Dan Tasker‌‌

Senior firefighter Dan Tasker set himself on course to achieve his dream of one day winning the top job in Hampshire’s Fire and Rescue Service. Since joining the Fire and Rescue Service, he has attended more than 4,000 emergency calls across Hampshire and undertaken highly specialised secondments in training, community safety and project management. But despite his broad experience in the field, he didn’t have all the qualifications necessary to be considered for promotion to chief fire officer.

The MBA is nationally recognised by the Chief Fire Officer's Association as an absolute pre-requisite to the role of chief fire officer because it delivers the knowledge-base and senior management skills and attributes necessary to lead a modern Fire and Rescue Service. 

It has without question developed my academic and personal skills to such a level that I now feel ready to take the step into senior management. That step now seems much smaller than before. One of the highlights was passing all my exams – I shocked myself. But there have been many other highlights.

Learning about other cultures and commerce from international students on the course has been fascinating. I had never before encountered things like understanding how mannerisms and minor actions can cause huge offence in some countries, making trading impossible.

Heather Short

MBA student Heather Short won a scholarship from Portsmouth Business School to study for the Executive MBA. As a result of studying she has set up her own consultancy that helps SMEs realise their objectives.

As a self-funding student, I was lucky enough to receive this scholarship which made my tuition fees very affordable. I know it’s a cliché but the MBA really has been a life-changing experience and one that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss. All the unexpected extras and eye-opening opportunities made the course for me.

There is so much more to it than just going to the University for lectures. In addition to the taught programme there are two residential trips and a series of masterclasses, which cover a range of topical issues faced by today’s professional managers. The mix of learning offered by the Portsmouth Business School is excellent and there’s a fantastic amount of knowledge-sharing amongst students in the MBA group.

I previously worked at IBM and then ran my own network marketing business, building a small investment into an international network of 700 traders, but I felt I wanted to do more. I needed to streamline my ideas, get up-to-date with the world of business again and learn the theory to back up my business experience. The MBA has helped me do exactly that.

Two and a half years ago I never thought I would be running my own consultancy, but I enjoyed the consultancy project on the course so much I realised it was a natural next step. Studying at the Portsmouth Business School has really given me a boost and the skills to make me much more confident in business.

Andy Kettle

Andy is Fire Service Area Manager at the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. Driven by a desire to learn how to further improve his performance at work, he decided to embark on a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Portsmouth Business School.

'I was motivated to undertake an MBA to develop my professional ability and because I’ve always had a long standing ambition to achieve a higher education qualification.

Completing the MBA has stretched me in so many ways. I have learnt a range of new tools that have enabled me to increase my capacity to lead and manage at a more senior level in an increasingly complex environment. The Fire Service has also benefited enormously from me gaining this qualification and is continuing to do so through my increased contribution to the work of the management team.

The MBA has definitely enabled me to progress into a more senior position in my own organisation and I also feel I benefit from being able to apply my learning on a day-to-day basis.

I really enjoyed my experience at the Portsmouth Business School – the course was well organised and professionally delivered. I have lived in the area for 15 years and it’s a vibrant place to be with lots going on.'

Gary Jefferies

'The Portsmouth MBA is a challenging and stimulating course, delivered by great academic staff.

Like many in professional practice, my postgraduate education had been narrowly focused on my professional discipline. I chose the Portsmouth MBA to broaden my perspectives, having been appointed Managing Director of my firm. The course not only equipped me with tools and techniques that were of immediate value to my business, but it also enabled me to place my day-to-day professional practice in a wider business context, providing the insight required to deepen my client relationships. The MBA has more than paid for itself in terms of new revenue streams and cost savings for my firm.

I chose the Portsmouth MBA principally for the quality of the learning environment and the ease of fitting the course around my business and personal commitments. The experience, from start to finish, was both challenging and enjoyable and the support from both administration and academic staff was first class. Highly recommended.'

Sarah Miles

Sarah Miles, of Littlehampton, West Sussex, spent 20 years running a business which made bespoke dresses for foreign royals, publishers and wives of top chefs, international polo players and rock stars. She also designed and made high-end fashion for magazines and television programmes.

After spending 20 years running a business which made bespoke dresses for foreign royals and wives of top chefs, international polo players and rock stars, Sarah Miles, wanted a change of direction.  Following an MBA at the University of Portsmouth Business School, she is now running a two-year project with the UK market leader for humidification, as well as studying for a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA).

