Graduating with a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) within a year of each other has brought new meaning to the word “team” for one Brisbane couple.
Alison Sherry, who will graduate at a Faculty of Business, Economics and Law ceremony in the new UQ Centre at 6pm on Wednesday, June 21, said both she and her husband, Mark Browne, credited the degree with recent career advancements.
Ms Sherry is now a senior member of the executive recruitment and human resources consulting firm, Hamilton James and Bruce, while Mr Browne has secured a position as Chief Strategist of Network Enabled Systems (NES) for Boeing Australia.
It was her sister Ann Sherry, a UQ graduate herself and now Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Westpac, New Zealand & Pacific Banking, who had initially suggested UQ’s MBA program, Ms Sherry said.
“She told me it was one of the best in the country,” Ms Sherry said.
The experience of almost parallel study (Ms Sherry started her MBA in 1999 and her husband began his studies in 2000) had been an overall positive experience for the couple and their two daughters, Sarah (14) and Libby (12), she said.
“The girls have sort of grown with us in the studies. Sarah (now in Year 10 at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School) in particular has liked the notion of group study and saw the benefits of that. Sometimes, she would study with me, and it also enthused Libby to read more,” Ms Sherry said.
“I think the experience of watching their parents complete a higher degree at the same time has set up good foundations for both the girls.”
Ms Sherry said her company had been very supportive of her during her studies, part-sponsoring all costs, providing study leave and rewarding her completion with flowers.
“They have really valued my obtaining the MBA from UQ given the ‘blue-chip’ nature of our clientele,” she said.
Challenges of dual study for the family had been mainly connected to time constraints but Ms Sherry said she and Mr Browne had learned effective ways to share the load, manage available time and above all, work as a team.
Media contacts: Alison Sherry (telephone: 07 3223 4315; mobile: 0409 765 377; or email: asherry@hjb.com.a) or Shirley Glaister at UQ Communications (telephone: 07 3365 2479; email: s.glaister@uq.edu.au).
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