When Heather Wynn started her Flexible MBA at Henley, her plan was to migrate to the US with her American husband and start a career in the financial planning sector. A certified financial planner at the time, Heather knew that an internationally accredited MBA could secure her the best possible position abroad, so she began investigating her options.
‘I chose Henley for a number of reasons, not least of which because the flexible study programme fitted in with the needs of my demanding job. The family friendliness was a factor too as I was newly married at the time,’ she says.
As it turns out, Heather was able to juggle her personal life and her studies like a pro. As soon as she was onboarded into the MBA programme, she informed family and friends that she would be less available than usual for the next three years. She also stepped back from social engagements and church responsibilities. ‘Another of my strategies for success was to spend six or seven hours a day at the Henley campus in Johannesburg in the evenings to work on my assignments and my thesis. I was able to study in peace in dedicated study rooms. It was exactly what I needed.’
Today, with emigration plans on the backburner, Heather runs the company she founded, HCapital Financial Educators, from offices in Bryanston. ‘My business offers corporate employee financial wellness programmes and addresses financial literacy concerns by way of workshops and financial coaching.
The daughter of a domestic worker mother and soap-machine operator dad, who was raised in Kwa-Mashu township in KZN, she is something of a trailblazer in her family. ‘I have the MBA to thank for my business success because it empowered me with the knowledge and skills I needed to run my company, and it gave me the confidence to make the most of great opportunities,’ she says.
The benefits of the MBA don’t stop there, she says, citing the development of resilience, a growth mindset and critical thinking skills as some of the most valuable lessons learned. ‘On the personal front the course taught me how to improve my work-life balance, how to embrace empathy, and how to grow my emotional intelligence through personal development,’ she says.
Heather’s advice for would-be Henley MBA students? Cut the clutter from your life for the duration of your studies, and be mentally prepared for the journey. Take full advantage of the support provided by the school – ‘there is a lot of it’ – and master your research methodology. Your thesis advisor, she says, is your friend, and not your adversary.
THE QUICK Q&A