An MBA qualification can help you to pass through the glass career
ceiling.
After five years as an IT manager for Royal Sunalliance, and in his
early 30s, Andy Jones was looking for a change. Although he was
happy with the company, there did not seem to be many IT roles
which could offer that change in either his work or his earnings.
Three years ago, rather than switch companies, Jones took a
distance learning MBA through the Open University Business School.
"To become more business oriented and to act as a stepping stone to
a senior management role," he says.
More than 30% of MBA students in Europe have a technology first
degree, but the numbers of IT professionals have traditionally been
much lower than those with an engineering background. However, in
the past two years, the number of IT professionals on MBA courses
has been growing steadily.
Steve Robinson, MBA director at Ashridge Management College, has
seen a sharp rise in number of experienced IT professionals
choosing to study for an MBA at his school. "One of the common
problems faced by IT professionals is often in justifying their
spend, especially since the year 2000 date change problem proved to
be a damp squib. IT professionals can often only counter scepticism
by broadening beyond technical issues and explaining themselves in
the context of the needs of the business."
Barry Dennington had worked in IT and technology for many years and
by the age of 47 had reached the position of senior manager at
Plessey Semiconductors. He felt that technical management had a
glass ceiling. He took a full-time Executive MBA at Ashridge. The
MBA "provided me with a real understanding of business strategy,
skills like marketing and corporate finance and fundamental people
skills - how to lead a business project, how to behave in boardroom
situations", he says.
For Dennington, the motivation was simply to advance more rapidly.
He has since become a vice-president for computing at Philips in
California. He is now earning twice his previous salary. "My MBA
achieved all my objectives. It gave me the confidence to look for a
higher paid job. It has given me the tools to deliver in a much
more demanding role.
"The technology world is converging and changing very fast. It is
vital to understand customers and anticipate what they want. This
requires marketing and strategic awareness."
The chief technology officer is the fastest growing board-level
position in the US, according to Forbes magazine research, and
large numbers of holders of this post have MBAs. This role is
rapidly spreading to Europe, creating great opportunities for
ambitious IT managers.
Roy Dunbar took his MBA at Manchester Business School in 1988. He
has since travelled the world working for pharmaceutical giant Eli
Lilly and was recently promoted to chief information officer (CIO).
He says, "Internet-savvy consumers have a thirst for knowledge. In
response, our IT department is working closely with marketing to
achieve new levels of customer intimacy. Lilly is now at the
forefront of knowledge management."
He adds, "Lilly believes in MBAs. They bring a broad business
understanding with strong analytical skills necessary for Lilly to
continue to outgrow our competition."
Colin Palmer, chairman of industry-watcher Business Intelligence,
concurs. He says, "There are three attributes that today's senior
IT managers and directors must have. They are a knowledge of what
technologies are applicable; a high level of business acumen; and a
high level of social skill with an ability to communicate and
influence people."
Palmer says an MBA offers the framework for understanding the
business while enabling people to develop as individuals and
leaders, to connect more with the business and to give them new
confidence and perspective.
"I doubt if an MBA will make you into the modern CIO but it is an
excellent foundation," he says.
Even at project management level, e-commerce and the Internet are
creating a need for more commercially aware IT project managers and
Web developers.
Simon Smith had been working for CMG Admiral as an IT consultant.
He also took an MBA by distance learning. Having gained some
experience working on
e-commerce projects, he has now left CMG Admiral to set up his own
consultancy with a partner. They have recently completed the
development of a Web site for a magazine in the UK.
"I managed the development of the Web site software, but I used my
business understanding to contribute to the overall development of
the site. I became involved with the business strategy, which is
much more fun. I can now expect to earn about three times as much
as I was earning before," says Smith.
Jones is also happy with his decision to take an MBA. "I never
planned to leave Royal," he says. "I am now working on our new Web
subsidiary, which sells insurance products to big companies via the
Web. My MBA gave me the opportunity to be involved with this
business and to play a major role in driving it forward from
strategy to implementation. It was a big commitment, but it has
proved to be my best investment decision."
Nunzio Quacquarelli is editor of The MBA Career Guide and
topmba.com; he is also director of the World MBA Tour which takes
place in Manchester on 2 October and in London on 4 October. For
further details visit
http://www.topmba.com