“The MBA gave me the mental ability to structure, process and effectively communicate information”, said Jose Antunes, Business Line Director at Eurofins Technologies for Europe and Asia-Pacific, located in Brussels. Eurofins is a world leader in food, environment and biopharmaceutical analytical testing. The Eurofins Technologies business line is among the key emerging players in specialty clinical diagnostic testing,  and is on the front-line in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Antunes and his team are working round the clock, ensuring sufficient supply of various test kits from their manufacturing sites spread across the globe. We are thankful to Mr Antunes for making room for this session despite his busy schedule.
Mr Antunes joined Freudenberg Group, a well-known German family-owned business and global industrial technology group as a Financial Analyst in M&A after his MBA Double Degree from Pforzheim University and ISCTE Business School in Lisbon (year 2005).  Within a short span of six years he climbed the corporate ladder to be Division CFO at EagleBurgmann EJS, part of the Freudenberg Group. Subsequently, he worked as Managing Director at the Teadit Group for almost eight years before joining Eurofins in 2019.
Mr. Antunes credits his work ethics, ability to effectively manage stress and people, by sharing some of the learnings he gained through his career and private life, including sports. During his MBA studies, he was member of Pforzheim’s basketball team. Moreover, the team was coached by Prof. Markus-Oliver Schwaab, who also happened to be moderating the session. For the two, the session gave a chance to reminisce the “good old days”.
Having worked in different companies, projects and teams across Europe and North & South America, Mr Antunes spoke about how multicultural experiences and exposure to new working environments have shaped him as a person as well as a business leader. He stressed the importance of cultivating ‘Emotional Intelligence’ to succeed in today’s dynamic business environment. Having to adapt and change constantly was another big takeaway from the MBA learning experience.  This ability to adapt quickly has also proven to be beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Text: Shvetang Pai Angle, Class of 2021
Photos: Shvetang Pai Angle, MBA