David Badcock
Graduated 1988. Former Director at Action Advertising Ltd.
Career history pre-MBA
Tell us what you were doing when you started the MBA:
I was the regional sales manager for a multinational company, GTE Sylvania, with eight direct reporting staff and responsible for six sales areas in the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Before that, I had been in the Royal Merchant Navy. I had travelled the world and worked really hard, I originally wanted to be an engineer but that’s not the way it worked out. I met my wife and settled in the North East and have been here ever since.
Why did you choose to study your MBA?
The company I was working for at the time used to recruit about 80 MBA graduates each year and I was often the one tasked with showing them how it all worked in the field knowing at some stage they would be senior to me only because of the qualification they held. So I knew that to take the next step, I needed the qualification too.
Career history post-MBA
What has your career been like post-MBA?
Not long after graduating, I set up business with a partner and we built the business and had the next 20 years working for myself as a full partner until my early retirement in 2010.
Your current career. Please describe what your current role entails:
I am now happily retired.
How do you feel the MBA contributed to your career?
Having the qualification opened many doors and legitimized my position in advising companies concerning their marketing and sales training requirements.
What are you most proud of in your career?
Holding a very large government-sponsored contract to supply about 3 million bags each year to the 'Book-Start' programme.
What’s next?
I currently use my marketing and presentation skills to help people in advanced motorcycling and ‘working’ for British Cycling as part of their National Escort Group.
The most difficult thing about my MBA was trying to get the page numbers to match up on the floppy disks when writing my thesis- those were the days!
Your degree
Why did you choose to study at Newcastle University and what did you most like about the city?
I live locally so it was a no-brainer to choose Newcastle.
What did you think of your MBA experience?
I had to hold down a busy job with the same objectives and staff whilst taking a day a week to complete my studies also balancing a wife and two young children in the mix.
The networking and taking the time to explore new ideas was very refreshing, gave me time for the ‘helicopter’ view. The amount of work I did outside the day release and especially the discipline required to write my thesis.
The most difficult thing about my MBA was trying to get the page numbers to match up on the floppy disks when writing my thesis – those were the days!
What lecturers/tutors/staff do you remember well from your time at Newcastle?
30 years has dulled the memory!
Giving back
What advice would you give to someone considering doing an MBA?
It was a well-respected level of attainment and the letters after my name helped gain initial interviews and it opened doors with senior managers who recognised the qualification.
Since graduating, have you kept in touch with classmates?
Not now. Initially, I did and used the networking to help get my business started.