Breaking Through the Ceiling to Reach New Professional Levels

Why I wanted to do an MBA

My life has always been entwined with my family’s company. I joined the company as an intern and now, after eight years, hold a successful managerial position as the sales and marketing manager. I have always been interested in knowing more about business and am passionate about what I do. I have an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership enchants me: I like to inspire people to act; to understand the value of things that people cannot see; to share and to teach people to make the best decisions.

Working in a family business means that you must prove yourself all of the time. I felt that I had reached a ceiling and needed to find another way to reach new professional levels, build on my knowledge and bring new insights and better direction to the team. My family had always encouraged me to study abroad so this was perfect timing for me.

Why I chose The Bath MBA

Coming from a family business, I was looking for a programme that would enable me to work in other industries, get to know other leaders and prove myself in different ways. The multi-project suite offered experience and engagement with other industries where I had to solve real problems and I needed this to make my view wider. I had only my father’s way of doing business, now I know much more.

Learning beyond the classroom

The Multi-Project Suite was tense and demanding but fulfilling. The project expanded my knowledge into sustainability, explored other ways of doing business and broadened my views on how to be a CEO in future. I was so keen to help with the continuity of the work that I contacted the CEO to ask if I could remain on the project and am now volunteering for the company that I was part of. It’s been an amazing experience and I have learned so much from his knowledge on sustainability.

Discovering new skills

The MBA has already impacted on my career and behaviours. I identified that I love people so much, sharing knowledge and improving efficiencies, so decided to switch from sales and marketing to human resources. Results are led by people all of the time and the failures we have are because of the lack of people management. My father and I have realised how the business needs someone to look after and care about employees. It makes sense for me to take over this area of the business in future and I’m so happy and excited.

Developing as a leader

The course has been a considerable investment for my family, but I am so pleased to have found it. I was looking for a programme that was about strategic decision-making and that was exactly what I received. I loved that I could write about my own company but it also allowed me to think about business from another perspective. I am sure that my intellectual ‘luggage’ is full of knowledge and insights to take back to my organisation – not only hard skills, but a lot of soft skills too. The MBA has shaped me into an even better leader.

Inspiring future leaders

In the future I would like to be the CEO of my own business and the decisions and choices that I have made during the programme have been in that direction. I will be so happy to share my experiences and knowledge with future students of the Bath

The article was first published on 11 March, 2024