Cardelle Fergusson

Cardelle Fergusson graduated from the Leicester MBA in 2020 with a specialisation in marketing, after a recommendation from a colleague to study at the University of Leicester.

When Cardelle started the Leicester MBA, she had recently been promoted to General Manager at the Barbados Youth Business Trust, and she undertook the MBA to strengthen her management skills.

“Over the journey, through my interactions with my fast friends in the programme, you all know who you are, I realized that I could do this and I have what it takes. This increased my confidence and hence my ability to show initiatives. I created programmes, built partnerships, and improved the viability of the organization. This increased my visibility and opened greater opportunities for me. I have taken on the roles of Regional Coordinator of Youth Business Caribbean and Managing Director of the Barbados Chapter of Global Entrepreneurship Network. I have only just begun to shine and see so many opportunities in my future. “

Cardelle acknowledges that undertaking an MBA whilst balancing professional and personal commitments was challenging, and another item on an already full dinner plate.  She had to employ some creative ways to keep on top of the work and meet the deadlines.  As well as many friends made on the programme she found a huge source of support in her husband:

“My husband became my accountability partner and motivator, highlighting ways in which the information I was learning could be used at work, in business and in my daily life”.

One of the many highlights for Cardelle was the diversity of students in her cohort.  This afforded her varying opinions based on environmental situational context. Her favorite module was the Managing Value Creation Processes from Idea to Market due to her passion for entrepreneurship and people development, and she found the module provided her with knowledge that was directly implementable.  The mix of both online and face-to-face provided opportunities for her to interact both in virtual groups and together at the residentials.  For Cardelle the residentials were mini vacations from her extremely hectic life.

Cardelle looks back at her time at Leicester fondly:

"We were a very lively and fun filled bunch. We found ways to balance the work requirements with a few laughs and light moments. Our conversations highlighted that no matter where you are in the world, basic management principles hold true and managing people is the hardest job in your job description. The case studies were real-life, and I learnt a lot about places I have been since, from my interactions with the materials, like the Leicester market (its history).

The cohort is still in contact, and we have created friendships that are more like confidants, who are there to bounce ideas off of and to weigh in on key decisions.”