Case studies: Assistant vice president: Andy Tromans

Andy Tromans is assistant vice president and a vendor management and performance specialist at Deutsche Bank in Birmingham. He completed his MBA in 2012 at Aston Business School

What did you do before your MBA?

After graduating with a BSc in Computer Science with French from Swansea University in 2004, I went to Rome to learn Italian in a language school for eight months. I then did a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) qualification to teach at International House Rome and began working at the Wall Street Institute shortly afterwards.

After a year of teaching, I was promoted to service manager at one of the Wall Street Institute centres in Rome. Six months later, I was promoted to service manager of the flagship centre in Italy before being promoted to regional service manager.

Why an MBA?

I had achieved all I wanted to achieve with the Wall Street Institute and that I wanted another challenge. It was then that the idea of an MBA came to my mind and the notion started to appeal. I researched different business schools, talked to family and friends and worked out the costs.

I went to Aston Business School to meet the programme directors and take a look around. It immediately stood out due to its open, friendly and informal nature and its high position in the Financial Times Global MBA Rankings. I duly applied and to my delight was accepted. 

Tell us about the programme...

I chose the full-time MBA which involved three terms of 12 weeks, with exams in week 12, plus a final live consultancy project. Each module required around four hours of reading a week, plus homework and coursework.

Projects I worked on included: growth strategy for an IT consultancy company (my MBA consultancy project); a business plan for an e-business venture; marketing strategy for a sports retailer; operations strategy for a music industry giant and business ethics of the banking industry. The programme covered all aspects of business and made us work in teams while giving us input on how to improve our own performance and that of our peers.

The MBA equipped me with a range of skills such as a better understanding of different cultures, methods and approaches in business while also allowing me to develop my business acumen. I gained confidence through shared business experiences and a wider context understanding of world events. I acquired a pragmatic approach to problem solving and the tools to self-improve. I also gained the ability to make informed choices through accurate research and the questioning of results.

Tell us about your current role at Deutsche Bank...

The corporate relations manager at Aston Business School informed me that they were looking for an intern and so arranged an interview for me. I had a background in continuous improvement, and experience of delivering quantifiable productivity, quality and delivery improvements, together with my MBA so jumped at the chance. The interview went well and I started in February 2012.

Working on a project, I came into contact with a director whose team I liked and whose area of the bank interested me. I duly sent off my CV, went through the interviews and started my current role in September 2012 to my complete joy and satisfaction.

What advice would you offer to prospective MBA students?

The MBA is multi-faceted and multi-disciplined, quickly giving you a deep and wide understanding of the business, political and economic world. It pushes you to achieve all you can, prepares you for a great career in the business world, and gives you the skills to approach and complete any task successfully.

If you’re looking for a top-notch business school that puts as much effort into learning and the student experience, as well as course content, skill improvement and connections to industry, then Aston Business School is for you.