A Welcome Challenge Deshika Rodrigo describes her 12-month MBA experience at OCB as “a real commitment.  It is like a job or a relationship; it is 12months where your life changes and you will have a whole new outlook!” Deshika holds a degree in HR and Psychology and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute [...]

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

12month MBA at Oxford College of Business – MBA for the Business Elite

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A Welcome Challenge

Deshika Rodrigo describes her 12-month MBA experience at OCB as “a real commitment.  It is like a job or a relationship; it is 12months where your life changes and you will have a whole new outlook!”

Deshika holds a degree in HR and Psychology and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK.  The Head of Human Resources at Standard Charered Bank was at a stage in her career where she wanted to find a high-level, yet practical, curriculum which covered all aspects of a business, so she turned to the 12-month AIB MBA offered at OCB. “I learnt new management skills and techniques to move towards increased responsibilities; strategic thinking and critical analysis” the HR Specialist says.

A Transforming Experience

“Most of us aspire to learn more, to be excited by situations that put us out of our comfort zone,” says Deshika, “and that is exactly what the 12-month MBA at Oxford College of Business (OCB) will do.”

Recruiting the best and keeping them engaged is a challenging career. However, Deshika’s experience as an HR specialist equipped her well for the business school classroom. “The 12-month MBA at OCB is a transforming experience,” she says. “You are enlightened by learning about different ways of doing business and all the intricacies involved.  Even though we all had had busy careers, we garnered our collective inner resources to complete the program.”

For Deshika, learning about businesses and everything it encompasses during the MBA programme was a critical factor. “It has helped me gain a better appreciation for other functions that I deal with and also make the right decisions in my investments and career orientation. Personally, I was very inspired by all the case studies we read, especially about entrepreneurs and innovators.  The other lasting benefit is the level of information you acquire which elevates your decision-making process and increases your confidence in moving ahead with your day to day work. You just know that you can do it and that you have the right knowledge and skills.”

Acquiring such skills and experience has provided an immediate return, not only for Deshika. “I can put all of my learning into practice and use a holistic approach to understand and solve work-related problems,” she says.  Deshika wanted to do the 12-month MBA because she had reached a point in her career where she  “needed a more comprehensive understanding of an enterprise as a whole,” she says. “The 12-month AIB MBA was the route, not only to further develop my own business knowledge and gain access to the forefront, but also to hone my senior managerial skills.”

 The Balancing Act

The flexible programme structure of Australian Institutes of Business 12month MBA not only gave Deshika the opportunity to experience graduating from one of the world’s top ranked MBA programmes but, as a woman, allowed her to manage the balancing act that most women today face. “I would urge female candidates to prioritise what matters most. For me, it is my family. ” As a woman stepping into the 12-month MBA classroom at OCB, Deshika says it requires thought and some sacrifice, especially of your leisure time.  “Postponing a decision to improve yourself, may limit your aspirations and career,” she says. “But, if she has family, a woman has to be very organized and thoughtful about this decision.  In my case, I tried to lead as normal a life as possible with my children. We even did our homework together! “Whilst this meant sacrificing sleep, lunchtime and free time, it also set an example to them that I viewed learning as something we should do throughout our lives.  Although it was a little difficult to be a student again, it helped me to understand my children’s lives better. We could now relate better on exam pressure and getting homework assignments done on time!”

“To summarize, an experience such as the 12-month AIB MBA at Oxford College of Business is one senior level managers should experience. It transforms your thinking and outlook.  The student profile at OCB is very diverse with its alumni consisting of many top corporate managers.  You will build a network of contacts that you didn’t have before.  If you want an MBA that provides wider business context, expertise in many fields with peers from comparable levels of management, you cannot go wrong with the 12month AIB MBA at OCB!”

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A 360 degree MBA

Despite a wealth of business experience, Mr. G.V Subramaniam found value in pursuing the 12month MBA at Oxford College of Business. There were a number of reasons why Mr. Subramaniam chose to pursue the 12month AIB MBA offered at Oxford Coll ege of Business, but one of the most compelling was the idea of a real time project instead of a ‘standard’ traditional master’s thesis.
“I already had a lot of business experience before joining the 12month MBA programme at OCB,” a born entrepreneur and a genuine business leader Mr. G. V Subramaniam popularly known as “Mani” in the business circles is the Chairman and Managing Director of BHELCOM Lanka (PVT) Ltd which is one of the longest standing partners of Unilever Sri Lanka (since 1958). Mani is also the Founder Chairman of G S G Distributors (Pvt) Ltd, which is one of the country’s leading FMCG milk product distributors.

“I should say however that the real time final project was a totally different animal,” Mani says. “I had to identify a problem from an industry of my choice, without any pre-defined roles, hierarchy, or even a specific topic and provide a practical solution to it using my own research. This helped me to bring knowledge gathered from all other modules studied on my MBA. Nevertheless I was able to develop a real time business solution, which helped me create a compelling business strategy. Had someone told me I would be doing this before, I would have bet a lot of money that this would have never worked.

In terms of the skills, the 12month MBA at OCB also has given me a lot more confidence about the full set of business management skills that you need to run a business in its entirety rather than work in a small part of the business like I normally did. I normally do the strategy piece, but there are a lot of other specialist areas that obviously I knew a lot less about before I embarked on the 12month MBA at OCB. Such a feat was perhaps made possible with the skills Mani learned in the classroom at OCB. “Without a doubt the 12month AIB MBA gave me a 360 degree formation in all the necessary management skills, including finance, new product management, supply chain management, operations management, etc.,” he says. “But most importantly we had the opportunity to apply the content in real life and have it ‘audited’ by our facilitators who were experts in their respective fields.”

Having had such a positive experience, it’s no wonder Mani would recommend the 12month MBA at OCB to other professionals, but when does he believe is the right time to pursue such study?

Opportunity to graduate with the best MBA from the best MBA provider in the country

There comes a moment when you feel there is ‘something more’ out there than you can get access to in your everyday environment. That is the right moment,” he says. “Then, find out whether you just need a holiday or if you are serious to committing a significant amount of time in obtaining an MBA degree which is rated #3 in Australia and #10 in the world. “I would also say awareness and basic knowledge about today’s economy and political situation is important. So start reading international newspapers, kiss the kids good-bye, and get down to it, because it is a positive experience you need to gift yourself with! I should say that over the years Oxford College of Business has earned a reputation for producing some of the most respected business leaders in the country. Furthermore it is one of the few professionally run ISO 9001:2008 certified premier business school in Sri Lanka and without a doubt the best MBA provider in the country today.”

For more information contact Malindu Ranasinghe – 0714151547 or visit
www.ocbsrilanka.com




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