The MBA experience has been incredible so far: a truly unbelievable range of adventures, learning experiences, and opportunities to work alongside people from unexpected backgrounds who bring unique talents to collaborative projects. My own highlights include preparing for the 32nd annual MBA Tournament (MBAT) as part of the organising committee for Oxford’s entry – who very proudly brought home the gold trophy for the fifth year running! And I will never understand how I made in onto the guest list for the formal reception, at Australia House in London, of my home state’s newly appointed governor to present his credentials to the King, but even that event has blurred into the unbelievable backdrop of the rest of the year.
More than this: each individual’s experience has been completely different. My time has been spent with the Oxford Energy Society, Kellogg College, trying to out-race the other skiers in the cohort on a winter trek, and drinking far too much coffee in the Oxford Union’s gardens. It still amazes me now, halfway through our final term, that I’ve barely even scratched the surface of what’s possible in this town and at this university.
I came to the UK for school as a child and started sailing tall ships when I returned to Australia as a teenager. This had a far larger impact on my life and career than I could have realised at the time. The mission of my first ship was to provide leadership development voyages to disadvantaged youth, using offshore sailing to take people far outside of their comfort zone and draw out the best of their potential. I will always appreciate the impact the ship’s foundation had on my personal development and confidence, and I’m glad to have been able to pay back that opportunity as a volunteer crew member over many years.
After completing a bachelor's degree in marine science at the University of Western Australia I leveraged the offshore volunteer experience to secure a graduate program at DOF Subsea, who deliver subsea solutions to the offshore energy industry. I spent five years with the company and followed this up contracting on international projects before being promoted to ‘Party Chief’ – managing operations teams offshore. This work has been spread across Australia, Azerbaijan, New Zealand, the Philippines and Singapore, and I appreciate how lucky I have been to experience working across such a diverse range of locations and cultures.
I am honoured to have received an inaugural Rewley Scholarship to pursue the MBA at Oxford Saïd. After a decade constructing oil and gas infrastructure and observing the barriers that developing regions experience in achieving energy security, I am committed to becoming a driver of change in the global shift toward renewable energy sources. This scholarship gives me the opportunity to earn the requisite business knowledge and exposure that I will clearly need to attain this goal.
The scholarship is hugely significant to me as I’ve been saving for the last three years to pay for the MBA up front – ever since I started preparing for the GMAT and knew what it was going to take to pursue the Oxford MBA. The scholarship allows me to spend the year pursuing the most suitable activities, internships and networking without becoming solely motivated by the need to repay student debt.
Appreciating the source of endowment and the impact that the Rewley Fund has in removing financial barriers for aspiring leaders, I hope one day to pay forward this incredible opportunity to further deserving recipients.
