Sasha Kirkham

Warwick Business School

“A British Army veteran, embracing her new lifestyle to maximize my potential and help others.”

Age: 31

Hometown: Salisbury, Wiltshire

Fun fact about yourself: I was deployed to 13 different countries whilst serving in the British Army.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Aston University, BSc Mathematics

Where are you currently working? Bank of America, Short Rates Sales

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Completing Army Officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and serving nine years as a regular in the UK Armed Forces, including a tour to Iraq.  

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? The reputation of Warwick Business School precedes itself. With offices in The Shard, at the heart of London and a top 3 global ranking – I knew this was the school to get the best from me. WBS is also actively and vocally a huge advocate for veterans and aiding them in their transition out of the military. Their values as a school fully align with my own, where I knew I would have the opportunity to excel, and I knew I had to get a place there.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The variety.

* In Lesson Delivery: Videos, reading, live streaming and F2F. This MBA has it all.

* In My Peer Group: impressive, driven and successful students from all over the world. Together, we have stimulating conversations and are all motivated by self-improvement and growth.

* The Module Selection: The list of elective modules is extensive, which allows you to home in on your area of interest.

What was the most surprising thing about an online learning environment? Although your peers are dispersed across the world, you develop strong friendships. It became very clear, very quickly at the ‘in-person’ lectures, how we are all very like-minded individuals, with clear aspirations in mind and all taking the initiative to pursue our quest to create positive change.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? A significant difference is the appreciation and respect for the expertise and experience within the cohort. The combined wealth of knowledge has depth and variety, which means in every module we can refer to real life experiences, share anecdotes and can apply what we are learning. It enables us to reflect on our past processes and actions and then give us new tools to better prepare ourselves for the future. From a practical viewpoint, the online course acknowledges that our studies will not always be the priority. The online sessions provide the flexibility to juggle the demands of a full-time career and all other competing priorities you might have.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? Nine years in the military exposed me to some incredible and very unique opportunities, which have given me a host of transferable skills. The MBA is widening my understanding of the considerations, risks, and opportunities needed in my new environment to ensure I am using my skillset to its full advantage. Furthermore, modules such as Operations Management have forced me to look at internal processes in detail. This has not only improved my understanding in this area, but also generated recommendations to take to my boss for consideration. A win-win!

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I am still in the infancy of my new career, with much to learn before promotion is on the cards. The MBA has aided with my transition out of the military by educating me on corporate life, introducing me to some incredibly successful and intelligent individuals and encouraging me to see that the sky is the limit. Life is full of unexpected turns. I never thought I would leave the military, I never thought I would be living in central London and I definitely didn’t think I would be sat studying on the 17th floor of The Shard. I intend to put my MBA to use, in the next unexpected turn which is yet to come.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential program? When I handed in my notice to leave the military, I had no idea which job I would find myself in and my priority at the time was my upcoming deployment to Baghdad. I knew there would be a lot of changes to my life moving to London, but my passion to contribute and work hard would remain consistent. A full-time residential program would have potentially made the transition easier, but I wanted to push myself, continue to grow my knowledge and make the most of all the opportunities before me. I was fortunate enough to secure a position on the Bank of America Military Associate Program. This involved its own steep learning curve, and so the flexibility of the online program was a necessity to manage my ambitions. Fortunately Bank of America is just down the road from the Warwick Business School London office – almost like it was meant to be!

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: Eight

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I joined the military to serve my country and help others. Now, working at Bank of America in Global Markets, I am building my knowledge on the different economies and their importance and influence globally. It has given me another lens to view geopolitical events and it has increased my awareness of various events worldwide.  My long-term goal is to use my skills and knowledge from both the military and finance, identify where I can make positive change, and then use the tools from my MBA to action it. Which area this will land on is dependent on the needs of the future, but the foundation will be opportunities for veterans, instigating positive change and contributing towards a brighter future.

DON’T MISS: BEST & BRIGHTEST ONLINE MBAS: CLASS OF 2024