From Crypto Hype to Governance Reality: What an MBA Module on Fintech Actually Taught Me When I first started the Fintech, Digital Finance and Blockchain module, I expected a fairly predictable mix of cryptocurrency discussion, disruptive innovation buzzwords and the usual promises about “the future of banking.” What I didn’t expect was how quickly the…
One of the more interesting parts of my MBA so far has been the module on global perspectives in responsible business. Not because it introduced entirely new concepts, but because it forced a different way of thinking about organisations, leadership, and accountability. Coming from a surgical and operational leadership background, I naturally tend to look…
I’m a surgeon by training. I spend most of my professional life thinking about risk, outcomes, flow, capacity, and decision-making under pressure. Until this MBA, accounting sat firmly in the “important but someone else’s problem” category. The Accounting and Accountability module changed that. Not because it turned me into a finance expert — it didn’t…
I went into the Managerial Finance module expecting theory-heavy corporate finance: formulas, models, and abstract concepts that mostly live in textbooks. What I got instead was something far more valuable — a structured way of thinking about how money actually drives decisions, both inside organisations and in personal investing. This module wasn’t really about grades…
As part of my MBA journey, the Understanding the Economy module stood out for its relevance, challenge, and direct applicability to my real-world leadership role within the NHS. Coming from a clinical and operational background, I approached this subject with curiosity but also a sense of uncertainty. Concepts like market structures, externalities, and elasticity weren’t part of…
One of the most rewarding parts of my MBA journey so far has been applying theory to real-world challenges – and nowhere was that clearer than in my recent Sustainable Operations assignment. I centred the project around a live procurement improvement at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. On the surface, it was a switch from…
My first academic submission since completing my PhD in 2013 — a deep dive into marketing frameworks, feedback, and rediscovering the rhythm of structured writing in the MBA programme. Here’s what I learned, what I got right, and where I’ll go next.
“ChatGPT is not a shortcut — it’s a thinking partner. When used transparently, it helps students synthesise theory, draft ideas, and clarify complex feedback. The real academic misconduct isn’t using AI — it’s avoiding critical thinking. Responsible AI use is now part of academic literacy, not a threat to it.”
From Starbucks to Supplements: An MBA Journey Through Marketing in Action Introduction: When Marketing Became More Than Just a Module There are few MBA modules that blend academic theory and real-world insight as powerfully as Marketing. Over the past term, I went from co-hosting a podcast about surviving on the high street to writing a…
“Wait, I Have to Do What Now?” — Reflections on Starting an MBA Apprenticeship When I first signed up for the MBA via the Level 7 Senior Leader Apprenticeship, I thought I had a fairly good idea of what I was getting into: some lectures, a few assignments, a project or two. What I wasn’t…