After completing a higher national diploma in the subject - and coming top of her class - she enrolled on the final year of a degree at the University of Portsmouth Business School and a year later again came top of her class gaining a first in BA (Hons) Hospitality Management. She then applied for, and was granted, a scholarship by the Business School to study for the Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Sarah is now working for JS Humidifiers, running a two-year knowledge transfer project in connection with the University of Portsmouth. The focus of the project is about improving processes, implementing a robust system for business analysis and financial reporting, as well as developing a decision-making framework for evaluating new revenue streams.

'The MBA gave me a real breadth of experience - I learnt about operations, marketing and finance, and strengthened my general business skills. Undertaking the MBA with students from all over the world has widened my networks and created global business links. The company I work for exports to the Middle East and as a result of the MBA, I have a number of contacts in the United Arab Emirates, which have proved extremely valuable. I am now studying for the DBA, another challenge which I'm enjoying. It is the highest level of professional and academic achievement, so is a very desirable qualification to have.'

Eugen Barbu

Eugen works as a research scientist at the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth.

'I was tempted to do an MBA course immediately after I graduated in chemical engineering, which happened many years ago, but the attraction of science proved stronger at the time, so I opted instead for a PhD in chemistry. However, while building my scientific career over the years, my interest in an MBA did not fade away at all – it was only few years ago though when I felt it was the right time (when I had the support this kind of extra commitment requires) and when I finally decided to go for it.

I have lived previously in the area for several years and I knew the place, so I can say I chose the Portsmouth MBA not only for the ease of fitting the course around my work and personal commitments, but also for the quality of the learning environment and for the additional credibility of an AMBA-accredited degree.

It is true what they say, namely that an MBA has the potential to transform you, and I have literally noticed many positive changes throughout the duration of this course. Apart from obviously increasing my knowledge and skills in new areas, this course has equipped me with additional tools and techniques of immediate value to many of my daily activities; I also felt it has increased my self-confidence and broadened considerably my perspectives. I have found the interactions with other students – coming from different industries and from all over the world, from both Executive and International MBA groups – particularly valuable.

The academic and support staff are all enthusiastic and very supportive. I found the Consultancy Business and Innovation unit as well as the final research project both very challenging and extremely stimulating. Commercialisation of research is also an area I am interested in, so doing a project on academic spin-out companies seemed like a logical choice. Overall, this course was a great experience and I can say without hesitation I have enjoyed it throughout – I can definitely recommend it.’

Ed Derbyshire

Ed embarked on an MBA to build his business knowledge when he was tasked with setting up the UK branch of an international electronics business. He has since completed the DBA.

‘I never really saw myself as a Managing Director, but since completing the MBA and DBA, I have progressed swiftly up the ranks. When I started the MBA I was building a company from scratch and I desperately needed business knowledge to increase my chances of success! I found that once I had started the course I was able to apply theory to practice fairly rapidly, which really helps to embed the knowledge and benefit your organisation.

I’ve got to know staff at the Portsmouth Business School very well over the last seven years and I have to say there are plenty there who are always willing to go the extra mile. There’s a real diversity of knowledge and experience, which is very enriching, and the MBA classes provide a fertile ground for new ideas.

The whole experience has been pivotal for me and my confidence has grown hugely – the MBA certainly equipped me with the knowledge and skills to take on more challenging roles.’

Senior firefighter Dan Tasker set himself on course to achieve his dream of one day winning the top job in Hampshire’s Fire and Rescue Service. Since joining the Fire and Rescue Service, he has attended more than 4,000 emergency calls across Hampshire and undertaken highly specialised secondments in training, community safety and project management. But despite his broad experience in the field, he didn’t have all the qualifications necessary to be considered for promotion to chief fire officer.

The MBA is nationally recognised by the Chief Fire Officer's Association as an absolute pre-requisite to the role of chief fire officer because it delivers the knowledge-base and senior management skills and attributes necessary to lead a modern Fire and Rescue Service. 

It has without question developed my academic and personal skills to such a level that I now feel ready to take the step into senior management. That step now seems much smaller than before. One of the highlights was passing all my exams – I shocked myself. But there have been many other highlights.

Learning about other cultures and commerce from international students on the course has been fascinating. I had never before encountered things like understanding how mannerisms and minor actions can cause huge offence in some countries, making trading impossible.