Master of her future

Joanne Cullum has her sights set on mastering her future thanks to a competition run by the Evening Gazette and Teesside Business School.

A Brilliant Career in the Tees Valley is a major campaign to support and grow talent in the area. And Joanne is set to pursue her own brilliant career after winning an MBA scholarship worth £8,300 offered by Teesside Business School and Middlesbrough’s local newspaper.

Joanne, a marketing manager for the Billingham-based Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre North East, believes the MBA will expand her business expertise and provide a good grounding in a range of commercial issues from strategic planning to finance.

She said, ‘I am fully committed to my role with the EST advice centre and feel the MBA will help me improve my skills and knowledge, helping to contribute to the strength of the management team. Many of the topics covered will have a direct impact on my work, helping to guide strategic decisions at management level.’

Joanne appreciates the level of commitment required on the MBA course, which focuses on people management, finance, operations, strategy and leadership. But she is used to studying while holding a demanding job. She completed a postgraduate diploma with the Chartered Institute of Marketing when she scooped the top student for Teesside award.

Joanne added, ‘I’m especially looking forward to meeting and learning from the MBA staff and other students.’

Helen Bussell, Acting Assistant Dean, said, ‘We received applications from across the region, from people in the public, private and third sectors. It shows the importance of strategic management in all types of organisations. The standard of applications was very high indeed. Joanne was chosen as it was felt not only would she benefit personally from studying for an MBA, but she demonstrated how the skills and knowledge she would gain could be used to develop her work organisation and help the wider community.’

Additional reporting courtesy of the Evening Gazette.

---