“We feel like we all have a second family. We were fortunate to have such an outstanding group, everyone supported each other so much.”
“I made some lifelong friends - now that the program is finished, I find myself missing our stimulating discussions during the program.”
“We had a marvelous, tight-knit group from diverse backgrounds. We learned a lot from each other, and we all supported each other along the way. I made some really good friends, and I gained an amazing network for life.”
These are words of alumni of Aalto MBA programs.
MBA programs offer participants a comprehensive understanding of leading an organization and its people. They are also renowned for fostering professional networks, a benefit highly valued by Aalto MBA and EMBA alumni. However, what is acknowledged less often, beyond professional contacts, many participants forge lasting personal friendships during their studies.
Hans Ahlström, Riikka Erkkilä, Berndt Fyhr, and Annika Jyllilä-Vertigans have been friends for nearly ten years, and they are now planning their friendiversary celebration.
Ahlström is an investor and board professional, Erkkilä is a real estate agent and entrepreneur, Fyhr is the Managing Director of IT company EET Finland, and Jyllilä-Vertigans is the CEO of floor drain manufacturing company Vieser.
"A bonding routine"
The four first met when they began their Aalto Executive MBA studies a decade ago. Despite being part of a cohort of nearly 50 people, the cohort quickly developed a unique sense of trust.
Ahlström recalls, “Everyone was pulling together, and no one was really bringing out themselves. They were quite modest, even joking and making fools out of themselves.”
Jyllilä-Vertigans remembers that the early days of their studies focused heavily on building self-awareness and sharing personal insights. “Delving into quite personal, intimate topics early on and spending that confined time together had a lot to do with it as well.”
Erkkilä agrees, noting that these experiences created a warm, friendly atmosphere from the start. She felt she was making new friends even though she had just met her cohort.
Fyhr adds that their group didn’t just study together; they traveled abroad and spent entire weeks together. For many, international study tours and weekends away are integral to the EMBA experience. “Everybody got to know each other,” he says.
“You took a pause from your normal life, and you took a pause from your family life and from your normal day-to-day activities. It’s a bonding routine,” Jyllilä-Vertigans adds.
Different types of friendships in different contexts
Annika Jyllilä-Vertigans highlights that one of the wonderful aspects of their EMBA cohort was the absence of cliques. Although the four of them became close friends, they spent equal time with everyone in the cohort and have kept in touch with several people after graduation.
Hans Ahlström points out that they started spending more time together after completing their studies.
Riikka Erkkilä adds, “And I know that many of you are in regular contact with other people from the cohort as well. So, you have different types of friendships in different contexts.”
