When Ashley Nguyen left Vietnam to study her MBA at the University of Essex , she was hoping for a course which would deepen her understanding of the business world. What she hadn’t bargained for was just how transformative the Director’s Workshops module would be. Little did she know that one of these workshops – a signature feature of the university’s MBA programme – would lead to a job, mentorship and a professional friendship.
After listening to branding expert Avlaro Pastor tell one Director’s Workshop how he helped raise the profiles of sporting stars such as Formula E driver Sophia Flörsch, Nguyen summoned the courage to speak with him.
“I asked him to mentor me for a business-planning project and eventually ended up working at his firm for three months,” she says. “Now, he helps with contacts, and we meet for lunch or dinner whenever he’s in the UK … Not only did I learn from someone with a great deal of business experience, but I’ve also developed a relationship with somebody generous about supporting the next generation of professionals.”
From attending Pastor’s workshop to working at his agency, Nguyen’s journey is a vivid example of how the connections forged through the Director’s Workshops, plus the confidence they inspire, can help propel MBA candidates’ careers. Held roughly once a month and over one or two days, the workshops combine presentations and group activities with leading industry figures. The aim? To bring business theory to life in a way that a textbook or traditional lecture rarely can.
Whether it’s using AI responsibly, understanding employment law or even learning how to breathe properly before a presentation, they equip professionals with the skills needed to stay ahead in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Being able to challenge your assumptions is a crucial skill for today’s leaders: it can help ward off groupthink, allow leaders to respond to lightning-quick technological change and encourage the type of innovation that Steve Jobs would have been happy with. This status-quo-busting approach is something the Director’s Workshops excels at, as MBA candidate Remi Adesola-Ogunsan found out during a workshop on conflict management by HR expert Elaine Yearby.
“Like many people, I viewed conflict as something to avoid,” says Adesola-Ogunsan. “Elaine challenged that thinking by demonstrating that, when managed with empathy and effective communication, difficult conversations can strengthen relationships rather than damage them.”
The Director’s Workshops also aim to bolster MBA candidates’ communication skills – a critical asset if leaders want to connect with employees and customers and cut through bland “corporatespeak”. It’s also essential if leaders want to avoid the kind of ill-advised remarks that can quickly become a reputational headache – and send the stock price plummeting – in an age of call-out culture and 24/7 social media scrutiny.
“A CEO might post on LinkedIn or send an organisation-wide email without ever having a direct conversation,” says Michael Adoghe, an MBA candidate from Nigeria. “Yet, that message can have a bigger impact than face-to-face conversations because it can be shared, quoted and screen shotted by a wider audience. A poorly worded email or social media post can damage trust very quickly.”
In a workshop led by Neill Harvey-Smith, candidates explored the mechanics of effective public speaking, from breathing techniques to the use of pathos. Some sessions even turn the tables, with MBA candidates testing their communication skills by delivering presentations to the very speakers who have just taught them (one of the Director’s Workshops’ aims is to improve candidates’ ability to speak persuasively in public).
Above all, the Director’s Workshops encourage leaders to step back and consider the bigger picture. Belsy Munive from Colombia credits the sessions with helping her think more strategically, with Pastor’s workshop in brand marketing particularly influential.
“He made me realise every leader has a personal brand, whether they manage it intentionally or not,” she says. “It challenged me to consider how I communicate my values, purpose and leadership style.” Munive has also benefited from a workshop with University of Essex careers expert Ann Ord, which challenged her self-limiting doubts and gave her confidence to pursue jobs that matched her experience.
After the workshops, candidates reflect on what they’ve heard and how it might shape their leadership style. “For me, the workshops created some uncomfortable-but-valuable moments of self-reflection,” says Adoghe. “They give you a practical toolkit, but also a mirror to examine the kind of leader you are becoming.”
Today’s leaders are also expected to steer their businesses through a thicket of ethical dilemmas, from the climate crisis, to the rise of AI, through to ensuring their supply chains are transparent and fair. The Director’s Workshops frequently feature sessions on responsible leadership, which – like all Director’s Workshops – are delivered at the University of Essex’s carbon-zero Business School. They complement modules taught on the MBA such as sustainable operations, supply chain management and leading with impact.
One of the candidates’ most eye-opening workshops came from AI leader and postgraduate research student Samir Diss, which in Adoghe’s words, “didn’t hold back on the realities of using AI”.
It’s all designed to prepare MBA graduates for purpose-led careers. The 2024/2025 cohort are currently forging paths in areas such as social mobility and healthcare, while others are launching their own social enterprises. Nguyen is currently putting this principle into practice in her a strategic role at the women’s health charity Forward UK, where she works to help end female genital multilation and child marriage.
Many MBA candidates such as Nguyen are in full-time jobs or even running their own businesses. The Director’s Workshops and MBA are entirely flexible, designed to fit around the careers and commitments of professionals, with full-time (one year), part-time (two or three years) and modular study (five years) options all available.
All graduates benefit from the cachet of having studied a programme accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), which places Essex Business School among the top 2% of business schools globally. The course is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), putting the university in the top 6% of business schools worldwide.
As she forges ahead in her career, Nguyen isn’t just using the business knowledge from her MBA. As the springboard-launching moment with Pastor showed, the course’s Director’s Workshops have helped sharpen her personal skills too. “The Director’s Workshops have given me so much confidence,” she says. “Before, I thought guest speakers were only there to be listened to. But throughout the Director’s Workshops, we were encouraged to engage with them. It’s made me more confident in asking for advice and building relationships.”
This fusion of chutzpah, contacts and corporate savvy continues to pay dividends for graduates long after the workshops are over.
“Every day I draw on skills reinforced during the Director’s Workshops,” says Munive. “They didn’t just prepare me for my next role but for the leadership journey ahead.”
Find out more about studying for a MBA at the University of Essex
After listening to branding expert Avlaro Pastor tell one Director’s Workshop how he helped raise the profiles of sporting stars such as Formula E driver Sophia Flörsch, Nguyen summoned the courage to speak with him.
This report is published with credit to theguardian.com. Full available text from the wire is above. Read on theguardian.com →
Source: theguardian.com · Christian Koch. Published 3 Sept 2026, 02:44 pm.
