I come from Burkina Faso in West Africa. My country was formerly known as Upper Volta and was renamed in 1984, Burkina Faso means the “land of honourable people”.
What was your position before you became an MBA student?
I was working for a UK-based charity, TREE AID, as their West Africa Programme Coordinator based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
What were your reasons for doing an MBA?
I have over 18 years professional and management experience in the rural development sector of West Africa, working with international not-for-profit organisations, and I believe this is the right time for me to study for an MBA.
I had considered other ways to build on my professional experience but concluded that none of these courses could provide the depth and breadth of business knowledge I could obtain on a full-time MBA programme.
My experience with Tree Aid since 2000 has strengthened my skills and capabilities in project design, planning, monitoring and evaluation as well as in people management. However, I believe this could be significantly improved through formal education in management and business.
An MBA will equip me with cutting edge knowledge on core business issues, theory and practices. It will also strengthen my leadership potential, provide a comparative perspective and give me useful management tools.
Why did you decide to study in the UK?
I won admission into three business schools including the University of Exeter Business School. My plan was to study in an English-speaking environment and in a country where the culture of business is efficient. Furthermore I wanted to maintain contact with my current employer – Tree Aid – which is based in Bristol (about one hour from Exeter).
How has your experience at Exeter been so far?
Great! I have been at Exeter for just three weeks. Exeter is a lovely city! The Induction Week set the scene for the One Planet MBA. We started lectures in the second week and are enjoying sessions from world class faculty and external guest speakers. We also travelled to London for additional training and guest speakers on sustainability.
Diversity at Exeter makes a difference; for instance our MBA class has 40 students from 22 nationalities coming from different professional backgrounds and industries. All five continents are represented.
The One Planet MBA students are being equipped with the latest business thinking, theory and practice. We have the opportunity to make our own contribution and shape the programme for a new generation of business leaders.
As I come from a non-traditional background I have found the core business lectures quite challenging. But I think it’s good as it prompts me to work harder and develop critical learning skills.
With our high-calibre lecturers, the state-of-the-art IT equipment and the supportive network of classmates, I’m confident I’ll succeed in my studies.
What was your application process like?
Although I won admission to two other business schools, the innovative One-Planet MBA from Exeter definitely attracted me. The application process itself was straightforward and I was delighted to also win a One Planet MBA scholarship.
I was particularly impressed by the quality of service I received from the business school through the application process. The Admissions Staff made a huge difference. In response to one email, I received the following message from the business school “Can I just say that we're delighted that you have accepted our offer - we were excited to receive your application and determined that you should join us this year - and we all look forward to meeting you in a couple of months!”.
It was great to receive such a reassuring message. It definitely prompted me to do all I could to be part of such a student-centered business school.
What are you plans after your MBA?
I want to strengthen the capacity of development organisations in Africa to partner with business. I want to promote strategic partnerships between NGOs and the private sector by bringing business acumen and private sector experience into the charity sector.
I will make the case for NGOs to partner with business, and for business to engage in sustainable development.
The Exeter One Planet MBA will ultimately enhance my ability to call into action NGOs, businesses, public institutions, academics and donor agencies to rise to the challenge to achieve lasting performance in the development sector, through strategic partnerships.
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