UQ MBA graduates honoured at Top MBA Awards

Ten graduating MBA students were awarded the highest honours at the annual UQ Business School Top MBA Awards held at Customs House last night. The awards ceremony recognises the achievements of the highest performing graduating students - for leadership, community service, and academic excellence - and celebrates their success with their lecturers, their peers, and family. Celebrating his achievement last night was Chris Thompson (Alexandra Headlands), winner of the Director's Award for Leadership. Chris is a Councillor with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council. Kathryn Rodney (Cotton Tree) and Anders Fransson (Bulimba) were both awarded the Top MBA Award, for academic excellence in eight core MBA courses. Anders took the opportunity to broaden his career options on his return to Brisbane in 2008, after working as a corporate and finance lawyer for 18 years, both in Australia and overseas. He said, "I had been thinking about doing an MBA for many years whilst practicing as a lawyer. Particularly in the latter part of my career, I felt that it would be fun to be the client, doing the deals rather than just facilitating them." "The UQ MBA opens doors. And I feel better qualified, for example, to step into an investment banking role, a non-executive director position, a business consulting role, or into business generally." Winner of the Service to the Community Award was David Lang (Carina), Head of Mathematics at Coorparoo College. The panel of judges recognised his education service as well as his work with the Carina community to raise money for the Red Cross Bushfire appeal. David is also working with UNICEF and the Football Federation of Australia to donate footballs to South African communities during the 2010 World Cup. His long service to education was also rewarded in 2002 with the Westfield Award for Innovation in Teaching. Winners of the 2009 Academic Excellence Awards were Dean Robertson (Brisbane City), Jeremy de Lore (Balmoral), Paul Lynch (Toowong), Jane Vidler (Windsor), Mark Woodrow (Graceville) and Benson Engelbert (Toowong). The Academic Excellence Awards are made on the basis of academic results (Grade Point Average).