Rowan Maltby is a Business Studies alumnus, now working as a Project Management Consultant, who graduated with a BA (Hons) Business Studies with Operations and Project Management degree in 2014.
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BA (Hons) Business Studies is now called BA (Hons) Business and Management.
Rowan’s role as a Project Management Consultant, with London-based Pcubed, has recently taken him into a client-side role with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The team is project managing the delivery of JLR’s show cars to major motor shows around the world, while also reviewing and improving the processes involved behind the scenes.
He said: “I find working as a management consultant rewarding because it enables you to work at a senior level within an organisation and to have a major impact on the future of the business. It is a competitive industry, and when you are client-side you have to be prepared to put in the hours to get results and prove your worth. But it offers you a unique insight into business operations and you can quickly gain experience across a variety of companies and industries.”
Rowan was inspired to choose Bournemouth University after meeting the academics and current students at an Open Day. Having enjoyed business studies at school, he felt the subject would give him a practical grounding from which to launch his career in business. A placement year with Rolls Royce proved to be a defining moment in shaping his next steps. He said: “I spent my placement year in a programme lead role with Rolls Royce’s defence aerospace division. Having always wanted to be a pilot, it was incredible to work on a contract which was supplying engines used by Eurofighter Typhoon jets.
“The placement year enabled me to put so much of what I had learnt in my first two years of university into practice. Having already completed client projects which involved working in teams and delivering presentations, I felt well prepared. As I approached the end of the year with Rolls Royce, they offered me a place on their graduate scheme, which meant that I could make a start on my career as soon I graduated.”
The graduate placement scheme took Rowan into project management roles across Rolls Royce’s Marine, Civil Aerospace, Nuclear and Defence sectors. It even included a stint working on the Successor programme; the next generation of submarines for the UK.
As he neared the end of the scheme, Rowan started to get approached by a number of management consultancy firms. He said: “Going through a placement and graduate scheme with an organisation like Rolls Royce makes you attractive to employers. They know that you are going to emerge with skills and experiences which will be useful to other companies. I found myself in the enviable position of being able to choose where I wanted to be, and chose Pcubed because I could take on a bigger role within a smaller organisation”
Rowan’s advice to current business studies students is to make the most of every opportunity to develop practical career skills. He said: “During my time at BU we went through mock assessment centres and delivered consultancy projects for external clients. All of these experiences prepare you for what’s to come, and you quickly realise that not everyone else has had the same opportunities. It puts you in a strong position, so definitely make the most of it.”
