PhD Program for Executives

“It’s never too late to chase your dream. It’s never too late to grow.”

These are the words of Dr. Peng (Paula) Peng, who transformed her passion for customer experience into a powerful academic journey. Today, she is not only a café and vinyl store owner in Guangzhou, but also an independent lecturer, corporate trainer, and PhD for Executives graduate from Antwerp Management School.

Her PhD journey did not begin in a lab or boardroom, but behind the counter of her coffee shop. Fascinated by the everyday human interactions she observed, Paula decided to delve deeper into the world of customer value creation.

“I believe the small and beautiful things deserve more attention because they reflect the complexity of the real world.”

In her research, she explored how value is co-created between service providers and customers. Her dissertation, “Brewing Value: Probing Multi-Dimensional Factors Shaping Value Co-Creation in Chinese Coffee Shops,” blends academic rigor with business reality. The findings? A meaningful balance between human connection and operational efficiency is crucial for long-term success.

What drew Paula to AMS and the University of Antwerp was more than reputation—it was flexibility. The PhD for Executives program allowed her to maintain her business while pursuing in-depth research.

“AMS respected my topic. They didn’t push me to chase big data or corporate case studies. They let me focus on what mattered to me.”

It was Professor Bart Cambré who introduced Paula to QCA (Qualitative Comparative Analysis), a configurational approach that resonated with her. It reflected how she sees life – not as a single straight path, but as diverse combinations that can lead to meaningful results. “It aligns with my life philosophy. And Bart also compared our journey to a turtle – slow is OK but if you keep moving, you will eventually get there. This motivated me a lot”.

Throughout the program—and even during the challenges of the pandemic—Paula grew not only as a researcher, but also as a communicator, thinker, and professional.

Now, she is applying her research in real-world ways: designing courses on emotionally engaging commercial spaces and training her baristas in mindful, personalized customer service.

And for those wondering whether it’s too late to take a bold step?

Paula has a message:

“Chasing your dream doesn’t come with an age limit. The PhD for Executives program changed how I see the world. It can change yours too.”

🎵 Bonus recommendation from Paula's vinyl store:
“Listen to Solution by Cui Jian. We face many problems, but we always find the solution.”

When Dr. Hendrik Leder enrolled in the PhD for Executives program at Antwerp Management School, he wasn’t chasing prestige. He was searching for answers.

As CEO of a software company serving the postal industry, Hendrik could see the writing on the wall: digitization was accelerating, and the market for physical mail was shrinking fast. What do you do when your entire industry is in decline?

That question led Hendrik to research the rarely studied concept of "endgames" in business: industries that are not just challenged, but existentially threatened. What started as a personal mission soon became something bigger—a research journey that offered insights for companies everywhere.

"Some people in my company thought everything was fine. Others saw the decline. I wanted to understand that disconnect—and what to do about it."

A PhD that mirrored real life

Hendrik's research helped him recognize it was time to move on from his company. Midway through the program, he made the leap: founding a new company in the same industry, but with a model built for the future. Today, that company has more than 40 employees and continues to grow.

"The research helped me solve the problem I started with—not for the old company, but for myself."

Resilience, structure, and support

Balancing a PhD with starting a company, parenting three kids, and surviving a pandemic wasn't easy. But the experience transformed him.

"I learned to be precise, persistent, and analytical. You think differently after a PhD."

Support came in the form of a uniquely collaborative supervision model. His two academic supervisors didn't just guide him—they became equal partners in the research. To this day, they remain collaborators and friends.

"I still say 'we' when I talk about my PhD. It was our project."

Research with real relevance

Hendrik’s work has already made an impact—reaching the second round of the Academy of Management Journal and earning recognition at the University of Antwerp. His findings shed light on how companies can turn around prolonged decline, offering both theoretical depth and hands-on strategies.

And his story shows what’s possible when you bring academic rigor to real-world problems.

"I didn’t expect it to be life-changing. But it was. And I’m not done yet."

Explore how the PhD for Executives program at Antwerp Management School can help you tackle real business challenges—and transform your future.

When Dr. Tracy Nickl walked across the stage to receive her PhD from Antwerp Management School in 2023, it marked not just the completion of an academic journey—but the launch of an entirely new chapter.

With a successful corporate career behind her, including executive roles in marketing and branding, Tracy sought to pivot toward purpose: a role that allowed her to give back, support others, and share the tools she had developed over the years.

