Elaine Ferraris, PDM, 1994

My MBA totally changed my life. Prior to my studies at the Business School, I had been a technical manager for a chemical company. After Business School, I worked as a Corporate Planner for the Wiggins Teape Group, as Marketing Director for Wiggins Teape Converters and as Managing Director for Harveytile, an Abercom company from which…

I had asked Prof Patrick McGraw to borrow his teaching notes to copy, intending to return it the following week. Over the weekend my car was stolen, with his notes, my course materials, and text books. Thank you to Douglas Jung and friends who helped me with copies of their files so that I could prepare for the exams. The MBA program taught me that you can survive any hardship if you have a strong support network.

I did not have any diploma or tertiary qualification and then I enrolled in 2012 through Learning Academy in Home Affairs for Middle Management Development Programme to acquire skills. I completed the course in 2013 and was awarded a certificate of competence. This has been so memorable and has done a lot for me as I…