround situations. This hands-on experience had taught him to tackle problems and develop tailored solutions, often requiring considerable creativity and ingenuity. The EMBA programme broadened his perspective and changed the way he approached leadership.

“Above all, the EMBA changed the way I see the bigger picture. Rather than focusing solely on solving individual problems, I began asking what was really causing them, where a company stood within its industry and how its business environment was evolving. My understanding of what it means to be a leader also broadened,” Pirinen reflects.

After completing the programme, Pirinen continued his career at Finnvera before moving into the audit sector and eventually taking up his current role as CEO of Arvo Sijoitusosuuskunta. He has also served on the boards of around 50 companies. Throughout his career, he has drawn on the broader, more strategic perspective he developed during his EMBA studies.

“The greatest practical benefit has been the ability to combine strategic thinking with real-world decision-making. Being able to consider business operations, financial performance, competition, leadership and future developments as interconnected factors has been invaluable throughout my career.”

The connections he made during the programme have also stood the test of time.

“I met professionals from different industries whose experiences and perspectives were very different from my own. I also made lasting friendships that have stayed with me over the years.”

Strategic thinking helps leaders look beyond the immediate problem

One of the most important lessons Pirinen took from the programme was learning to recognise cause-and-effect relationships and understand how different factors influence one another.

“When faced with a difficult situation, the temptation is often to address the most obvious problem first. Strategic thinking challenges you to ask whether you are dealing with the real problem, its root cause or simply a symptom.”

Uncertainty is an inevitable part of business, and leaders rarely have all the information they would ideally need to make a decision.

“Practical problem-solving skills are still valuable, and they should never be lost. But the key realisation for me was that a solution that works well for today’s problem may not be the right one for the company’s long-term future.”

For those considering an EMBA, Pirinen encourages looking beyond the immediate benefits of the programme.

“The greatest value may not lie in any single lesson or tool you take away from the programme. What matters more is how it can change the way you see businesses, leadership and your own role. It brings together the questions that emerge from practical experience with insights grounded in research, theory and the perspectives of other experienced professionals.”