Max Von Der Hagen graduated six years ago. Experience of living abroad encouraged Max to study in London and he is now embarking on a fulfilling career at IAG Cargo.
Date: 23 January 2019
Max Von Der Hagen’s passion for aviation led him to pursue a degree at London Metropolitan University. Studying Aviation Management for the 21st Century MSc at London Met gave Max all the skills needed to embark on a colourful and rewarding career.
Max is now a Project Manager at IAG Cargo, a cargo handling division of International Airlines Group, where one of his major projects involves preparing the business for the implementation of future partnerships and joint ventures with other airlines around the world. One of IAG Cargo’s hubs is based at Heathrow airport.
“One characteristic of my current job is that there really is no typical day,” Max said.
“As a Project Manager there is quite a bit of governance and process driven work like hosting regular working and steering groups, attending meetings and conference calls and frequently travelling to attend discussions and negotiations with our partners.
“As with all big projects, there is always something new happening all the time and I am responsible to manage the things we can control and work with the business to mitigate the things we cannot control. It's a very exciting thing to be involved in and the fact that no day is like the other is something I actually enjoy quite a lot as it means there is always something new.”
Originally from Germany, Max gained an undergraduate degree in Business Administration at a German university. He moved to Washington to study for one semester. It was his experience of living abroad which encouraged him to come to London to study. “While my degree in Germany was quite a bit more theoretical, I think that the use of many real world case studies and assignments brought the course at London Met to life and I personally found this approach very refreshing and useful.”
Max continued: “The course was very interesting and played straight into my interests.”
“All the teachers were fantastic and I got the impression they felt just as passionately about aviation as I did. My background in business helped and the various modules allowed me to take my previous knowledge and apply it to the industry with all its intricacies and challenges.
“The course size was small at the time and I was able to get the most out of engaging with my teachers and learn from their expansive knowledge and experience on the matter. I never had a dull moment and the interactive style and involvement of external guest speakers ensured that I really enjoyed my time at London Met and got the best preparation for my career I could possibly get.”
