Esther Booth

Warwick Business School

“Negotiation specialist, behavioural scientist, change maker, lawyer, parent and spinner of too many plates!”

Age: 44

Hometown: Guildford, United Kingdom

Fun fact about yourself: I am conducting a long-running ‘me-search’ study (academic shorthand for research conducted on a topic that is personally relevant) on the effectiveness of negotiation tactics on children. So far, my children are immune to my tactics!

Undergraduate School and Degree:

• BSc Economics & Politics, Bristol University;
• Graduate Diploma in Law, Nottingham Law School;
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Oxford Institute of Legal Practice

Where are you currently working? The Gap Partnership, General Counsel

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Before applying for an MBA, I had a wobble about whether I had what it takes. After surviving the rollercoaster of the MBA, while juggling an exciting new role at The Gap Partnership and looking after (and organizing!) my three sons, I felt incredible when I found out I had got 90% in my MBA dissertation. Juggling the different strands of my life hadn’t been easy, but it had been worthwhile. For me, this wasn’t just about a single grade: I had been toying with the idea of continuing studying after the MBA, and this really reinforced that I have what it takes to pursue academia further.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? Warwick Business School’s Global Online MBA has a long and prestigious history – it’s not just an online programme that was developed as a reaction to the pandemic. From the types of students it attracts to the quality of the delivery, this was a school that had real expertise in online delivery of the highest quality.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The amazing international diversity of my cohort – and the opportunity to meet them all in person at our face-to-face weeks.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? As an undergraduate student, it was easy for me to follow the structured (and inflexible) timetable of classroom learning in a way that I wouldn’t be able to do now. The online MBA meant I could continue my studies from wherever I was that week, and to fit it in around my work and family commitments. This made an MBA possible for me – and for the amazingly diverse group of fellow students. We all combined the MBA with very different lifestyles, careers, and commitments which really broadened the perspectives in our online and classroom discussions.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? From a general perspective, I was able to combine insights from what I was learning on the MBA with what I was experiencing at work. This enhanced both my ability to assess and analyse what I was experiencing, and my ability to contribute in new ways at work. A specific benefit was the negotiation module in the second year of my MBA. This resulted in me refocusing my MBA around behavioural science and negotiation, and was key to me changing industries mid-MBA. The synergies between my new role at a negotiation consultancy and my dissertation research on negotiation tactics enhanced my performance at work and on the MBA.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I had been working in the drinks industry for the last 15 years, most recently as a freelance legal consultant. During my MBA, I specialized in behavioural science and negotiation – this opened the door for me to join The Gap Partnership, a negotiation consultancy, and to be appointed as their first ever General Counsel.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? I have a young family. Between my work and that of y husband, it would not have been feasible for me to commit to a programme that required me to be away from home a lot.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? For the elements of the MBA that I found more challenging, I was advised to use AI as an extra ‘teacher’. I found it super effective at explaining and answering all my follow-up questions about concepts and methods I was struggling to understand. In an online learning environment, this really augmented the core teaching from the business school.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 12–16 hours

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to continue to grow my expertise in negotiation and behavioural change, and to further my academic career. The academic journey doesn’t end here for me: I am starting a Masters in Behavioural Science later this year, with a long-term view of going for a doctorate!  

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