Advertise on podcast: Aston means business

A graduate of Aston University’s Executive MBA has explained how the programme helped his journey from selling Pokemon trading cards at primary school to a rising career with a luxury car-maker. Jack Miller, a manager at Warwickshire-based Aston Martin, who also combined an apprenticeship degree as part of his MBA, has already enjoyed one promotion while still on the programme, with another rise up the corporate ladder in the pipeline. He was talking about his experiences in the first episode of the latest ‘Aston means business' podcast series, presented by journalist Steve Dyson. The new series – the seventh since 2019 – focuses on how the university helps to prepare executives and businesses for Industry 4.0 with Aston University’s 2030 strategy front of mind. Mr Miller said: “I’ve always been very entrepreneurial, starting from the primary school playground where I was selling everything from Pokémon cards to Belgian waffles and Oreos. Cars is passion number two, something I was obsessed with. Car was my second word, after burger, so it was either Burger King or go into the car industry! “I remember when my mum got her first car it was the greatest thing that had ever happened. And I remember driving past the local Aston Martin garage and basically dribbling on the car window, thinking: ‘Wow, what are those? I wish I had one of those!’” Mr Miller, who already had a Batchelor’s degree in business management and entrepreneurship, said it had been his “dream” to do an MBA, specifically one that incorporated an apprenticeship element to make it more practical. He said the Executive MBA at Aston University had resulted in a “rounded knowledge improvement professionally” as well as benefits to his personal competence. “Personally, it’s amazing, and professionally, you get an incredible qualification out of this. And, frankly, career development. That was one of the big reasons why I did this. Already, during the programme, I managed to get a promotion and I think the next one is hopefully in the offing.” Mr Miller told how the ability to specialise and “dive into a topic” during the MBA was particularly important and gave him “immense enjoyment”. He said that doing the dissertation, the practical business problem-solving element of the programme, was “extremely powerful”. “Through the MBA, I realised that strategic thinking and business strategy were areas I was extremely passionate about and had a real keen interest in. My project gave me the ability to conduct interviews with all the senior leadership of the business, to understand the level of understanding with the strategic direction, and to highlight a range of recommendations.” Mr Miller said Aston Martin also benefitted during the MBA programme, through him designing a process to solve a particular business problem and then applying it to the workplace “that exact day”. Ian Cornelius, a teaching fellow and director of the executive MBA at Aston, was also interviewed on the podcast. He said the programme provided a “wonderful marriage of academic theoretical discipline …with real practical relevance in the real world of interest to, and value to, organisations. "Perhaps the unique feature, which we are very proud of, is the Aston Edge, which is our personal development and leadership programme module.” Mr Cornelius said the MBA was funded via the apprenticeship levy, held by the government, which “added an extra dimension to what we can do at Aston”. For anyone considering taking up an MBA, Mr Miller’s advice was forthright. “Pure and simple, do it,” he said. “The sooner you do it the better.” Aston MBA 👉 http://tinyurl.com/4xe84r2s The Aston Edge 👉 http://tinyurl.com/3f6243na Aston Business School 👉 http://tinyurl.com/52ua7xxp Jack Miller 👉 http://tinyurl.com/rm7j59t9 Ian Cornelius 👉 http://tinyurl.com/3nszf5uv Listen to Aston means business

Francis Mulleady, a Senior Teaching Fellow in Digital Marketing at Aston University, explains how companies need to embrace social media like LinkedIn and TikTok to drive their businesses forward. The programme director of the university’s MSc Strategic Digital Marketing also explains how his course will produce future leaders in digital marketing.

Frances Glover is co-owner of A Natural Undertaking, a Birmingham firm of funeral directors that recently benefitted from Aston University's 12-week Green Advantage course. Frances explains how electric hearses, cardboard coffins and a new process of 'cremation by water' are all part of a growing move towards environmentally friendly funerals. She says the Aston University course is ‘invaluable’ to help companies take the next green step.

Jocelyne Fleming, the course director of Aston Business School's MSc in Entrepreneurship, recalls how one student created recyclable bamboo toothbrushes for hotels in a business created as part of his degree. She also explains how Aston University recently won Entrepreneurial University of the Year for its commitment to entrepreneurial activity, and advised that would-be students needed passion and an eye for business gaps.

Yasmin Ansari, Aston Business School's MBA careers consultant, explains how students benefit from a module called Aston Edge, focusing on career skills and behaviour science. She said MBA students are fully engaged, with “super ambitious and super driven” career aspirations, and that their courses focus on real-life applications and case-based learning.

Dr Jude Preston, a lecturer in the Work and Organisation Department at Aston Business School, explains how the Aston Global Advantage module gives its Masters students a unique head start in landing their dream jobs.

Dr Simon McCabe, a senior lecturer in behavioural science at Aston Business School, discusses how the Healthy Work Research Unit is developing insights and recommendations to industry and the public sector on how to create healthier workplaces.

An automotive firm has experienced a boost in productivity without having to increase staff or buy new machines, thanks to a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Aston Business School. Iain Collis, managing director at Metal Assemblies, and Professor Ben Clegg, of Aston Business School, explain how the project has succeeded.

Tomorrow’s boardroom superstars are emerging from executive leadership apprenticeships at Aston Business School. Discover more about the Masters-level programme from Terry Hodgetts, director of Corporate Client Solutions, and Dr Lloyd Parsons, director of the MBA and Chartered Management Institute programmes.

Sports marketing expert Michael Inpong, a new teaching fellow at Aston Business School, argues that while many huge sports events like the World Cup are sponsored, this form of marketing is ‘very weak’. He says future marketeers need to unleash the power of sport for their businesses – using storytelling to impact on society.

Dr Hayley James, a senior research fellow in the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston Business School and an expert in pensions, discusses her ‘mission’ to improve financial planning for later life. 

Dr Dean Garratt, a senior teaching fellow and expert in economics at Aston University, says a recession is “pretty imminent” for the UK resulting in a “painful” year ahead. But he is optimistic that both inflation and interest rates will fall in the second half of next year.