So starting off, prior to teaching and working in industry, what was your university experience like? 

“So, I went to Plymouth, which is lovely down on the coast. I chose Plymouth because of being by the sea. At the time I went to uni there wasn’t a straight Marketing degree, so I went and did Business with Marketing. I did a placement and did a few months in accounts, marketing etc. After a few months in accounts, realised it wasn’t for me and directed my career into Marketing that way, by getting experience and doing my degree.”

After graduating what was your industry experience?

“I started with 1 year in a training type company, living back at home as I didn’t have any money, and worked there doing competitive research, not bleakly in a marketing role at this point but still first year out of graduating employment. Did some presentations/lecturing to students there about what marketing was. Didn’t immediately go into a grad scheme, definitely thought I wanted to get on the job ladder and see where I go.”

Does what you accomplished align with your younger self’s dreams?

“That’s a hard one. I didn’t know that I wanted to be top of a brand, doing a specific thing but I always wanted to work in Marketing and the next job after that first year was your classic marketing assistant role. Got into the company, Canon, and worked my way up to senior product manager. So within that I felt I achieved what I wanted to.”

How did you transfer from industry work into teaching and why did you want to teach at this point in your life?

“It was a life changing moment. A friend of mine at the London college of fashion said she had to leave and asked me to cover the lecturing for the last 6 weeks of semester. I said okay as that worked well with kids. So, I came into lecturing that way. Also, there were a lot parallels between my marketing work and lecturing.”

How long have you taught at BNU and do you have a favourite module to teach?

“Well consequently I started here as an associate lecturer 15 years ago as I still had 3 children under 5 years old but as the kids got older, I came on as staff about 7 years later. My favourite module is probably consumer psychology; customer, consumer habits and motivations. All those I do enjoy.”

What have been some of your favourite moments at BNU in the past 15 years?

“Graduation day, top day ever. Getting students going along to showcases in level 6 and finding out they’ve got job roles. That’s my motivation, bringing people in, grow them up, develop them and then they’re ready to go into employment.”

Why do you think the Marketing course at BNU is a good choice for students wanting to go into the business/marketing world after graduating?

“We don’t do a placement year it has to be said but consequently we do try to bring in a lot of real-life examples; the alumni events, the live briefs, allowing students to work as a consultant for a company in the local area. It is imbedded into the course content and materials to make sure the students are ready to go out into the workplace. We often say come as a student and leave as a junior executive.”