Lindsey Watson - MBA 2005

Initially I chose the MBA because I wanted to become better at my job as an account manager in the automotive industry, and having studied both my BSc and MSc at APU (as it was called then), I felt the need to expand my brain and to advance more on the business side rather than mechanical engineering which had been the basis of my first two degrees.

I chose to study at Anglia Ruskin as I knew it had a strong and ever improving reputation as a university and due to its excellent location (about 3 miles from home) and flexible study times (Friday Saturday Sunday once per month as I recall). Previously my company had sponsored my degrees but for the MBA they were unable to and so I reviewed my finances and decided that I could do without a new car for a few years. Then I worked out the holiday days needed for one Friday per month and I decided I could also do without a holiday abroad for a few years.

After looking around at my colleagues with children and other ties, I decided now was the perfect time and needed to convince myself if not now then when. I had some spare free time due to personal life changes, plus I had reached the maturity stage (age 31) of realising there was much more of the educational world I could benefit from. I was not disappointed: the interaction, networking and stimulus of the classes were fantastic.

I love to use the expression: you do not know what you do not know. For me the eureka moment was realising there was some really interesting stuff that I did not know, and that this would become so very useful in my job as an account manager and for future jobs as well. As a secondary benefit, this impacted my family business of lettings, which has incidentally expanded in the years since completing my MBA. I can safely say I have gained more and more insight into setting priorities for business - focussing on the core business that you truly understand rather than tempting sidelines which are risky and can dilute the core business. My career has progressed well since the MBA. I have been an account manager handling 5 year deals for millions of dollars of automotive components, a resident engineer, then a launch engineer for the new Free Lander & new Fiesta , then a Manufacturing business planner looking at strategy for European manufacturing locations, and a facilities engineer and Safety adviser. I have been gaining quite a varied set of skills since staring as a Ford engineering draughting apprentice in 1989, all of that variation with the same employer! It's great to know that I have always enjoyed my job and when I needed a stretch or a change I have been able to do it within the same company.

I particularly remember the trip to France where we labelled the meeting room door cadres (managers). This seems very ordinary now because most of us are managers, but at that time being taken to a board room of a company and meeting the MD to discuss his products was a really inspiring experience. When aspiring to improve it is wonderful to meet people who have made it and are happy to give you their practical discussions. I remember visiting a factory where they made ice crushing machines; its small tight knit management team was an effective management model to see in action. This was such a valuable part of the MBA - to reinforce all the academic learning, and to debate the real world perspectives.

I have been a launch engineer in the car industry which involves lots of travel and being employed to think on your feet, take responsibility for tasks and decisions and drive though the actions (for which I think the term Jack Russell was used to describe my relentless focus on the task) something which I believe the MBA has given me more confidence to do, to pursue matters when you know you are right.

Nowadays I have altered my work life balance as I have a 3 year old child, and now am working part time. I am an adviser to my board of directors on all matters of Health and Safety as well as environmental impact. I deal with litigation and strategy for all the UK sites we have. I have made improvements to the company ethics on H&S, and have used my MBA in many of those decision making processes. I have been using the MBA in my everyday work life not necessarily to become the CEO but to aim for targets, to make plans to achieve them, to understand the management models and rationale behind sometime difficult staff decisions and to take action.

Also in my wider life I have been being realistic about role stress and feeling real pleasure in accomplishments and ensuring job satisfaction. I also take pleasure from knowing how to find things out, that investigation is vital to understanding and not being too clever to realise that we can all benefit from more education. My brain is a muscle, I keep stretching it.