TESTIMONIALS

MERCY PRINGLE

MBA (Technology Management)
2003–2009

Professional development and career advancement were my primary objectives for undertaking this program. However, after completing a couple of units, the personal development I gained as well was so vast, that given my time again, I would do the program for its own sake. My career advanced along the way. My recent appointment as a Specialist in Business Improvement for the Rio Tinto Information and Systems group is a testament to the successful completion of this program. One of the prerequisites of joining the Business Improvement team is the completion of an MBA program. Business Improvement develop and implement lean six sigma processes that follow a standardised approach to delivering business improvement programs and tangible cost savings across Rio Tinto Information Systems and Technology.

I commenced the program when my twins were three years of age and my cat was four. In addition, my partner frequently travels overseas with work. The flexibility of distance learning enabled me to balance the demanding and sometimes competing priorities of being a full time mother, holding down a full time job and study requirements. This valuable flexibility would not have been possible in a traditional study arrangement. I must also add that professional sleep training played a crucial role in the children’s sleeping patterns.

This program has material that is relevant and directly applicable to my work. I constantly refer to the study materials for guidance. The program enabled me to understand end-to-end business processes, their relationships and intersecting points—thereby extending my professional capabilities.

The program enabled me to developed and cultivate advanced strategic thinking. This was demonstrated by my ability to recognise an opportunity to design and successfully implement, globally, a process that governs the transitioning of production ready services from project to operational support. This approach not only delivers positive customer experience, but also saves the organisation costs in ‘wait’ time for service support. The development of this process predated ITIL V3 release that covers the same process, further demonstrating the forward and strategic thinking that the MBA (Technology Management) program creates.

The program is not only of a very high standard but offers concrete skills that one can utilise daily. The study material is current and relevant to people who aspire to contribute strongly to their organisation’s strategic direction and achievements. The program is essential to understand in greater detail the current business environment especially in these economic turbulent times.