College of Business and Technology

CBT Young AlumnaCollege of Business and Technology
WIU degree opens international doors for Julia Oßenbrügge MBA ’02

What is your current title/position?

Julia Obenbrugge photoJO: Product manager-kids at Universum Film GmbH in Germany.
Universum is part of the RTL Group and a subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG. Bertelsmann is an international media company encompassing television (RTL Group), book publishing (Random House), magazine publishing (Gruner + Jahr), media services (Arvato), and media clubs (Direct Group) in more than 50 countries.

What positions did you have after leaving WIU and leading up to your current position?

JO: After I graduated from WIU, I went back to Germany to finish my graduate studies there as well. In May 2003, I started working within the division of Parks and Resorts at The Walt Disney Company (Germany) GmbH in Munich. Soon thereafter, one of my colleagues left to go on maternity leave, and I was offered a temporary position as marketing and promotion assistant for Disneyland Resort Paris. I visited France almost every month and worked very closely with offices in London and the U.S. This gave me a lot of experience with the global corporate environment and doing business within an international scope.

Once my colleague returned from her extended leave, I was contacted by one of my friends at Disney who was working with an agency that was looking for a new team member. Since I was working in marketing, I thought some experiences within an agency would be beneficial. I started in April 2005 as account manager looking after different projects with well-known companies such as ültje (food), o2 (mobile provider), Lycos (internet portal), Deutsche Bahn (German Rail), Kleenex, etc. When we pitched against other agencies about six moths later for the home entertainment division of Disney, my job became account manager for Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

In late 2007, based on contact from a previous internship, I was invited to Zurich to interview with Hyatt International and was offered a position as marketing communications manager at Hyatt Regency Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I left the agency in December 2007 to move to Dubai and pursue my new role. I led a small team and faced a totally new culture and country. Slowly, the effects of the financial crisis finally started to hit Dubai and I became concerned that my position would be eliminated.

After two months of intensive search, applications, and interviews, I was offered the position at Universum Film.

What interested you in pursuing the MBA from Western, and how did you decide to pursue it?

JO: The job market in Germany has never really been in favor of business graduates. First, there are so many graduates, more every year, so only the best will get the good jobs; and second, my major, marketing, is and was always a highly competitive field in which to specialize.

So I needed to find something that would make me different, stand out of the crowd. I did some very good internships and worked as a promoter during my breaks, but then decided I need more international experience and maybe could even pair this with a master’s degree. When asking the international student office at my school in Bamberg, Germany, I was told that there were only two partner schools in the U.S., some in the UK and some in Spain, Italy, Sweden and other countries, but only one offering a master’s degree—WIU. So I applied, and arrived in Macomb in August 2001.

Tell us about your current responsibilities and some of the most interesting challenges that you have faced.

JO: When the economic crisis finally hit Dubai, we had to take unpaid leave and vacancies were not reoccupied. I was asked to take three months unpaid leave, not knowing exactly what would happen after I returned. That was quite hard, as I had never expected anything like that would happen to me and did not know how I would live without a salary, especially in a foreign country. It took me quite a while to adapt to the lifestyle in Dubai and get to know the Muslim customs and Arab traditions. I had never lived anywhere so different from my home, and although I cannot say that I understand everything, I understand part of it now and really appreciate my experiences in the UAE, professional and personal.

In my new position as product manager-kids, my responsibilities are to strengthen the kids’ brands in the home entertainment market through innovative ideas and co-operations, as well as establish new kids’ brands. I have to develop creative DVD concepts to market all titles within the Universum Kids product line. This incorporates the complete production process from premastering to the finished DVD product. Also I have to develop and implement targeted marketing campaigns and communicate with external agencies.

To what do you attribute your success as a young professional?

JO: I think there are a lot of different aspects that contributed to my success. There are basics, such as your education and practical experience, but also a lot of situations, people and frustration that you learn from and grow with. It is important that you are flexible, sometimes spontaneous, and a good team player. I have developed good organizational, communication and networking skills. I have tried to always improve these skills. Knowing my strengths and which of my abilities I can really benefit from has helped me to be assertive and straightforward, but not inconsiderate. Also, I can’t overemphasize how being honest, prepared, and patient have been helpful in my professional journey.

What advice would you give to students graduating from WIU in the near future?

JO: Most important is to know what you want and have goals to aim for. The journey is the reward; you only need to know where you are going and understand why.
Stay focused, but make sure you review your personal and professional goals from time to time. Try not to have the answer to everything right away. Talk to your friends and family if you are unsure; keep asking questions and never be too proud to ask for help, especially when starting your first job.

How did your time at WIU prepare you for where you are today?

JO: Being away from home was a challenge, but I had a great time in Macomb, meeting so many different people from different countries, with different backgrounds. Through my experience, I was able to interact and learn from students from Illinois, from across the U.S., other international students, and business people—some already having a family. Understanding and adapting to this diversity was very important to me because of today’s global business environment.

At WIU, I learned to be even more independent, quickly adapt to new situations, be flexible and goal oriented. Nothing will prepare you more than getting thrown in at the deep end, not knowing what to expect, were you are going, who you will meet, and manage everything in a foreign language. So, whenever people ask me about my English speaking skills they usually smile and say “Guess your English is not too bad.” That is one of the reasons I got the job in Dubai.

Do you have any special advice/insight about the global climate in corporate culture?

JO: The economic situation right now is challenging, but I haven’t seen that the international job market is worse. If you are always learning, and keep trying, and are confident in what you have to offer (e.g. good education, practical experience, and professional knowledge), you’ll be okay.

 

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