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 James Peckham
General MBA, Lancaster University Management School
University previously attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Degree obtained City & Guilds Film and Television Production
Country of origin UK
Age 35 years
Career history
James Peckham joined the MBA after serving in the British Army and seven years in business, including working for the London International Financial Futures Exchange,and Rolfe & Nolan.
James's view. . .
The MBA was personally challenging for me on two fronts. Being married and having two young daughters, juggling the MBA and home life was hard. With strong support from my wife ,we were able to balance the demands of study and home life, building up friendships with others on the MBA .The friendships that we made during the MBA programme are what make it special.
The challenge on the second front was educational. As a non-graduate, I began the course with some trepidation about my capabilities.What was pleasantly surprising was that, while the MBA is an academic programme, real work experience counts for a lot. It is in sharing this experience, often in hands-on practical applications, that real learning happens. The triangulation between practical applications, academic learning and personal experience really has strengthened my portfolio of skills.
My new position has been quite a jump for me. After leaving the British Army, I always yearned for the team leadership I had there .Through Lancaster's MBA Career Management Programme, I was successfully placed with a large outsourcing firm called Liberata, based in northeast England. My current role is Group Leader. I have 167 staff and a budget of £3 million per annum .Without the MBA from Lancaster, I would never have had the opportunity to learn, make new friends and develop my career in a direction more suited to me; for that, I am very grateful.
The triangulation between practical applications, academic learning and personal experience really has strengthened my portfolio of skills.
 Walid Imam
General MBA, Lancaster University Management School
University previously attended University of London
Degree obtained BSc Electrical Engineering
Country of origin Jordan
Age 45 years
Career history
Walid Imam began his career with CGEE Alsthom,moving to Bahrain and then Iraq.In 1990, he progressed to become Joint Managing Director with a major UK Renault dealership.In 2003, he moved into consultancy as Managing Director of Radical Business Solutions.
Walid's view. . .
The real highlight of the MBA for me was the opportunity to engage in real practical company-based assignments. My major MBA internship project with Mazda Motor Europe - based in their European Head Office in Leverkusen ,Germany - was immensely valuable. Using the models, theory and skills gained on the MBA , I was able to unravel the complexity of the problem quickly and achieve an effective outcome in quite a short period of time.
The main objective of the project was to develop and introduce a pan-European financial performance measurement and reporting system, which would become part of the minimum quality standards for its retail network. The main driver for this project was the changes within the Automotive Block Exemption Regulation (BER) and its impact on the motor industry. The project involved understanding the impact of the BER on the motor industry and using this knowledge to identify a feasible system for Mazda Europe.
Mazda we're delighted with the outcome and the feedback was excellent.
When I started the MBA, I wanted to go on a 12-month journey to discover firsthand how academic theory could be practically and usefully applied in the real world .
The knowledge, processes and skills learned on the programme will be of immense benefit in my future career.
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