5 minutes with MBA graduate Manojini Lakmali De Silva

Manojini Lakmali De Silva, AIB MBA graduate from Sri Lanka spoke with us about her experience during her studies. Read on to learn how why she chose AIB over other providers, her opinions of the programme and how the MBA has changed the way she does business.

What motivated you to do an MBA?

I’m a business owner as well as a consultant, but I didn’t have any degree behind me. I wanted to formalise what I had learnt throughout my 20 years of experience in business, and felt that I needed a qualification to do so. I did some research into what I could study, and considered a certificate course or a diploma, but then I thought to myself “No, I’ve got enough industry experience and executive management experience to complete an MBA”.

Why did you choose AIB?

I completed my MBA in Sri Lanka, and I really wanted to be able to do it in 12 months so the time frame was a big selling point for me. I also spoke to some MBA graduates and all of them recommended AIB as their number one choice.

What did you like about the AIB experience?

One of the best things about AIB was that all the lecturers were from industry. We had lecturers from huge national and international organisations such as Nestle, Coca-Cola and Maliban which was fantastic as we were able to learn a lot from them.

Has completing the AIB MBA changed the way you do business?

Absolutely! For me, the AIB MBA allowed me to bring the theory and practice together. I now understand why certain initiatives, such as new product development didn’t work for me in the past. I have taken some fantastic experiences from the MBA into the real business world, including improvements in my new product development, marketing and managing finance skills. These are areas that I was previously lacking in, and I now feel confident that I know what I’m talking about. It has also helped me significantly when talking to other business owners to sell my consulting services.

This interview has been constructed by Laura Hutton from an AIB video testimonial. The very best has been done to accurately reflect the thoughts and opinions of the participating student.