Maxim Kharchenko, MS, EMTM'08

From Russia with Laptop: Going the Distance

A native of Ukraine who works for the largest IT services company in Eastern Europe, Maxim Kharchenko holds EMTM's distance traveler award for the current class — commuting every other weekend from Moscow to Philadelphia. What is the motivation behind this level of commitment? For one, he has never lacked the initiative to tackle new challenges.

After earning a master's degree in applied mathematics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Maxim began his career on an entrepreneurial track, founding companies in R&D chemistry services and later selling IT and software development services to international clients. He then joined the IT solutions company Kvazar-Micro, the largest IT firm in Ukraine. Based at its Kiev headquarters, he created a software business unit for the company and developed expertise in marketing and general management.

In 2005, when Kvazar-Micro was acquired by SITRONICS, Maxim moved to Moscow. In his new role, he was charged with creating a centralized R&D function for the entire company, which has operations all over the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region. "Most of our R&D is concentrated within business units and it is a challenge to establish needed communication flow between them. In addition, we are building a corporate R&D center for more fundamental research." In order to help lead his company to the forefront, Maxim needed more exposure to current thinking about R&D strategies.

Why EMTM?

Looking to supplement his on-the-job education, Maxim researched graduate programs in business and management — largely in the U.S. — and discovered EMTM. Penn Engineering and Wharton resonated with him. "I was very impressed with the bios of EMTM faculty members and I knew right away that these were people I wanted to learn from."

Maxim was drawn to the program's balance of subject areas. He liked the length and breadth of EMTM's curriculum, which he felt would be more effective than shorter programs, Though matriculating in the program would entail a nine-hour plane ride every two weeks, he welcomed the opportunity to immerse himself in American culture. "The specific schedule of the program weekends turns out to be quite good for people making a long commute," he says, adding that he uses the time en route to catch up on his schoolwork.

Career Impact

From the outset, Maxim has found the globe-trekking commute a rewarding commitment. During program weekends, he has enjoyed getting to know his American peers. "The program is extremely well organized and between the group work and the events on weekends, I have had the chance to connect with classmates."

As he'd hoped, Maxim says, the program has given him an important foundation for leadership and R&D management, and he has learned techniques for encouraging innovation at SITRONICS. "I definitely use what I hear in the classroom. For instance, one thing I've learned is the distinction between incremental, radical and fundamental R&D, and this concept helps me to distinguish between various activities in the company and what decisions I can make in terms of financing or allocating resources to different projects."

He's been especially pleased with the quality of the faculty members, who have exceeded his expectations in terms of their talents and depth of experience. He also appreciates getting exposure to other experts through the EMTM's Emerging Technology Seminar series, including speakers such as Ken Huber, Manager of Advanced Technology at PJM Interconnection, who discussed energy deregulation, flexible electricity prices and smart metering.

In the long term, Maxim believes that the EMTM degree will serve him well in his career. "Not only will I have a degree from one of the best universities in America, but I will have a solid network of classmate connections which has already started to bear fruit."

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