Today, she’s an Assistant Professor of Marketing at California Lutheran University, a consultant, and a mentor—empowering students from underrepresented backgrounds to believe in themselves and build personal brands that open doors.

Why a PhD for Executives—and why in Europe?

"Antwerp Management School was a perfect fit," Tracy says. "It allowed me to continue working and chart a path toward academia. I pinch myself every day—this opportunity changed my life."

Inspired by a mentor who studied at Oxford at age 60, Tracy was drawn to the global perspective and personalized structure of the European PhD model. For U.S.-based professionals like her, the flexibility to tailor the program around work commitments was critical.

"Education in Europe is different. It stretches you in all the right ways. You are supported, but are also encouraged to forge your own path – great for people with an entrepreneurial mindset. And it gives you access to a network and structure that’s built to support working professionals."

Bringing research to life

Tracy’s dissertation explored how professional social media profiles, content, and networks shape both personal and corporate brands. Her key insight? People trust people—not companies.

That research now directly influences how she teaches and consults. Her students take on real-world branding projects—and succeed. "I told my students if they could make a video go viral, I’d give them an A. Three of the five teams did it."

Paying it forward

Tracy’s motivation wasn’t just career change—it was impact. After mentoring a first-generation student from inner-city Indianapolis through college, she realized just how much of a difference the right support can make.

Now, she teaches at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, where 60% of students are the first in their families to attend college – many while balancing multiple jobs. For Tracy, being a professor is about more than teaching, it's about being a mentor as they build their futures.

"It’s rewarding to watch them go from not being confident to getting amazing jobs. One of my students now runs her own company backed by NASA."

Support that makes a difference

"The support at Antwerp Management School was top notch—from the professors to the dissertation guidance to navigating an unfamiliar academic system. They knew when to push, when to listen, and how to help me keep going."

That personalization, she says, is what sets the program apart: "They got to know me. They understood my environment and helped me build a plan to succeed."

A new chapter—and a new mission

Whether through her classroom, consulting work, or student mentoring, Tracy’s goal is clear: to use what she’s learned to empower others. "I couldn’t have imagined it would turn out this well. But when you pursue what matters, it often does."

Interested in transforming your career and making an impact like Tracy? Discover the PhD for Executives program at Antwerp Management School.

"After having gained ample experience in the corporate world, an executive position is a hindrance to stepping into research-focused programs. Nevertheless, the design of the AMS PhD program for Executives offers flexibility as well as the opportunity to develop your academic expertise while still successfully maintaining your full-time role. A congregation of senior executives from around the globe with valuable cultural diversification enriches the academic input provided by the program and provides a tangible, solid variety of corporate experiences. To orchestrate all this together, a dedicated, driven, and professional team supports you from start to finish with backup tailored to your individual progress level. Now halfway through the program, I have been passionately enjoying every step of this journey while being consistently mentored to successfully reach my ultimate objective."

Dima shares her experience of how she successfully obtained her PhD degree, at times under very challenging circumstances. Read graduate Dr. Dima Braiteh’s story to get a more detailed insight into the PhD program for Executives and discover more about:

• Dima’s motivation and decision-making
• The transformative nature of studying for a PhD
• How the tailored structure and support of this program aided Dima’s accomplishment

Read the full interview here

"After doing an extensive search for PhD programs, I found that the PhD program for Executives at AMS is the most flexible for full-time employees who wish to pursue their studies. In addition, all the team members, from the director to the coach, professors, program managers and administrative staff are very supportive and always do their best to facilitate students’ progress. One more important part are the program modules. The knowledge and guidance we get from the lecturing professors are very beneficial and help me to find the right directions in the research oceans where I frequently feel lost. Everyone in the team is willing and happy to help. And for all the above mentioned reasons, I’m so glad that I made the correct choice."

"The PhD program for Executives here at AMS is fantastic. You get to know a lot of exciting peers, industry experts and professors from all over the world. Combined with fast response times and strong support from my PhD supervisors makes it a well-tailored program fitting my situation as a busy manager.

I’m very happy that I made the right choice."

"A wonderful educational journey. Together with like-minded peers from literally all over the globe, we are introduced to every relevant aspect in our PhD journey by an international array of top-notch professors, both within Antwerp Management School, the University of Antwerp, and other universities in Europe. The instruction material is practical for academic as well as managerial work and keeps providing you with new insights that force you to rethink while it helps you to grow both as a scholar and a person. This experience keeps you wondering: is it the journey, the destination or both? AMS - Opening minds to impact the world."