Having majored in Banking Administration and Finance at the University of Piraeus in Greece, with a distinction, I was looking for the next step to solidify and strengthen my skills. After a thorough search, the MSc in Accounting and Financial Management at Lancaster University Management School was my top choice, because it has by far the highest knowledge/cost ratio, making it the best place to invest in my future.

After a year of intense study, I know that I have made the correct choice. Great surroundings, excellent facilities and highly esteemed faculty have provided me with all the things I was looking for.

My year on the MSc offered me a passport to the real competitive business world. Before I even finished the taught part of the programme, I had signed a contract with BP, one of the biggest multinational companies. I was hired on to a three-year Euro-graduate programme in finance.

During this period, I'll be working in various positions within the finance department throughout Europe. My first two placements were in Greece as an Internal Control and Projects Analyst and as Treasury-Credit Analyst. The next two placements are going to be in UK and the last two placements in a third European country.

This huge variety of roles gives me valuable insights in all the different aspects of a finance department, and gives me the opportunity to implement all the academic knowledge I have obtained from my studies at Lancaster.

I am also studying for the CFA qualification, funded by a scholarship from Lancaster University Management School and the CFA – the most obvious example of how support from Lancaster University Management School is continuing even after the end of my postgraduate studies.

Since writing this profile, Markos has completed both his ACCA and CFA qualifications, and after several years with BP was recruited by Saudi Aramco.