Executive Mini MBA Programme and PGCERT – Air Business

Paul had built a successful career through experience, having left school at 16 and progressed into senior leadership roles over time. Despite his achievements, he felt there was a gap on his CV from not having attended university.

He wanted to formalise his business knowledge and gain a recognised qualification that reflected the expertise he had developed throughout his career.

“I left school at 16 and never went to university, so it always felt like there was a gap on my CV. This was a fantastic way of closing that gap”

Paul also wanted to strengthen his strategic thinking and deepen his understanding of how areas such as finance, change management and marketing connect within an organisation.

Paul initially enrolled in INPD’s Executive Mini MBA Programme, which provides a strategic overview of core business functions. After completing it, he continued his learning journey by progressing to the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration (PGCERT).

The programmes allowed him to build on his professional experience while gaining new perspectives on leadership and business management.

They also enabled Paul to combine real-world experience with academic frameworks, helping him formalise the knowledge he had developed throughout his career.

“The Mini MBA was great, so moving on to the PGCERT felt like the natural next step”

Paul completed the programme alongside his role as Implementation Director, progressing through the assignments over two years to allow the learning to fully embed.

He balanced work and study by dedicating time at weekends to assignments and reflecting on the course material.

“It hasn’t been that difficult balancing it with work. I have found that it has slotted in and has been a huge positive”

Returning to academic writing after many years away from formal education was initially an adjustment. However, Paul found that much of the knowledge already existed through his professional experience.

“A lot of the papers just fell into place because I’ve been doing this in my career for years. The course helped connect what I already knew with the theory behind it”

The programme provided a structured framework for Paul to reflect on his work and apply new thinking to his role. Each assignment explored different aspects of business in ways that related directly to his day-to-day responsibilities.

One of the most impactful areas was change management.

“I’d always thought change was mainly technical. The course made me realise that change is primarily about people”

The finance and marketing modules also strengthened his strategic thinking and encouraged him to challenge existing approaches within the organisation.

“Every single paper helped me in my job. I’ve already started asking different questions at work and thinking about things in a new way”

Beyond professional development, Paul says the programme also had a personal impact.

“It’s changed me as a person. I’m walking around helping people more, sharing ideas and thinking differently about how we do things”

1. Strategic Perspective – The programme helped Paul move beyond operational thinking and see how business functions such as change, finance and marketing connect at a strategic level.
2. Practical Application in the Workplace – Each assignment directly influenced his work, helping him refine processes, challenge assumptions and improve how initiatives are delivered within the business.
3. Personal and Professional Confidence – Completing the programme filled a long-standing gap in his professional development and reinforced the value of lifelong learning.

“For the price, the value is incredible. It’s changed how I think and how I work”