An MBA is the gateway to the international marketplace February 24, 2010 AN Australian-born executive based in London and married to a South African banker, Nick Kontopoulos could be seen as the very essence of today’s globe-trotting business internationalist. However it wasn’t until his MBA studies led him to China that he thought that he might end up living and working there. Kontopoulos, a marketing business developer [...]
To get on the right MBA course, be prepared to jump through hoops February 24, 2010 Taking a two year break from your career to study, and spending tens of thousands of pounds in the process, is up there with buying a house or getting married when it comes to serious, life-changing decisions. In the past decade the commercial success of MBA courses has seen them proliferate at hundreds of institutions, [...]
PROACTIVE APPLICANT | MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN February 24, 2010 IF you want to be a successful MBA candidate, then you should make sure that the people who run the course know you even before you send in your application. When your CV drops on the doorman, that shouldn’t be the first time it has heard from you. Most schools have online application forms, but you [...]
GETTING PICKED | ARE YOU DESIRABLE? February 24, 2010 GETTING on to an MBA course is not just about what it offers you, but what you can offer it. Business schools will put together cohorts that don’t simply contain the best candidates, but the right cross-section of nationalities, backgrounds and experience to build the most dynamic team. Programmes are generally structured in such a [...]
Business needs to win back public trust February 24, 2010 LET’S be blunt: there’s a serious problem with corporate governance. Corporate trust is being eroded and unless something is done, this trend will continue. Edelman PR publish an annual Trust Barometer, which tracks public trust in major institutions across all sectors. The latest barometer shows – unsurprisingly – that trust in politics was “volatile”, while [...]
Confusion over tax regime is damaging UK February 24, 2010 ON Monday, the prime minister released a draft Tax Framework for Business at a global trade conference, apparently aimed at reassuring multinationals, worried about the UK’s tax policy. The problem with this framework is that it offers no guidance at all on the direction of travel. Rather, its statements are a mixture of vague aspirations [...]
A brilliant debut novel that tells of tragedy in the City rings all too true February 24, 2010 THIS BLEEDING CITY BY ALEX PRESTON Faber, £12.99 You’d have thought the time had passed for another book about the City and its pre-crunch pulse of money, aspiration and the personal damnation all that can lead to. Certainly, there have been countless stories about “what really went on” – the strip clubs, the arrogance, the [...]
OUT OF OFFICE February 24, 2010 PRIVATE LIVES TO OPEN AT VAUDEVILLE Noel Coward’s play is sure to be a hit when it opens next week, starring Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall and Spooks’ Matthew McFadyen. It is the story of Elyot and Amanda, who were formerly married. Now both are honeymooning with their new spouses and run into each [...]
Rio England doubt sours Rooney show February 23, 2010 MANCHESTER UTD (3) v/s WEST HAM (0) MANCHESTER United boss Sir Alex Ferguson revealed Rio Ferdinand will miss Sunday’s Carling Cup final and is a major doubt to captain England against Egypt, after seeing a Wayne Rooney brace cut Chelsea’s lead to one point. Ferdinand suffered a recurrence of a back problem in training yesterday [...]
Wilkinson: I’ll defy critics against Irish February 23, 2010 UNDER-FIRE England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson is refusing to let personal criticism reduce him to a “quivering wreck” after being named in an unchanged team for Saturday’s showdown with Ireland. Wilkinson was singled out for condemnation after an uncharacteristically sloppy kicking performance in last week’s victory over Italy. Matt Dawson, his half-back partner during the 2003 [...]
