News Archive

SME managers win birthday scholarship

(4 February 2005)

A new business owner and a marketing manager have taken the top spots in a special scholarship competition to mark Durham Business School’s fortieth anniversary.

Paul Millican, co-director of Profit Focus and Macresco Solutions Ltd, and Pauline Herring, marketing manager at Peterlee-based business communications company, NTE Ltd, have each won a scholarship for a two-year part-time MBA, through the School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship. Mr Millican, whose Gateshead-based businesses provide profit improvement consultancy to SMEs, had considered studying for an MBA for a while. It was after setting up in business last year that he decided to take the plunge. He said: “I’m delighted to have won this scholarship. Finding an opportunity to take time out from the day-to-day running and look at the bigger picture is a common problem for many small businesses. The MBA will give me just that opportunity to reflect and plan for the development and management of my business.” For Ms Herring, the chance to study for an MBA marks a happy return to the Business School where she has already completed an Enterprise Diploma in Management. She said: “I loved studying for the diploma at Durham Business School and that’s why I wanted to return to undertake the MBA. “The scholarship has worked out well as NTE is a small business and like many SMEs, doesn’t have a large cash surplus. I am looking forward to taking the benefits of what I learn and putting them back into the business.” The new scholarship, which is worth £5,000, underlines the importance that the Business School places on developing entrepreneurship in the region says Professor Simon Parker, director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship at Durham Business School: “Entrepreneurial thinking and activity are central to the region’s economic growth and prosperity. Managers like Paul and Pauline have a vital role to play in ensuring the development of competitive and thriving industrial and commercial sectors and are just the types of managers we are keen to support. “The two-year, part-time MBA programme is proving increasingly popular with managers in the North East who want the chance to continue working while studying and I am sure it will be of great benefit to both our winners.”