Genesis Grace Cerezo | General Manager, Bona Vita

Alumna Genesis Cerezo studied an MSc in Strategic Business Management at The University of Law and graduated in early 2019. With a strong work ethic and a goal of becoming a business manager, she decided the course would help her progress her career after emigrating to Germany from the Philippines. We caught up with Genesis to discuss her time at ULaw and how her life has changed since graduating.

I decided to study the MSc in Strategic Business Management at The University of Law because I want to have a successful career. As an immigrant in this country (Germany) competition at work is very strong, so I decided I needed an edge to increase my knowledge and opportunities. I worked hard, studied hard and aimed high to gain respect from my colleagues and employers. I also decided to study a master’s degree in business management to expand my expertise and capabilities, so I wasn’t restricted to financial accounting opportunities. The degree has given me a background in other aspects of business management and will hopefully be the key to a managerial position in the future. Studying at a reputable university with a high standard of teaching in the UK helps me to showcase my competence and credibility to employers.

For as long as I can remember, my ambition has been to become the manager of a big company. I didn’t know in what field or in what kind of company, all I knew that I liked leading people, organising things, planning improvements and optimising financial transactions. As I started to work in the accounting field, I gained a lot of experience in the corporate world, which helped me realise that I would like to progress in both financial and business management fields. As my ambition became clearer I decided to further my education, so I was equipped to follow my dream. With my master’s degree from The University of Law and my intensive work experience, I can see myself achieving my ambition.

I’m currently working as a Financial Accountant and Controller in ZG Zentrum Gesundheit GmbH. It’s a big medical practice in Germany, specialising in ophthalmology and we have many clinics/ branches in cities across Lower Saxony. Our company offers medical consultations, eye operations, laser eye surgery and more.

My main responsibility in my current position is account receivable management. I ensure that every patient from all of our clinics/ branches pay their bills on time to maintain cash flow and stable financial liquidity for the company. I manage their payments and help to prepare the monthly accounting closure, as well as being the contact person for all of our clinics with queries about patient billing and payments. I also started to work in Financial Control, which is mostly used for management decision making and strategic planning. It consists of business performance statistics, financial statistics, business reporting and more.

When I came to Germany, I applied to be a Financial Accountant at ZG Zentrum Gesundheit GmbH and got accepted. At the time, I had already started my studies and when they saw that I was doing my master’s degree at The University of Law, they were impressed. I believe they saw potential in me and ULaw’s credibility helped me convince my employer of my competence. 

The ULaw Alumni Network has given me access to a wide range of professional connections in the UK. This has been a great way to meet people and expand my job or training opportunities in the UK. It also offers me access to interesting seminars and training to develop my skills further. It’s given me the opportunity to meet other alumni here in Germany, which can strengthen my local professional network.

I’m very proud of my career so far. It feels so good to see career growth, personal development, and integration of my qualifications throughout the years. This year, I received my master’s degree at The University of Law and my certification as a Financial Controller here in Germany. I believe these qualifications will help me progress my career further in the coming years.

There are some qualities and skills that I gained from ULaw that have helped me to become successful. I learnt to be more patient, diligent, hardworking, focused, responsible and motivated. I developed my time management skills and concentration in time-pressured circumstances. It improved my work ethic and skills in critical analysis. I learnt to go beyond my limitations to improve myself.

I believe that ULaw sets its students up for success by moulding us to be better people and by preparing us for life’s challenges. It showed us that although the journey to success might not be easy, we should persevere to reach our dreams. It taught us to be strong and not to give up, to not settle for less. It prepared and trained us for real life in the business world.

If I could give any advice to my 18-year-old self, it would be don’t be too impulsive. Don’t rush things, and be patient. When I was younger I tried to find shortcuts to become successful, which didn’t work. Learn from your mistakes and make the best of them. Mistakes and failures do not define who you are, they’re part of every journey and will help you to make better decisions in the future. Life might not be easy on you but be strong, because one day you’ll look back and be proud of how far you’ve come.  

I’d advise all students studying their MSc in Strategic Management with ULaw to never give up. You might encounter hardships and challenges but use these experiences to be stronger and wiser.

I work full-time in the office, I have a 6-year-old son and a loving fiancé so balancing my work, study and private life has been challenging over the last 2 years. Effective time-management, patience and strong family support have been the keys to my success. There have been some really exhausting, tough times during my journey but having a break to unwind once in a while is all I need to replenish my strength and motivation

There is no shortcut to success. Studying hard at ULaw will help you to develop your qualities and skills which can help you succeed in the future.

2022 update

I’m currently a general manager with Bona Vita, an E-Commerce business providing health products based in the Philippines. As well as this, I have continued my role as a financial accountant for ZG Zentrum Gesundheit GmbH, a big medical practice specialising in ophthalmology based in Germany.

People might wonder how I can have different careers in two countries at the same time. My answer is that career opportunities are widening thanks to improvements in technology. 

While I’m living in Germany, my Bona Vita team and our operations are in the Philippines. Long distance management of a company requires good daily online communication with employees and other members of management. It also involves daily Zoom meetings, online group chats across departments, online reporting from the administration and department supervisors, and, of course, a lot of emails. It also involves some international travel. Due to the six to seven hour time difference between the Philippines and Germany, I have very flexible working hours.

Bona Vita offered me a remote position as a general manager because they believe in my managerial and leadership skills, which I developed and improved on when studying the MSc in Strategic Business Management at ULaw. Now that I am in a managerial position, I can utilize and apply the practical knowledge and education that I obtained during my studies.

The Univerity of Law also taught me to multi-task, be flexible, hardworking and competitive. It taught me how to manage my time and maximise my potential. That is why I can manage my time as a financial accountant in Germany at the same time as working as a general manager in the Philippines.

ULaw also helped me to increase my self-worth and confidence, which helped me gain more respect from my colleagues in ZG Zentrum Gesundheit. As a financial accountant in Germany, studying a master’s degree at a reputable university with a high standard of teaching in the UK helps me to showcase my competence and credibility to European employers.

Discover more about studying the MSc in Strategic Business Management at ULaw.