Double Differentiation for Scholarship Winner

AUTHOR: Lachlan Colquhoun   DATE: 01.09.05   ISSUE 2, 2005

Danny French chose AGSM for his MBA because he wanted to “differentiate himself from the pack,” and the 26 year old from Melbourne has continued to differentiate himself at the school, winning the $25,000 Computer Associates scholarship.

French, who wrote the essays for the scholarship application on a beach holiday in Phuket, says he was always going to do an MBA somewhere, but felt that AGSM was the best choice.

“The MBA has helped to put the different pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together and put an analytic and strategic framework on my work experience."

Danny French


“I was at the natural point in my career to do a second degree and take a step up, and there were a lot of advantages with AGSM and its reputation,” says French.

“I also felt that there were better longer term career prospects for MBA graduates in Sydney, and the MBA here was a good way to transition.

“Then of course there’s the opportunity to build personal and professional bonds with my fellow-students, and that will give a Sydney focus to my network.”

The scholarship, he says, is not only a significant help financially but has other positives as well.

“Being able to put the scholarship on your CV is going to be a great differentiator, so its obviously a good thing for me,” says French.

In Melbourne, French did his undergraduate degree at RMIT University in transport and logistics management before applying those skills at a third party logistics provider.

“I was at the natural point in my career to do a second degree and take a step up; there were a lot of advantages with AGSM and its reputation.”

From there, he joined Booz Allen Hamilton in Melbourne and worked there for three years, reaching associate level before leaving to begin his MBA.

“When I started I did a bit more on the transport side, but I also spent some time doing telecommunications consulting, and I moved more into being more of a generalist consultant,” he says.

The MBA, he says, is helping to “put the different pieces of the jigsaw puzzle” together and put an analytic and strategic framework on his work experience.

“Having worked across a number of different companies you see elements of different approaches drive their decision making,” says French.

“But doing the MBA you actually realise what they are doing, and this is the school of thought they are following at the time and that helps you round out your knowledge and gives you a final platform.”

French says he is also enjoying AGSM campus life, which he says has a positive “community feel.”

“Being able to put the scholarship on your CV is going to be a great differentiator, so it's obviously a good thing for me.”

Already, however, he is pondering life after the MBA and says he is most likely to return to a role in consulting. “For me the two things I look forward to in a career are doing something challenging and varied, and the ability to work with passionate and talented people,” says French. “Consulting gives you the opportunity to have both of those in one package, so at this point I’m likely to go back into that industry.”