Paul Bennett - Managing Director of Clark & Partners Ltd

‘Having the MBA gave me a lot of credibility in my role as Managing Director,’ says Paul. ‘It is an official recognition of skills, capabilities and knowledge. It carries real clout in the business world. ‘I found studying for the MBA incredibly stimulating; it was like stepping into another world. I was particularly impressed with the academic environment and the way they encouraged debate, thought and reflective learning, which was really different from other forms of training.

 ‘I found that there were three distinct sources of learning beyond the usual ‘text books’ – from lecturers, from other students and from the reflective experience of learning. The lecturers were always on hand if you needed help, and they seemed to be as committed to my success as I was.

From a personal point of view I can’t imagine making a better investment; it goes beyond business and actually changes the way you think.’

Laura Moynahan- Chief Executive Netherthorpe and Upperthorpe Community Alliance (NUCA)

‘The course at Sheffield Hallam seemed ideal because it was part-time and allowed me to fit in my studies around work and family commitments.’ Sheffield Hallam’s flexible approach proved invaluable to Laura when she became pregnant and opted to take a year out of studying part way through the course.

‘I became pregnant with my first child while I was on the MBA, and it was great that I was able to take a break for a year while I had my son before rejoining the course.’

Laura is in no doubt about the value of an MBA, and believes it has had a big impact on her working life. ‘The MBA essentially opens up a lot of options because it gives you the confidence to explore new horizons and a much better understanding of the many different disciplines that are essential to any successful organisation. I found the change management module particularly useful, as change is a constant feature and it was extremely helpful to develop a much more in depth understanding of change, its implications and how to handle it.

‘The MBA also gives you a great opportunity to get to know people from other backgrounds and sectors and to learn from each other. I am still in touch with colleagues from the course and we still contact each other to bounce ideas around and help each other with problem-solving.’