In your own words – Marc Skriver-Bayer, top talent at Q8

What were you like when you studied at CBS?

I was incredibly active and showed up for all of my classes without fail. I was in the Graduate Diploma programme, where you have to prioritise your time strictly, and I quickly discovered that the best way for me to learn was to participate in class. On top of that, I was social and made an effort to talk to everyone in class and get to know them. I also went all out with group work, especially when we did large projects. There I thought it important that we took the time to get away from the computer and have fun.

How did you get your first job after graduating from CBS? 

I had barely turned in my thesis at CBS when our CFO called to hear if I was ready to take over the controller team in Stockholm. I would have never been offered the opportunity to manage and present the financial reports for a Scandinavian company with a turnover of 33 billion DKK at age 25 without that diploma. Suddenly I was manager of a group of Swedes with an enormous amount of responsibility and monthly presentations to the Executive Board, which was both cool and scary. 

Which moments in your career have been defining – and how?

I was lucky enough to get a foothold as a trainee in a company like Q8 after completing secondary school. The company cultivated a trainee culture and an organisation that was geared to provide the necessary support. I have benefitted from some excellent bosses and colleagues in a tailored training programme that has given me the prerequisites to grow with my responsibilities. I’m 29 now and am celebrating my tenth anniversary. That was not even something I could have imagined when I went to my job interview at 19 still wet behind the ears. 

Ongoing accomplishments are also incredibly significant. You start by doing a presentation in your department, then in a larger forum and then for your boss, then the Executive Board and, finally, the entire organisation and the Board of Directors. The gradual progression and feeling of ‘I can do this’ have been fantastic. The stable upward curve has been more important than any single moment. 

One important period was when my current boss took a sabbatical for three months when it was time to put the budget for the coming year together. I remember those three months as complete and utter chaos with too many work hours, but also as immensely educational. I had to step up to the plate, rise to the occation and figure out how to turn the myriad of complex numbers into a simple, understandable storyline. I still remember the confused look on the management group’s faces when we presented the initial draft. We succeeded in the end, of course.

This spring, I was recognised for my stable performance when Berlingske Business named me one of ‘Denmark’s 100 Biggest Business Talents’, which was incredibly cool but surrealistic.

What is the most valuable experience you gained while at CBS that you still use in your daily work?

That the theoretical models you are taught are an incredibly good foundation for discussion in the workplace and for making a complex world simpler. I also learned a great deal about communication and that diversity can create the biggest results, if you communicate well. 

Have you maintained a relation to CBS since graduating?

Yes, I was a guest lecturer once and I’m also going to be part of CBS' Mentor Programme this year. Personally, I’ve tried to keep in touch with my study groups from both the Diploma and the Graduate Diploma programme.