Nathalie Maggay holds a Master in Development Management from AIM, a member of the class of 2007. She had embarked on a career in international development as a VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) in Sri Lanka when she decided to take the next step and explore post-graduate degree programs in development.
This led Natalie to enroll in the MDM program and experience growth in a supportive learning environment in the company of her peers and guided by a highly qualified faculty. The case study method, the hallmark of an AIM education, also promoted diligence and thoroughness in the analyses of situations. “In this environment I developed an inquiring mind and a collaborative approach to problem resolution. This proved to be very helpful in honing my leadership skills particularly in managing multi-cultural and professionally diverse teams across various development contexts,” Natalie says.
Undeniably, her AIM education helped propel her career in international development farther. After completing her studies, she confidently took on the challenge of leading the establishment of the country office of an international NGO in Vietnam. She led the office as Country Coordinator for the next four years.
The following 12 years saw Natalie assuming other senior management positions in other international organizations in several other countries. All throughout, she was sustained by the skills she developed as a student at AIM - being a high-touch cross-cultural team manager who has the ability to forge new opportunities and encourage team growth in a changing development landscape.
“AIM’s Master in Development Management program changed me so that I am biased towards looking for the creative solution rather than fall back on formulaic responses to development challenges. As an MDM graduate, I have become the type of problem solver that doesn’t stop on one solution – instead I have learned to always consider various solutions to one problem, carefully analyze the merits and demerits of each one, and continue monitoring results arising from a selected solution and adjusting when necessary. Dynamism in management of programs and teams is definitely my key take away from my AIM MDM education,” Natalie avers.
The Master in Development Management (MDM) is a 12-month intensive, innovative, and practitioner-oriented program that gives students the skillset required to understand today’s key development problems, design evidence-based strategic solutions, and manage the implementation of the programs that create and sustain social good with business efficiencies and equity in mind.
MDM combines coursework with field exposure, enabling students to bridge the gap between theory and practice through experiential learning.