John Keramidas Profile

Name: John Keramidas
Age: 37
Program: MBA (Executive)
Study Mode: Part Time
Current Position: Export Manager – Symex Holdings Ltd

Career Aspirations: To gain further exposure as a sales executive. Long-term – to secure a senior management role such as MD or CEO and to serve on the board of directors in a leading Australian company (or two)!

Why did you choose the MBA (Executive): An MBA has for many years been regarded as the minimum requirement for executive managers. RMIT offers an excellent program that is competitively priced and centrally located.

Highlights of the program: I like the flexibility which facilitates balance between work, study and home life. The lecturers provide informative, useful and pertinent information that is relevant to my work.

In summary: The MBA (Executive) program is well structured and the courses are relevant. My first unit was Accounting and Finance for Business Decisions and throughout the first semester I was constantly employing the new skills and thought processes that I had acquired in my work place. I knew that studying for my MBA (Executive) would benefit my career in the future but I didn’t expect such an immediate return on my investment.

Since commencing the program in 2006 I have been fortunate enough to secure two promotions at Symex Holdings Ltd and I am now the Export Manager. There is no doubt in my mind that this advancement can be directly attributed to the skills and knowledge that I have gained from the MBA (Executive).

The University also offers support in many ways for people who are returning to study or have not studied at this level before. This support gave me the confidence to not only undertake an MBA but also to get a Distinction in my first course.

Interaction and networking has also been extremely beneficial, both with current students and GSB alumni.