Said Muhtadi

Warwick Business School

“Western-world born, middle-eastern bred, lived in 4 countries within 8 years and ready to explore more.”

Hometown: Amman, Jordan

Fun Fact About Yourself: People binge watch on Netflix, while I binge ‘watch’ flight tracking applications where I track every single plane flying at that moment

Undergraduate School and Major: McGill University, Montreal, Canada – Civil Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: K&A – Project Coordinator

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of the biggest accomplishments in my career was that I established the project management research program in my pre-MBA job, along with a team of hard-working individuals. The program we developed looked into methodologies of improving project planning for projects in different sectors. One of the most alarming projects, and one which had a great impact on myself was the construction of an orphanage. Due to the complexity of the funding (coming from the government and from donations), there were constant delays in the execution of the project. There were interruptions from the beginning and during the project. The program we developed helped mitigate these issues, through setting action plans and alternative schemes for each delay. This has resulted in improved project planning accuracy, man-hour estimates and budget precision by 20%, for that specific project and for other projects as well.

Describe your biggest accomplishment at Warwick so far? I was blessed with an excellent syndicate group in term 1 of the MBA. We managed to score distinction grades across all different projects that we had for that term. Despite us coming from different countries, we managed to break all barriers and work towards the benefit of the team. The interesting part is that the group was a hard-working, yet fun (party-loving) group, and I believe I have gained friends for life.

Another aspect is that ever since I came to Warwick I decided to use this year to be involved in as many activities as possible, and be engaged with the maximum number of people. This is why I’m currently on the Student Staff Liaison Committee. The choice of students took place through week-long voting, where 3 of us won by majority votes across the cohort. On top of that, I’m also involved in the WBS Healthcare Case Challenge committee where we run a 2-day event, hosting students from different countries to come together to solve a medical problem. I believe these activities have been adding a great ‘cherry on top’ for an already amazing year at Warwick.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would say the best quality to describe them is the open-minded spirit. Warwick resembles a melting pot, where students come from different countries across 6 continents and all students manage to blend together. I wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that I would ever meet a person from Mauritius, let alone be my classmate!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor that led me to choose WBS for my full-time MBA is the personal touch that they have, where they had a genuine interest in me as a person. This has been demonstrated from day 1 in the application process, and up until this day. I remember when I was in the application process, I always got replies from the same person from the admissions team, who always ensured to follow-up on all issues. They always ensured personalized interactions with students. Moreover, as soon as I arrived at Warwick, she remembered my name, nationality, background despite having only a few communications amongst hundreds of other students!

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? My classmate Kristen Rossi and I have started a radio show called “The MBA Show”. This has been one of the most exciting activities I have ever been involved in. This is a talk show which airs every week on the radio, where we bring in different students from the MBA program to discuss various topics like MBA Parents (how to juggle life between MBA and parenthood), and MBA students with non-conventional backgrounds (military surgeons or performing arts). This has been by far one of the best activities in the MBA.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? The main focus during my pre-MBA job and undergraduate studies was to develop technical skills. Having gained the necessary skills for my pre-MBA job, I believe the future is clearer to me right now, and an MBA will be a key tool in developing the skills needed for that. I believe developing leadership skills in the MBA will leave a positive influence on my future clients and subordinates, and also for my own personal development.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Imperial College London and University of Edinburgh

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Before applying to schools, I carried extensive research on the different schools that I was applying to. This was made by asking alumni students or simply checking the Poets & Quants website. After narrowing down the options into a few ones that matched my requirements, I applied for them. At this point, I wasn’t sure which university was my preferred option. When I did the interviews with different universities, I was able to fully contrast the approach between the universities. I clearly remember my interview with Warwick was a mix of interview questions about me, and also a lot about the program. I really appreciated their friendly yet professional approach. It was important for me to know that the university fits for me and that I am also a fit for the university.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? At the age of 15, I lost a very dear person to me: my dad. Although I was a teen when that happened, that sudden incident has shaped me into the person I am right now. This experience has taught me the true meaning of life: life is short. It has shaped me into a better person: stronger, more dedication and perseverance.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In 5 years’ time, I always picture this: Working in the business I recently started. The business is a social enterprise that I would establish to give back to my home country. Married. Nice home. Kids are asleep. My spouse and I are on the couch having a drink and watching TV. It’s snowing outside. All the work was worth it.