Bradford School of Management MBA student finalist in prestigious awards

James Peacock, who is in his final year of the Executive MBA at the Bradford Management School, achieved a place in the finals of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) Student of the Year Award for his work on water sustainability.

His work focuses on reducing the environmental and social impact of the water industry.

It is the first time the Bradford School of Management has had a finalist in the AMBA Student of the Year.

James, who works for Wessex Water, said: "Water scarcity and quality is a world-wide problem, and one that will get worse with climate change. Business has a big role to play in overcoming the future challenges, and I think business schools can help drive the change of approach required.

"My project of creating the first zero landfill utility in the UK at Wessex Water has attracted attention in the trade press and at events. I am now leading on further sustainability projects which have the potential to change the industry, further enhancing my reputation and potential for career progression.

"My ultimate goal is to change how the world thinks about water, and I plan on achieving a career that will support this. Since starting the MBA I have been promoted by my current employers, and entered in to the company’s fast-track management programme.

"None of this would have been possible without the MBA, which has given me the credibility and knowledge to demonstrate the business benefits of sustainability.

"I am a strong advocate of the MBA, as it has enhanced my skills, knowledge and reputation at work."

He added: "I feel the modern MBA is about so much more than the bottom line, and I hope to take my learning and demonstrate this and to help the industry deal with the challenges of the future."

MBA Director of Studies, Dr Craig Johnson said: “Congratulations are due to James. It is all the more of an achievement as entries were 50 per cent up on last year.

“The competition at this level is extremely high. It was fantastic to see Bradford being represented at such a high level of the MBA community. Well done James!”

The finals were part of the AMBA Gala Dinner which took place at The Langham Hotel, London. The speaker for the evening was Michael Portillo.

The overall winner of the award was Maria Cecilia Rodriguez Alcalá from IE Business School in Madrid who had raised $1bn for Paraguay’s first educational trust fund for education, technology and social inclusion.

Find out more about studying for an MBA at the University of Bradford School of Management.

Find out more about AMBA, the awarding body AMBA.