Alistair's comments were originally featured in his profile on the Poets&Quants Best & Brightest Executive MBA list 2024.

Tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Alistair Crawford from Nottingham (though I was really made in the Royal Navy). I’m married with two children aged 6 and 8.

Why did you choose Warwick Business School (WBS) to pursue an Executive MBA?

WBS has a very visible and obvious culture – even to an external observer. It is kind and inclusive. It really is seeking people with diverse backgrounds and broad perspectives, who are in the pursuit of an academically creative thought environment.

Being outside of London, but still within easy travel reach for international students, allows Warwick to attract an eclectic group of students that are not from city or financial backgrounds. This diversity of people and perspective fosters a truly fun environment in which to explore the school’s ‘Changemaker’ ethos.

What drew you towards the Executive MBA?

I like to dive all-in on things that I do. I’m also an extrovert and gain energy from talking about ideas and concepts with intelligent people. I wanted to do the MBA in the most immersive way that I could. That required in person teaching with in person peers, and a relatively high tempo of delivery. The Exec MBA was the perfect choice for me.

What did you gain from the MBA that you were able to bring into your current job?

Being able to breakdown challenges using the different models and lenses and being able to reframe them using a different perspective is exceptionally powerful. The ‘range’ that the Exec MBA has given me feels like a gift.

As Chief Operating Officer at Mental Health Innovations, a UK charity, I’ve been able to bring these skills into my role applying them daily in delivering mental health text messaging support. I have directly applied the learnings to improve organisational structures and operational processes to better support our 2,000 active volunteers and improve on their experience with us. We’re on a journey to improving their experience and retention rates.

What’s been your proudest moment during the course?

I believe in working hard across three domains: the physical, intellectual, and emotional. I’ve worked hard across all three domains during the Exec MBA, but I’m proudest of the gains I’ve made in the emotional. I think the emotional domain holds the capacity for the most power. People that can gate-keep their own emotional reactions to events and put guardrails around their egos are the most effective leaders. Having greater command in the emotional domain makes me more effective both personally and professionally.

How did you find the balance of study, work and family?

The way I found best to survive was to be exceptionally disciplined about my time. I was up at 05:00 most mornings, running by 05:30, showered and dressed by 07:30, school run at 08:30, and at my desk for work at 09:00. Work until 17:00 or 18:00 as needed, and then into university mode. Do the kids’ bedtimes as often as I could, and then be in bed at 22:00.

It is a bit of a tough routine, but I thrive on it, and it makes me very productive.

What’s your long-term aspiration after completing the course?

To build and put out into the world a product (or two) that genuinely delivers a positive impact on the lives of people that use it.

What advice would you give to a current Executive MBA candidate?

Be very mindful of your capacity going into the programme, and how your capacity might change over time. Life events can quickly overwhelm you. Think carefully about taking on too much work simultaneously, and don’t be afraid to say no to things. Ultimately be kind to yourself. You’re not superhuman and sometimes you’ll have to take your foot off the gas to allow for rest and recovery.