As sustainability issues become more critical in giving business a competitive edge, at least one student finds it's not always about the cash.
It's not always about the money.
MBAs are often promoted as the degree you need to have to send your career, and more importantly, your pay packet soaring.
But for Bjoern Wilhelms of Australian Arrow Pty Ltd (AAPL), his Masters of Business Administration has become the first step in a personal quest to do something positive for the planet.
The 40-year-old Melbourne manager started his MBA part-time at Monash University's Graduate School of Business in 2003 and, as part of his studies, took an elective in corporate sustainability.
Wilhelms says while doing the sustainability elective something clicked.
"I thought it was a terrific subject and at the same time the university announced it was doing a double degree (MBA/Masters in corporate sustainability)," he says.
"Pretty much overnight I juggled my subjects around and was the first person enrolling in that double degree.�
With an engineering background he sees the corporate sustainability masters/MBA as a perfect fit for his work and his career advancement.
"It's highly relevant and it is not putting yourself into one specific area.�
He believes knowledge of sustainability issues will become more critical in giving business the competitive edge.
"That's where I hope I can help in understanding where the issues are and how to act on them.
"You need to develop your business strategy so that you have a competitive edge when these issues (such as carbon trading) kick in.�
But, more that that, the married father of two saw in the sustainability course a chance to revisit ideals he had held strongly in the past.
"When I lived in Germany, I voted Greens and I was always environmentally minded.
"But when I came to Australia those things took a backward step for various reasons.�
The excitement he felt doing the sustainability course made Wilhelms realise his work could be an agent for change.
Luckily for him, his employer Australian Arrow is one of the converted corporations.
The automotive components maker last year won the Banksia Environmental Awards gold award for its management of its environmental footprint.
"My company is quite aware of the environmental impact business has,� he says.
Wilhelms now joins Australian Arrow's environmental team and is helping compile and assess its first environmental report.
For Wilhelms, his work and his passions are beginning to coalesce.
"It's also about being socially responsible and making sure we've still got a planet for future generations.
"I changed my enrolment thinking that's the first step."
