My career began in the hotel and tourism industry, working in operations and management roles across a variety of companies and locations.
I have also been in project management roles for the development, refurbishment and construction of hotel outlets and restaurant concepts.
For the last seven years, I have worked in a different industry and have been General Manager of a unique project in Lisbon. The goal of the project was to set up a company that would build and operate the Lisbon cruise port; increasing the traffic and quality of services provided. The project has been internationally recognised and awarded the best European Cruise Terminal six times in a row and is now a case study within the industry.
Why an MBA?
The decision to study an MBA is huge, which is why I needed to make sure it was the right time in my life to take on this challenge.
I had been thinking about it for about 3 years. But as my professional career was advancing, I knew it was time to update my knowledge and widen my perspective of management. The MBA has not just been a personal ambition but also the best academic aid to my career development.
Why I chose the Global Executive MBA at Alliance Manchester Business School
When I knew the time was right to pursue an MBA, I researched various business schools before deciding on Alliance Manchester Business School.
This is because of multiple reasons. The Manchester MBA is one of the top MBAs in the world and the programme offered the best value for money. The teaching style was also how I imagined an MBA should be.
The course itself is designed for executives from different industries – and the combined knowledge and multi-cultural work experience in my cohort is a great bonus. I have found from my experience so far that it allows you to understand everyone's challenges and then use them as case studies, providing a holistic view of a variety of industries.
In addition, I loved that I would have the opportunity to take classes at various locations across the globe. This makes the Manchester MBA one of the most international MBAs on the market.
My experience on the Global Executive course so far
I started my Manchester journey in January 2022. The first week was an amazing experience, meeting the cohort who are from different parts of the world.
The workshops are intense, but they go by quickly. The topics discussed, the interaction between the teachers and the different experiences of the class just make the time fly by as everything is so engaging and interesting.
The scariest moment but also the most rewarding experience was the first interaction with the group assignment. Nobody knew each other and we only had a few hours to complete the assignment. The methodology that everyone brought to the table was amazing, being able to adapt to the different cultural and professional backgrounds and also different ways of thinking, deciding who will take on each role in the group in such a limited amount of time was such a new experience that I really enjoyed.
Before I started the programme, I set myself expectations of how I would follow the schedule and engage with the topics.
However, once I got to Manchester and immersed myself in the programme, I realised the networking, friendships and discussions with peers and teachers are the most gratifying knowledge acquisition tools we will encounter on this programme.
This practical approach will support us to overcome the challenges and assignments of the MBA. I have soon realised this is not going to be a 1-man job; it is more an 18-month teamwork assignment.
I am hoping that by the end of the course I will be able to understand circumstances, identify issues and enhance my critical thinking with strategic views, alongside a more rounded view of business.
