Mature careers benefit from MBA

The University of Stellenbosch’s business school hosted an information session in Windhoek this week to entice more prospective students to enrol for an MBA at Maties instead of the local university.
In a statement released earlier to announce the information session, the US business school said new managers are often thrown into the deep end.
Responding from own experience, the sales manager: home loans at FNB Namibia, Magda Talbot said it is extremely important to train more managers to change this state of affairs.
Talbot is one of four managers at the bank who are sponsored this year to do their MBA degrees. Having already completed several management courses at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) she also opted to read her MBA also at USB.
“The Namibian public is well informed and expect good service, like people in any other place in the world, and therefore it is extremely important that we equip more leaders in Namibia with valid training that can make a difference. Corporate pressure can become huge at times and we need skilled leaders to take the lead with relevant changes and value adding,” she said.

Talbot decided to do a Modular MBA to allow her to continue to work while studying. At the same time this also allows her to put the new knowledge acquired to good use in the workplace. She studies pharmacology at the University of the Free State and eventually started to work as a researcher. Later she became involved in marketing and she worked at South African insurance companies like Metropolitan and Sanlam.
Talbot said: “My birthplace is Windhoek, and my yearning to return home was overwhelming. I moved to Windhoek in 2009 where I started to work in the real estate market. In 2010 I got the opportunity to pursue my career in management at FNB Home Loans.”
On why she decided on the MBA, she said “My decision is twofold. It is the best decision I have taken for personal development and growth. A world of knowledge and exposure opened to me at USB. Secondly, there are many opportunities in FNB Namibia for leaders who want to make a difference.”
“USB is the best institution in Africa to study, with an excellent reputation, and having received for the third consecutive year the PMR.africa Diamond Arrow Award as the best business school in South Africa this year, which is the highest award for an institution,” Talbot said.
The business school is celebrating its 50th year this year and has recently been ranked Number 2 in Africa by the global ranking agency Eduniversal.