Fiona Crabb

Warwick Business School

“Problem-solver and global food appreciator, passionate about people and driven by a motivation to learn.”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember and love doing anything in, on or around water. I’m also the world’s worst surfer, but it doesn’t stop me from trying!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Exeter, English Literature and French

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Collins Aerospace, Key Account Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While I was living abroad based with our biggest partner, I offered to support a team back at head office to lead negotiations on contracts covering terms and conditions to do with the sale of products and an unprecedented, bespoke test programme within tight timescales.

Given my extensive experience in this area and two years of developing relationships with the partner, combined with a strong position to leverage my networks back in the UK, I achieved a signature on the contracts and met the agreed deadline. When I later returned to a new (but related) role in the UK, I picked up ownership of these contracts and managed all the associated risks, claims and other commercial challenges throughout the test programme. Being responsible for the process end-to-end gave me fantastic exposure to all areas of the business; I had the chance to work with Engineering, Legal, Finance, Project Management, and Customer teams as well as strengthening the networks I had built with our partner. It is my biggest accomplishment to date because of the sense of ownership and achievement that it gave me, the complexity and risk that I managed successfully, and the relationships I built along the way.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? With such a diverse group of people, there are so many different qualities that I admire in my cohort. One thing that strikes me about my classmates is their incredible sense of purpose; it is a drive to do better, to be better, and to make a positive difference. I am constantly amazed by the challenges some of them have overcome in pursuit of this purpose and they inspire me to be more resilient. What has really struck me is how open they are to share what motivates them and this has been a constant source of learning for me.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I wanted to choose a business school that would challenge me, engage me, and gives me the opportunity to learn in a supportive, collaborative environment. I only applied to one business school for my MBA. This is because when I did my research, there was one school that really stood out to me as ticking all of these boxes. WBS is truly diverse – this year’s cohort represents 42 different nationalities and each student is valued for their individual perspective. The environment encourages collaboration, support, and an open forum to try new things and learn from each other, whilst valuing the individual and encouraging self-reflection. For me, this was essential to get the most out of my MBA experience and the factor that set WBS apart from other top schools.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I was asked at my interview for WBS was, ‘What motivates you?’ Not because it is a difficult question, but there seemed to be so many possible answers and it isn’t a question I was particularly prepared for. At the time, I answered that it was two things. First, I wanted to make a positive difference and that what got me out of bed in the morning was the possibility that I could change things for the better. Second, I’m motivated by learning in all its forms, including people, books, travel, culture, and food. To this day, I wouldn’t change that answer, though I could definitely add a few things to the list if I had the time! I’m grateful that this question came up during the process because I think it’s something we should all reflect on more.

How did you determine which business schools best fit you? I know a lot of people who drew up a spreadsheet of various business schools: their rankings, qualities, employability prospects, and prioritized them based on scores. I wasn’t one of those people. I started with the top business schools in the country and narrowed them down to a shortlist based on their core competencies and the kind of modules they offered. From there, rather than looking at the statistics, I visited different campuses, met the staff, went to taster lectures and spoke to alumni.

I knew that the quality of teaching at these business schools was going to be fantastic. However, I also wanted to know that if I was going to be there for a year, the culture, careers support and extra-curricular events and learning opportunities would be up to scratch too. I also knew that I’d only be able to assess that by experiencing it for myself and speaking to the people who had lived it. Going through a process of making sure that the school’s culture aligned with my values reassured me that it would provide the best environment for me to grow and therefore the most valuable platform from which to launch the next stage of my career.