Why MBA: Aston Business School, UK

Dhiti Nanavati decided to begin an MBA to develop her analytical skills and enhance her presence in the global labour market.

 

In this interview she explains that one of the best features of Aston Business School is that, on some modules, MBAs collaborated closely with big companies such as car-maker Rolls Royce and IBM, the technology giant.

 

 

After four years of work in marketing and IT in India and Silicon Valley, I wanted to advance in my professional career through an MBA.

 

I needed the MBA to sharpen my analytical skills in order to succeed in the corporate world – especially in the field of international marketing, and in the information security industry. To negotiate and sustain oneself in the global labour market, the higher the professional qualification, the better.

 

 

The MBA program at Aston attracted me because of the course structure, the approach to instruction and the emphasis on inter-personal and team interaction skills.

 

The broad nature of the program with respect to choice of modules, small class size, interaction with peers from over 20 different nations and the industries, have proved to be value additions.

 

 

The decision to come to UK has been partly personal. My mother was commonwealth fellow at LSE (London School of Economics) and my father was a British Council research scholar. They had first-hand experience of the reputed UK education system, and hoped I would study here someday.

 

I wanted to study in UK as it has a long history of being an industrial and financial hub, and this is also reflected in its institutions and curricula.

 

Secondly, the world-class MBA education is imparted in a year, which attracts many talented students who wish to return to the business world sooner – like me.

 

 

Aston University is leading in the field of servitization research. The department chair, Dr. Tim Baines, is considered an international authority in the service industry. He is amongst the most frequently-cited authors on servitization and product-service systems.

 

This focus on research also manifests itself in the curriculum, particularly the modules on technology-led service strategy and transforming to technology-led services – both of which are unique offerings in a business school syllabus.

 

These modules also have a close collaboration with Rolls Royce, IBM, Xerox and Alstom, which further prepares students to implement tech-led service strategies into organizations.

 

 

In the long run, I see myself shaping the strategic decisions of a major information security company. I plan to attain that position after acquiring experience in managing a global business.

 

I find the information security industry dynamic, growing with a constant need to withstand and adapt to the enormous technical challenges posed by innovations. The technology-enabled commercial network needs security assurance for its clients, and I would be happy to contribute in this area.