What were you doing prior to the MBA?
I have been employed within the Third Sector in Scotland since 2005. During this time, I have progressed in my career through various management roles. Since February 2023 I have been Director of Enable Cares, with operational responsibility for self-directed social care services across 23 local authority areas in Scotland, with a workforce of 2000 employees.
I was also the Board Chair for a housing association subsidiary that provided specialist housing solutions for people with complex needs living in the North East of Scotland.
What were the reasons for doing an MBA?
At the time of commencing the MBA I was in a Regional Director role with my current employer and was keen to develop further in my career to an Executive Director role. My employer was keen to support me in this journey and to support my continued learning and professional development and the MBA was sought to support me in this opportunity as the MBA covered essential aspects of an Executive role and remit.
Why did you opt for the part-time Executive route?
I was able to undertake studying for the Executive MBA in and around my current full-time employment which is why I sought to undertake the part-time route.
What are your thoughts on the programme?
The course itself was challenging and really consolidated a lot of the learning that I have gained in practice throughout my career. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with a broad spectrum of people working across a variety of sectors. The group assignments were enjoyable and really built my confidence of how to navigate complex assignments to a positive output in the form of an overall submission while navigating the complexities of working in a group. As such, the learning from these modules was two-fold; the opportunity to strengthen and build knowledge of a particular aspect of business but also the ability to work with others across a variety of sectors.
I was offered the opportunity to undertake a live case, working as a consultant with an external real-life client. This was enjoyable throughout and really cemented the learning from the other modules. The overall project submission for the dissertation was an opportunity to work with a live organisation and build upon the learning across the various modules and use the learning to look in detail at solutions to a real business issue. These aspects were very much opportunities to learn in practice.
As you continued working, did you manage to implement the teaching in your work as you went through the course?
Towards the latter stage of my Executive MBA journey, I progressed into an Executive Director role and found much of the learning from the MBA was very much reflective of the reality of the day-to-day role; with the modules covered in the course being the fundamental aspects of my now day to day role and responsibilities.
Did you find your work supportive?
My employer was very supportive, having sought to support me in this opportunity from the outset. For the dissertation module, I was able to tackle an issue that was live and relevant to my employer, which supported me in achieving the assignment requirements whilst my employer was able to benefit from the outcome of the project and recommendations that could be taken forward.
Would you recommend the Executive MBA to others?
I would definitely recommend the Executive MBA to others and have done so since completing the course. The course itself is intense but the university offers so much flexibility that you can balance your study with both full-time employment and the reality of family life! There were so many students on the course who were able to work flexibly to complete their studies around their home lives and careers. The opportunity to connect with so many diverse sectors is invaluable, and the overall sense of achievement was one that really boosted my confidence. At this time, I am now in an Executive Director role and feel that this has been possible through the learning and professional development gained through the completion of my MBA degree.
