Alumni Success Story - María Langa, MDSC 2021

Alumni Success Story - María Langa, MDSC 2021 and Logistics Optimization Co-ordinator at Saica Group. See profile on Linkedin

"Being a fresh graduate with no work experience and enroll in this master degree, it is an opportunity for you to get into the supply chain field. Classes are very dynamic, using case studies methodology and learning many analytical tools that can be later applied professionally."

 

María, tell us about your experience in the Master in Supply Chain Management at Zaragoza Logistics Center. What aspects of the program do you remember most fondly?

My classmates. I remember that, even though my class took place in 2020 when we had to deal with COVID-19 and wear masks, we were still able to have in-person classes, and we built a great connection. We were a very diverse group, which made the experience extremely enriching, both personally and professionally.

Given that your academic background is in Chemical Engineering, how do you think this discipline has influenced your career in logistics and supply chain management? Have you found any unexpected synergies between the two fields?

The truth is that, in Chemical Engineering and in other engineering degrees at the University of Zaragoza, we only had one subject related to logistics and supply chain management. So by the time I finished my degree, my knowledge of supply chain operations was quite limited. However, studying engineering provides a strong technical background and analytical mindset that are very well suited to this field.

Specifically, since my degree involved many energy and mass balances, as well as flow analyses, I’ve been able to transfer that knowledge to analyzing material flows and studying processes in logistics.

During your studies in the MDSC, you had the opportunity to do an internship at IKEA and work on your master’s thesis project with this renowned company. Can you tell us what that experience was like with the Swedish giant?

Doing my internship and final master’s project at IKEA was my first professional experience, and I have very fond memories of it. The IKEA Zaragoza team made me feel like one of them from day one, and the project we worked on, in which I was deeply involved, was a pioneering initiative within the company.

Right after graduating, you joined Saica, where you currently serve as Logistics Optimization Coordinator in Scotland. Can you share how ZLC helped you in your job search and to what extent it contributed to your professional development?

Hiddeke, the Corporate Relations Manager at ZLC, was a great help when it came to preparing my CV. She advised me on which points to highlight, something that was especially useful since I didn’t have prior work experience and found it difficult to know what to emphasize.

This master’s program has definitely been key to my professional growth. Today, I’m working at Saica Pack as a Logistics Optimization Coordinator in Scotland. Saica has set up a new corrugated cardboard plant here, which features a vertical automated warehouse for work-in-progress products, a technology we’re now implementing in new projects.

As an ambassador for the program, what advice would you give to those considering joining the Master in Supply Chain Management? How do you think this program can benefit recent graduates who want to specialize in supply chain management?

Without a doubt, I would encourage them to do the Master’s. I believe that for recent graduates with no prior work experience, it’s an excellent way to start getting into the world of logistics and supply chain management. The classes are very dynamic, there are many real-life case studies, and students learn plenty of control and analytical tools that can later be applied in their professional careers.