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4 Apr 2006 08:47:07
Couple celebrates MBA success and graduate together
Husband and wife team Claire and Rob McGeechan will no longer have to chew over their essays at breakfast time – two years of hard work for the couple on their Master’s degrees has come to an end.
Last Friday (31 March) the couple donned their hats and gowns and attended the University of Luton’s April graduation ceremonies, watched by their sons John, aged 11, and Robert, aged seven.
Both are delighted – and relieved – to have succeeded in juggling the demands of child care, work and a new business, alongside their postgraduate studies.
Rob, 40, was sponsored by a former employer to study for an Executive Masters in Business Administration (MBA), while Claire, 38, completed an online MBA in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development while starting a domestic cleaning and home management service.
Claire explained: “We didn’t clash because we studied in different ways. Rob’s course was group-based and mine was individual. Having the distance learning option meant that it fitted well around my routine.
“But the principles were the same - we could help each other and talk things over while studying at home. When our dissertations were coming up, we were able to offer support to one another.
“If I had a deadline, Rob would take the children out, and vice versa. If one of us was a bit short-tempered – we could be understanding because we understood the pressures.
“I’m very excited about my new company - The Lifesupport Company Ltd in Milton Keynes. We offer gardening, ironing, building, and a cleaning and delivery service. We have a team of 11 people in the Milton Keynes area and now we’re expanding into Bedford.
“I took the principles for the business from my MBA. It was a great vehicle for trying things out and putting theory into practice. It’s given me two years’ experience in leadership and really fitted in with my needs. It was local, good value for money and it delivered the goods.”
Rob, who has previously worked as an IT director for a UK-wide company, as well as in operations and management positions, is now helping Claire with her business while marketing himself with his new MBA qualification. “When you have certain long-held opinions, the course demands that you are able to justify them or challenge them, and this really changes the way you approach things.
“It also helps you focus on what is important. The course really prepared me for a wider variety of jobs and I’m looking forward to a new challenge.
“We used to keep Saturdays for homework and now we’ve got them back, so it’s time to go on days out with our boys. They came along to the graduation ceremony and I think they were very proud of mum and dad. They will also be pleased that it’s all over - they’ve had to put up with less attention over the last two years, so it’s time to make it up to them.”
To find out more about MBA programmes at the University of Luton, call 0800 389 66 33 or visit www.luton.ac.uk.
Latest news» 2006» Apr» A marriage made in academic heaven
