I am originally from Baghdad, living there during the war. After a year of living in the war, in 2004 my parents decided that our family needed a better life. We moved to Amman, Jordan. After a few years living in Jordan, we managed to get a visa through a Highly Skilled Migrants Visa Programme due to my dad’s job as a Business Consultant for an international textile and linen manufacturer based in Manchester.
Watching my dad when I was younger and his sheer motivation and passion in the business world has been a key driver for me in fulfilling my ambition of completing an MBA and gaining a leadership role.
Moving to the UK
When I first moved to the UK with my family it was extremely challenging due to the language barrier. After completing A-levels I did a part-time bachelor’s degree whilst working full-time for Serco Global Service. My last role before embarking on my MBA journey was as a Market Manager for Agoda.com who are part of the Booking Holdings Group. Here I managed the online distribution and growth strategies for over 150 national and international hotel chains across Europe.
Choosing the MBA path
I decided to study an MBA as I wanted to enhance my managerial and leadership skills. I believe these are important skills to enrich not only my professional but my personal growth. I knew by studying an MBA especially at Alliance Manchester Business School I would be surrounding myself with people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds meaning I would acquire knowledge and learn from experiences of a diverse mix of people. Adding further knowledge to my skill set.
My main goal from studying an MBA was that I wanted to create a significant impact in a dynamic and ever-changing business environment. I wanted to bring together my working experience with the skills I will learn on the MBA. It was through this thought that I realised I was looking for a programme where you learnt the skills by practicing them in real life business situations. I knew Manchester was the perfect fit for me, with the learning by doing style and the Manchester Method I was going to get everything I could wish for out of an MBA programme.
My MBA experience so far
My favourite part of the MBA programme so far has been the practical course delivery. This allows you to experience all your teachings, break things and learn from them. I love hearing stories from classmates, learning about their lives and what they were doing before the MBA - it is inspiring. I love the Alliance Manchester Business School community. In terms of academic classes, the Business Strategy and Competition course has really opened my eyes to how firms compete in the market to obtain a competitive edge and achieve a leadership position.
For me on the MBA I am most looking forward to all the networking opportunities that are to come and the long-lasting relationship I will have with the school and my fellow classmates. I have already noticed the benefits from the academic learning. I can’t wait for this to continue to flourish, whilst learning great leadership skills. I believe these will be an instrumental tool for my future career.
When I reflect on what I have achieved so far on the MBA with the two consultancy projects; I have learnt amazing skills and techniques. How to tackle a challenging business problem and provide an evidence-based approach to steer the client in making the most profitable decision.
The next step on the MBA is a summer internship with Amazon. I will be joining their Operations Leadership Development Programme. This will provide me with great exposure to a top companies’ operations adding great value to my professional development.
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