VIRNA PSARRA, Master in Sustainability Transition Management
15 June 2021Virna, Brand Manager at Delta Foods SA, chose the BBS Master’s Program in Sustainability Transition Management, because she wants to “inspire people and lead the change the business world needs” and believes this master’s “is definitely giving me the qualifications and the stimulations I need to reach my goals”. Read her story and find out why sustainability is the key to making a meaningful change in your career.
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Athens University of Economics and Business. I had multiple part-time jobs as a student and at the age of 23 I started working as a Marketing Assistant for four years in AB Vassilopoulos, a supermarket chain based in Greece, part of the world’s largest food retail groups, Ahold Delhaize. Gaining valuable insights and qualifications from the retail world, I continued my career moving to the dairy industry as a Brand Manager, for the last two and a half years. Working in the dairy industry is extremely challenging in terms of sustainability and this fact without doubt incentivized my choice to attend the Master of Sustainability Transition Management.
Since a very young age I have always been motivated to learn new things, new languages, new cultures as constant knowledge is one of my core personal values. Doing a master’s was undoubtedly on my career path plan but before that I wanted to gain real professional experience in order to identify what the business world needs to become better. This experience brought me to where I am today studying sustainability transition management, because businesses need this transition to become more resilient and achieve their true purpose while promoting growth within boundaries.
At the same time, I consider myself an achiever and I want to invest my energy in something that truly matters to me and is in line with my personal values. I did well so far in my career regarding the things I knew but now I want to know more because I want to do better. I want to inspire people through my work and lead the change the business world needs, and this master’s is definitely giving me the qualifications and the stimulations I need to reach my goals.
The triple bottom line, in other words the three core dimensions of sustainability, society – environment – economy and their balanced coexistence is unquestionably the major issue that we will have to manage in contemporary business world during the following years. These three dimensions demand equal commitment and the pandemic crisis proved it profoundly. Economic growth should be promoted within environmental limits and always from a “people-centric” perspective, iso that no-one is left behind.
Undoubtedly, it is crucial to recreate the story of how business works and to lead the paradigm shift; we need education and partnerships between government, business and communities. This is the only way to rebuild more strongly and better.
