Nicolas De Backer didn’t follow the typical MBA path. He waited years before enrolling – and that decision made all the difference.
Today, Nicolas is Managing Director of Campine France, a company specialising in sustainable waste management. But not long ago, he was a chemical industrial engineer working at a firm in the Port of Antwerp, wondering how to break into senior management. The answer, he decided, was the Executive MBA at Antwerp Management School (AMS).
The path wasn’t straightforward. When Nicolas started the EMBA in 2017, his employer had agreed to fund it. Then an acquisition changed that policy overnight. He paid for it himself.
“I decided to finance the programme myself because I really wanted to advance into a higher management position,” he says. “I needed broader business knowledge to complement my technical background.”
That commitment required sacrifice. Long hours. Family trade-offs. His wife, a doctor, took on more at home. Their children attended boarding school during the week.
“Both the EMBA and my current role require significant commitment,” Nicolas says. “You have to be willing to invest time and energy.”
From specialist to leader
For engineers and other technical professionals, the jump to senior leadership often stalls at the same wall: deep expertise in one domain, but gaps everywhere else. The EMBA at AMS is built to close that gap.
Finance, HR, organisational strategy, IT, communication – the programme covers the full landscape of modern management. Through case studies, workshops, group sessions, and visits to international business schools, students learn how successful organisations actually operate.
“When choosing what to study, you usually opt for a certain specialisation. Mine was technical. But for the management roles I aspired to, I needed a broader skillset and additional experience,” Nicolas explains.
The EMBA gave him that – not just knowledge, but a way of thinking. “You don’t just learn how to organise and lead better, but how to create real impact.”
A framework that travels with you
That shift in mindset proved immediately practical. Midway through his second year, a headhunter approached him about a senior role at Campine. Nicolas hadn’t been looking to move, but the timing aligned with his new direction. He accepted, took responsibility for supply chain and IT, and when Campine acquired a French competitor, he led the integration – eventually stepping into the top role at Campine France.
Now, running a full business operation, he draws on his EMBA constantly. “I see all the areas I studied at AMS as tools I can rely on when needed,” he says.
“Even if something isn’t your specialisation, you can quickly analyse situations and make informed judgments. In meetings about topics I’m not immediately familiar with, it enables me to actively participate and provide meaningful feedback.”
That analytical confidence, he stresses, is what separates a manager from a director. “As managing director, you’re not just running daily operations – you’re setting the course for the future.”
Why AMS?
Nicolas chose AMS over other Belgian business schools for specific reasons: its international outlook, its intimate size, and its grounding in real professional experience.
“AMS is smaller and more personal,” he says. “It’s tailored to professionals and built on a solid academic foundation.”
Its philosophy – Opening minds to impact the world – also resonated. For Nicolas, leadership means thinking critically, listening carefully, and motivating others toward a shared goal.
He’s now considering sending a high-potential young employee to the same school. “He’s almost thirty and highly capable.”
It’s a fitting full circle for someone who bet on himself – and won.
