How to make money and make a difference

A promotion, a raise and a stronger sense of purpose are all wins that graduate Mark Ryan has gained through his Griffith MBA.

Landing a leading role in strategic communication and transformation has been just one of many benefits for Responsible Leadership Scholarship recipient, Mark Ryan, who completed his Griffith MBA in 2022.

A competitive edge

Mark says his MBA immediately improved his professional prospects, helping him to stand out in a competitive marketplace and secure his new position as Manager, Strategic Communications for Queensland Rail.

“Communications is not an area where people often have an MBA, and I think it definitely gives you an edge. Being able to say that you have studied and graduated with distinction significantly enhances your value proposition,” Mark says.

More than that, the Griffith MBA has enabled Mark to communicate confidently with diverse parts of the business.

“The MBA gave me the skills me to engage with people from finance to human resources, programming to project management, and beyond. Just having that basic understanding and being able to distil complex language and subject matter expertise has been invaluable in breaking down barriers,” he notes.

Being able to say that you have studied [an MBA] and graduated with distinction significantly enhances your value proposition.

A sense of purpose

Mark also credits the Griffith MBA with expanding his sense of purpose and ability to create positive social impact in a professional capacity.

Mark recently spent five months on secondment in QR’s transformation office. In that position, and in his role leading strategic communications, he has had the opportunity to work with a range of stakeholders to drive change for the organisation and the communities it serves.

“I've always cared about sustainability as an idea. But the MBA helped me to turn that into practical actions and pragmatic approaches for enacting change.

“I believe organisations have a greater social purpose than just the functional elements of what they do. At QR, I thrive in conversations where the focus is how we can better connect communities in different ways, outside of just running trains and getting people and freight from A to B.

“And that’s the conversation that the MBA – and the people within it – helped to spark: how can we embed a mindset that supports sustainable development into the workplace?”

So inspired was Mark by his MBA studies that he now is in the early stages of planning a PhD proposal with Griffith around implementing long-term sustainable thinking in organisations, and among leaders, at scale.

“The PhD really brings together my professional and personal goals, and it’s a pathway I wouldn’t have gone down without undertaking the MBA” Mark says.

Connections that money can’t buy

Increased salaries and promotions are benefits reported by many Griffith MBA students and graduates across diverse disciplines. Mark also emphasises the high quality of connections and conversations developed through the program.

“Yes, there are tangible financial benefits,” he notes. “But the returns are much broader than that.

“I was very fortunate to receive the QBM Responsible Leadership Scholarship, but aside from money, undertaking an MBA represents a significant investment of time and energy. So it’s good to know it delivers holistic returns.

“The tentacles of what an MBA provides in terms of the professional network, alumni events, and connections to new ideas and innovations are hard to replicate.

“Not to mention your ability to be seen as someone who can think beyond the narrow sphere of work that they do. These are all benefits that money can't buy.”

Griffith MBA students have access to tailored career support and unique networking options, before, during and well beyond their studies.

A concierge service is available to assist with practicalities from pre-enrolment through to graduation, while Griffith Business School’s alumni support – and its dedicated MBA for Life program – provides career mapping and other practical assistance to help students achieve success, whatever their goals may be.

“The support from the MBA team, the lecturers and the students in the program is just unbelievable. It really is full of amazing human beings who make time to explore, ask questions and listen to different perspectives.

“I look forward to the MBA alumni events, which are incredibly social, as well as being great opportunities to share ideas and connect with peers. I always walk away feeling enriched and excited at the possibilities of what we can all achieve.”