Jason Smith

Job title
Marketing Director

Organisation
Yell

Course
MBA Part-time (Class of 2001)

First and foremost the reputation of the School and credibility this provides with potential employers.  As a part time student I also wanted to be able to attend lectures and benefit from the interaction with fellow students.

How would you describe the learning experience at Aston Business School?
Excellent.  I threw myself into the MBA process deliberately choosing elective modules outside my previous qualifications and profession.  The degree of choice and quality of material, fellow students and lecturers could not be faulted.

What have you gained (personally and professionally) from your MBA programme at Aston Business School?
The main gain is my high confidence exampled by my comfort in challenging functional specialists on their functional activities.  This has a network effect in the contribution I am able to make and the results I have achieved in a wide range of roles.

What do you consider to be the most positive aspects of your experience at Aston Business School?
Very difficult to pin this down to just a few areas.  I would prefer to say the whole experience surpassed my expectations by some distance.

How has your Aston MBA helped you further your career?
Immediately after graduation I moved to Paris to work on a supply chain reengineering project for around 18 months.  This would not have been possible had I not have gained my MBA (I am a marketer by profession).  This led on to other opportunities.

What would you consider to be your main achievements since gaining your MBA at Aston?
Accelerated professional advancement and the results I have been able to deliver for my employer.