MBA 2020, Malawi
“It always seems impossible until it’s done,” Nelson Mandela
The Kent MBA is my passport to achieving my dream of running my own Management Consultancy business.
My working life began in 2002 in my home country, Malawi, as Personal Assistant to Management Accountant. After six months, I was promoted to Executive Assistant to Finance Executive (Director) where I was on a daily basis involved in accounting and finance activities such as budgeting, auditing, financial management and reporting. While in this office, due to exposure to accounting and finance, I developed a passion for accounting and went on to study for an ACCA qualification and worked on a variety of exciting projects in finance and administration.
After graduating from university in 2014 with Degree in Accounting with Credit, I started to research how I could launch my own consultancy firm. The Kent MBA filled me with optimism that this was the course for me. I loved the focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Though numbers make me tick, I am also passionate about Gender Equality – I advocate for women and girls both in the community and business to have equal access to resources and opportunities including economic participation and decision making. I act as the girl’s role model by telling them my story, ensuring them that everything is possible in life with hard. KBS’s reputation for research in gender equality was another reason I chose to study an MBA here.
When I am relaxing, I watch soccer and the soaps. I am a big fan of the English Premier League; a diehard fan of Chelsea!
Achievements
- Successfully contributed to enhancing the transparency of the construction sector in Malawi via The Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) Initiative, of which I was Project Finance & Administration Officer reporting to the Chief Executive for 6 years till 2015
- Being among the high-profile ladies in 2017 for The Graca Machel Trust (GMT) Women Creating Wealth (WCW) program which is designed to strengthen the business acumen of African female entrepreneurs; transform women’s mindsets and businesses from income generation to wealth
- Career change from secretary to an accountant with credit!
What attracted you to the Kent MBA programme and why?
I was attracted to the Kent MBA programme because I wanted to improve my leadership and managerial skills and to achieve my goal of setting up a business. The accreditation by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) is prestigious and the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership is a graduate qualification that is globally recognised. The focus on leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship are the areas I find most interesting, and therefore the Kent MBA is an ideal fit.
What were your motivations for undertaking an MBA
To develop advanced and flexible management skills and explore the latest International Business trends, apply the newest management tools and techniques, and challenge myself to improve my business, teams, and collaboration.
Aspirations
I aim to launch my own management consultancy firm and become an entrepreneur. I have a big dream and want to know how to turn it into reality. I want to learn from MBA professors with real-life experience who can tell me the major traps to avoid and how to ensure a company grows and remains stable over time.
Advice
Learn from your mistakes. Be a strong communicator. Knowing how to express your ideas clearly can make the difference between winning or losing the support and attention of your customers.