12month MBA at Oxford College of Business, where career dreams are made a reality
Mrs. Rehana Ghouze - From Senior Manager (AVP) to General Manager
Applying for the 12month MBA at Oxford College of Business ( OCB) in affiliation with the Australian Institute of Business ( AIB) has always been the No. 1 choice amongst many senior managers deciding to start on an MBA program.
One of the main reasons for this is because businesses worldwide rate Australia’s MBA programs highly, it also needs to be mentioned that globally, Australian MBA graduates offer the second highest average salary at US$109,100. This puts the country i n second place behind Switzerland, where employers offer MBAs US$ 10,300 more than Australian graduates. In 2011, Australia was listed as the world’s fourth most popular MBA study destination, with 35% of the 4,527 survey respondents specifying it as their preferred location to take an MBA according to the Economist.
Businesses worldwide have a number of Australian business schools as their preference for hiring MBAs among which the Australian Institute of Business ( AIB) is considered to be among one of their top preferences. Over 4,500 businesses worldwide which are actively recruiting MBAs, provided details of which schools they prefer to recruit from. They rated 11 business schools in Australia amongst the top schools in the Asia- Pacific region, Melbourne Business School was the highest rated business school in Australia. Other business schools in Australia that have featured prominently in the MBA employer rating include , Australian Institute of Business ( AIB) in Adelaide , Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Monash University Faculty of Business and Economics, and Sydney Business School at the University of Wollongong. The existence of the 12month MBA off e red by Australian Institute of Business has enabled Sri Lanka’s top corporates the opportunity to obtain a prestigious and highly sought after internal Australian MBA which is internationally and locally fully accredited at a fraction of the cost in just 12 months.
From Senior Manager ( AVP) to General Manager
Mrs. Rehana Ghouze has been exposed to many of the challenges and leadership issues organizations face throughout her career. But rather than being trapped with such issues, Rehana decided to extend her knowledge by reading for the 12month MBA at Oxford College of Business.
“I intensively researched the return on investment of an MBA course available in the market, and can without a doubt say that OCB’s 12month MBA helps you get that big career break you are looking for,” she says. “My decision to pursue OCB’s 12month MBA would have been even easier had I known to look beyond the immediate financial returns. The relevant knowledge and skill set that 12month MBA at OCB provides, together with a fulfilled and confident soul, can potentially pave the way for higher results later on.”
Rehana didn’t have to wait long to reap the rewards of her investment. “The 12month MBA at OCB had an impact on my career almost immediately,” she says. From being a senior manager ( AVP) at WNS one of Sri Lanka’s largest BPO companies, she was promoted as the General Manager a few months before completing her MBA. A promotion worth bragging about to say the least! “It has widened my scope from a technological background to encompass all aspects of the business, including financial valuations, analysis, investments, business innovations and strategy of different business landscapes.”
Rehana is currently responsible for the overall Finance operations of a key client’s Business Unit in WNS Sri Lanka, and a key member of the Senior Leadership team in WNS. “I would not have been able to devise a complete business strategy and create an innovative business model, and brand WNS as the most regarded BPO firm in the country, without the unparallel knowledge gained by reading for the 12month MBA at OCB,” Rehana says.
As Rehana now embarks on further business challenges post- The 12month MBA at OCB in affiliation with the Australian Institute of Busiess was an intense, incredibly fast-paced and challenging course,” she recalls, but the impact has been immediate. “No sooner had I started the MBA I was putting into practice the business and managerial insights from my MBA and seeing tangible results in my work,” Rehana says. “This was the advantage of doing the 12month MBA at OCB, where we could apply the learning on a daily
basis in the workplace MBA, she has a valuable network from one of the best business school faculty and MBA classmates to call upon for advice. “Many good friendships were formed on the personal front,” she says. “And in a more ‘ economic’ context, these friendships have transformed into knowledge- sharing of how businesses are run and the lessons and issues observed.”
“The 12month MBA at OCB in affiliation with the Australian Institute of Busiess was an intense, incredibly fast-paced and challenging course,” she recalls, but the impact has been immediate. “No sooner had I started the MBA I was putting into practice the business and managerial insights from my MBA and seeing tangible results in my work,” Rehana says. “This was the advantage of doing the 12month MBA at OCB, where we could apply the learning on a daily basis in the workplace.”
“My career has taken a quantum leap thanks to the 12month MBA at OCB. It enabled me to develop a refined toolset ( of both hard and soft skills), as well as the self-confidence and the sense of the possibilities of management and leadership necessary to embrace my new designation as General Manager,” she says.
“One of the best investments I have ever made”
Starting the MBA as an Assistant Vice President ( AVP) which is a senior manager position, Rehana self- funded her 12month MBA at OCB. “It was an investment I had to get right, and I can happily say it’s one of the best investments I have ever made. The 12month MBA at OCB gives you the opportunity to take time out, to reassess one’s career, refresh one’s perspective and radically enhance one’s learning, skills and credentials, without actually taking time out from one’s job or career. It’s a challenge to complete a degree and hold down a full time job, but an extremely worthwhile one which I would wholeheartedly recommend.”
Rehana also talks about the sense of ‘before’ and ‘after’ experience of the 12month MBA at OCB. “I emerged from OCB’s 12month MBA with an entirely new vision of the global business and social business worlds and with a concrete sense of what skillful ‘leadership’ ‘management’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ are about. Skillful management and leadership: I think these are the most powerful assets I will take through my career. The quality of management and leadership can turn an organization around, make or break it. This was highlighted during my MBA course at OCB, not least by what we were observing in the business world around us, with companies in crisis.” Women and MBAs The only disappointment Rehana associates with her degree is the lack of women on her course, but that hasn’t stopped her from developing initiatives to empower her fellow female peers. “The low proportion of women in my MBA class at OCB encouraged me and other women to address the issue of why there is this disparity. However it could be stated that gradually businesses are acknowledging that it makes sound business sense to promote gender equality.
The fact that an increasing number of women, including mothers as myself, are successfully completing the 12month MBA at OCB is proof that “it can be done,” and initiatives such as company loans at low interest are helping to provide the support and guidance for women who choose to pursue an MBA.
The 12month MBA at Oxford College of Business was truly instrumental in my career progression, the program constantly refined and fine tuned me as I went along, it is an MBA which actually provides results and without a doubt the No.1 MBA in the country today.” For more information contact the Malindu Ranasinghe - 0714151547 or visit www.12monthmba.com.au