MBA Alumni Profile: Sarah Willingham, Cranfield

Sarah Willingham explains why she is extremely happy with her choice to enrol at Cranfield’s MBA Program, and the career benefits she has gained as a result. 

I could not be happier! Cranfield gave me the time, space, confidence and assistance to achieve my life changing ambitions! I learnt so much in one year that at times I thought my brain might explode, but every good MBA will tell you this.

So why Cranfield? Above all... to learn about myself. Leadership comes from self-awareness, and it is impossible to leave Cranfield without knowing yourself intimately. I learnt my core strengths and my many weaknesses. Today I am able to recruit my teams based on these assessments. I surround myself with people who complement me in every way and whose strengths are my weaknesses.

I loved my job prior to Cranfield but knew that I was only ever going to be truly fulfilled if I set out and did it for myself. I saw a gap in the market, resigned and embarked on a year at Cranfield with my goal in mind.

I was able to gear my MBA in the direction that I needed it to take. I built relationships with faculty that have been fundamental in my success today. I was able to take risks knowing that I had a full network of support. I was encouraged to succeed and the environment drove me to achieve my goals.

Today, finally, I have my chain of restaurants and aim to fill that gap in the market. Without the learning from Cranfield I would not have had the confidence and knowledge to negotiate at the level that I have. I was lucky, I chose the right course at exactly the right time and it's really paid off!