Class of 2009 Graduates

With laughs and inspirational speeches, the Berlin School's second class graduated August 1.

Capping a week that ended with two marathon days of impressive masters theses presentations and defense, the Berlin School’s second class of participants completed the program with a heartfelt and intimate graduation ceremony in Berlin on Saturday evening, August 1.

The ceremony’s guest speaker was none other than India’s advertising legend Piyush Pandey, the Executive Chairman & National Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather India. Pandey told the graduates that, "in today's world of competition, uncertainty and constant innovation, the future is in not about just managing the business environment, but actually leading it." For him managing is about "planning & budgeting, organising & staffing and controlling & problem solving, whereas leading is about setting direction, aligning people and motivating and inspiring." As any Berlin School participant knows, we love hearing leaders speak about alignment!

Pandey used Indian brand and advertising examples (Cadbury, Fevicol, Perfetti, Vodafone to name a few) to illustrate the key qualities required for leadership in today's environment, and he highlighted
the need for magic after all the logic is intenalised; the need for inspiration after much perspiration; the need to not only know rules but also dare to create new ones. Leadership is about shaping the world and not just coping with it, according to Pandey. "The future is for leadership thinking and behavior and not just management thinking and behavior!"

The graduation ceremony also featured an uproarious speech by Class 2 participant Bechara Mouzannar (Regional Exec. Creative Dir., Leo Burnett MENA). Aside from thanking the school for what he learned from professors and speakers, he especially praised his classmates for all the learning they shared and caused in each other.  Bechara’s speech also documented, in witty detail, the various changes that each fellow participant had undergone in the past 18 months. Those who know and love Bechara can appreciate what an achievement it was that his speech stayed within the allotted time...

Shaun Abrahamson (CEO, Mutopo) was named class Valedictorian for his outstanding overall academic performance, and Lucia Tarbajowska (Marketing Director, T-Mobile Czech Republic) was given a new award for the Best Master’s Thesis, "Fear Factor", which examines the role that fear plays in the work and decision-making of executives in marketing and advertising.  

Academic Director Doug Guthrie told the class that he and the academic team had been blown away by the quality of the work done on the masters theses, and he praised the industry focus and innovative curriculum that makes the Berlin School such a unique institution in business education.

The graduation ceremony also featured remarks from Michael Conrad, President of the Berlin School and Sebastian Turner, board member and alumni of the school’s first graduating class. Chief Fireman Conrad was presented a bullhorn to complete his Chief’s helmet that was given to him at the first graduation. There was musical entertainment from Susai Asado and her band, and before the ceremony all the graduates gathered in Michael Conrad Hall for the now-traditional signing of the wall.

After the ceremony most graduates and guests boarded a nearby boat for a dinner cruise through Berlin on the River Spree.  With hugs and plans to one day see each for a so-called "module 7", the newest crop of Berlin School graduates prepared to go home and inspire others to help change and renew the creative communications industries.

See the graduation photos in our Photo Archive