I've read online that in Germany it's almost as if it's not really understood what you can do with an MBA or how a company can benefit from hiring MBA graduates. Is it really like that? I've been considering moving to Germany for a while to study as I have German ancestry and speak the language decently. ESMT seems to be highly regarded but if within Germany MBAs are not really highly regarded, is there much of a point?

Yea, I think the general public is not familiar with the MBA and, indeed, some older managers are not comfortable with the move from the Diplom system. The top MBA place well into a pretty tight group of internationally-oriented businesses, and they place well. The two limitations are that many international students cannot work in German, and that is more important than an MBA. ESMT is not as well regarded as Mannheim, HSG or WHU because it's still a smaller and newer school. If you learn German and want to work at the sort of firms that hire from the MBAs you are interested in, then it's a good fit. 

Most non-German speaking foreigners will be better off learning German and then taking a degree taught in German if they really want to work in Germany. 

See:


Best MBAs for international students' placement http://www.find-mba.com/board/41143
and Do you need to speak the local language? www.find-mba.com/board/34713