Strategic Leadership

Oliver W. Olson was one of the founders of Maastricht School of Management Romania and was that school’s first Dean and Academic Director.

He has served as the Academic Director for the creation of the International Academy of Retail Banking, a division of the London based Lafferty Group. He has previously been the Country Manager for CEU Business School, Romania, and has held various roles at CEU Business School in Budapest serving as the MBA Program Director and Director of Degree Programs Administration. Prior to joining the CEU Business School, Mr. Olson started his professional career as an Export Product Manager for Salamander Shoes in Stuttgart, Germany in the 90’s. He then moved to the USA where he worked in banking for almost a decade, including stints as Assistant Vice President at Bank of America, Senior Manager for a major credit card company and the CIO of a community bank in Dallas, Texas.

Mr. Olson earned his Undergraduate Degree in International Business and German from California State University, Fullerton and his MBA from the University of Texas, Dallas. He is fluent in German and can hold his own in Swedish and Romanian. Oliver is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Sandra is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors, seamlessly transitioning into academia. She started her academic credentials at Maastricht University where she got a degree in innovation and change management. However, as a lifelong learner, she has earned an Executive Leadership certificate from Oxford University, an Executive  degree from MIT Sloan School of Business, and completed an Executive Strategic Management course at Maastricht University.

Sandra’s career highlights her ability to connect technological innovation with strategic leadership. At a global CAD-CAM company, she led the shift to one of the first global automated webshops, achieving significant operational efficiencies. At a major Dutch bank, she developed an innovative mortgage platform that centralized processes and boosted revenue. Her work in healthcare further demonstrates her strategic acumen, advising management boards on strategic market positioning and organizational change.

At MSM, Sandra has spent the past decade on integrating strategic business development, international consultancy, and academic teaching. She lectures on change management, executive leadership, and team development while managing global Erasmus+ projects and Nuffic-funded initiatives. Sandra’s current focus lies in exploring generative AI’s transformative potential and integrating it into her teaching. By aligning cutting-edge technologies with strategic leadership principles, she equips executives with the tools to navigate today’s complex business landscape confidently.