Firstly, by way of a background....

I am hoping the corollary of the wise Socrates’ statement, “An unexamined life is not worth living” is correct, as it will make my coming year of intense examination all the more worthwhile!

On Monday, 1^stof October 2012, I commence my 12 month Full-time MBA at Cranfield School of Management, UK. If it delivers on its promise, it is going to involve a lot of examination! Not just examination in the conventional meaning of the word, but also perpetual self-examination aimed at developing the whole person. My international cohort and I are clearly in for quite a year, and we hope we are ready to overcome the academic and psychological challenges of one of the top European MBA’s available. However, before this new MBA starts, let me give a quick explanation of how a Sydney based Aussie found himself in a small UK town called Cranfield, just north of London and a long way from home………

This time last year I began to consider doing an MBA. I had had many years of success and fun in my role as a specialist working within NAB Business Bank, but I wanted to have a fall back plan if the enjoyment waned or circumstances changed. The experience from being on the 2011/12 NAB Talent pool had also opened my thinking and made me consider how else I could add value within the organisation. With these thoughts at the back of my mind, a work email mentioning the Cranfield MBA caught my attention. I opened the email and a few hours of research later I quickly became incredibly interested in what this‘Cranfield MBA’ had to offer. it was International (I particularly valued international exposure), UK based (great for my English wife, Becky, to be close to her UK based parents, sisters and friends) 12 months full time (my ideal) and was incredibly well regarded and highly ranked (3^rd in the world for 12 month full time MBA’s according to Wall Street Journal 2009 ranking). What’s more, there was a full Scholarship available to “a talented Australian, passionate about this country with the desire to contribute to its future”. Before I knew it I had forgotten about my heavy work load and was picturing myself studying by an open fire with a warm flat English beer in hand and Becky with my future baby (born in May 2012) kicking back enjoying a bitterly cold English winter! As Sydney headed towards summer, an English winter seemed too far away to be of concern, so I pitched the concept of a UK based MBA to Becky. Being the loving supportive person she is, she gave me her full backing and so the application process started in earnest.

A few months later, after going through the rigorous Scholarship requirements (a successful GMAT, 2 essay based applications and 3 interviews) I was awarded the 2012 Cranfield Australian Alumni Scholarship. I was absolutely elated to not only receive one of the most valuable open scholarships available in Australia, but to also soon have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally though this extraordinary MBA. Even better, I learnt I would also be attending Cranfield with my fellow Australians, Benjamin Elias and Aashlesha Venkatachalam, 2012 Scholarship awardees.

Before we knew it our newly formed family were soon flying off to the UK. Now, almost a year after first hearing about this place called‘Cranfield’, myself, Becky and our 4 month son Xavier indeed face an English winter but also no doubt one of the greatest years ahead. I hope to take you along for the MBA through this blog – sharing insights gained from lectures, wisdom from the experiences and ultimately answer the question of whether the examined life is indeed worth living.