14 November 2007

Master of Business Administration (MBA) student Damian Vassallo’s career has included surviving the tech stock crash, starting a business, and then being recruited by one of his own clients.

Mr Vassallo, who will on Thursday receive the Director’s Award for Leadership at UQ Business School’s Top MBA Awards, said he was in Japan during the stock crash.

“I was the Director of Operations for an American software company in Toyko when the bubble burst,” he said.

“At 26, I was unprepared for the crash and ill-equipped to understand the dynamics that such change brings.

“The MBA has helped me make sense of my experiences – and most importantly – learn from them.”

Director of MBA and Postgraduate Programs, Dr Polly Parker, said Mr Vassallo’s ability to learn from his mistakes and move on was a trait shared by good leaders.

“Damian started his own consultancy business off the back of his MBA and was then recruited by one of his clients,” she said.

“We had a tough job choosing a winner for the leadership award because we had applications from so many outstanding students this year.”

Sponsored by Mirvac, the Top MBA Awards celebration features six excellence awards, a community service award, and the Top MBA Award for the student with the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) across the program.

UQ Business School’s Top MBA Awards will be held on Thursday, November 15, from 5.30pm at UQ Business School Downtown, Level 19, Central Plaza One, 345 Queen St, Brisbane. To RSVP, please contact Amy Hyslop on (07) 3365 8561.

Media inquiries: Cathy Stacey on (07) 3365 6179 or 0434 074 372.