Alumni profile
John Peters, Full-time MBA 1983
An understanding of research methodology and good critical thinking are just a couple of the many benefits that Chief Executive of Emerald Group Publishing, John Peters, gained from his full-time MBA at Bradford which he studied from 1982 to 1983.
Emerald Group Publishing is a £25m turnover, 200-person business, based near Bradford, which is the world's leading specialist publisher of business and management research. MBA students in most of the world's business schools are some of the business's most important consumers.
"I had graduated with a BA Hons in English language and literature, which I loved, but without much idea as to what I was looking to do longer-term. I spent a short while as a trainee journalist for an agency, but discovered it wasn't really as glamorous as I had hoped! I got a fill-in job in a small pharmaceutical firm, initially on the manufacturing floor, but I was soon asked to work in the office on some sales analysis and administration support work, and found that I was enjoying what I was learning about business. I figured that I was bright enough to be a success in the business world but that I knew little about what made it tick. Learning on the job only takes you so far - there comes a time when you need to broaden and generalise," John, aged 51, explained of his decision to take an MBA.
"I grew up in Leeds and I had resettled back there after a few years in London and East Anglia, so Bradford was a familiar place for me. The most important thing for me in choosing the School of Management to take my MBA was that I knew one of the staff there, so I could take a personal recommendation. Also, I did some homework about Bradford's reputation and standing, as one of the first wave of British business schools.
"I gained lots of benefits from studying the programme. I met some great people, and I learned a lot. Management is an interesting discipline, because much of it is based on common sense, but if you can understand some of the underpinning theories about why things work, then you can plan to adapt to situations arising, not just react to things as they do. As someone said - there's nothing as practical as a good theory.
"As a practitioner, I increasingly find that good practice is very close to 'textbook' theory. The basics I learned about marketing, strategy, finance, quality management and so on during my MBA, have stayed with me as a foundation and have been a really good place to build from. I think the most important things you can get from a good MBA like Bradford's are an understanding of research methodology, and good critical thinking. That's been really helpful.
"To potential MBA students I would say if you are reasonably bright, you will cope with the intellectual demands. But the MBA packs a lot into a small space, so there's a great deal of reading, writing and thinking to get through. If you're coming in with experience, it's important to keep an open mind and be prepared to learn how to learn. Learning is a skill that people often lose as they gain experience at the top of organisations. You are never too old - or too important - to learn!" John asserted.