Chris Hope (EMBA, 2003, Graduate) tells how his study added value to his successful career as a pilot and airline manager and gave him some lifelong friends in the process.

"My childhood dream was always to become a pilot. I achieved good results in my A Levels but I decided against university and instead headed off to work in aviation as a flying instructor. Once I had gained enough experience as an instructor, I was able to complete the exams to gain a Commercial Pilot’s Licence. I had made it. I could now be employed to fly for an airline.

After a short spell with a regional airline, in 1988 I joined the world’s largest charter airline as a co-pilot. By the turn of the millennium I had enjoyed a thirteen-year career and progressed to become a training pilot, helping other pilots develop their knowledge and skills.

Whilst the sheer joy of flying has never left me, it became apparent that I also had a real interest in business strategy and leadership. I became more involved in airline management through a number of junior management roles. In an annual appraisal, my boss told me that to develop a management career, I should consider completing an MBA. I jumped at the opportunity.

The EMBA at Lancaster was without question the best option for me. It was highly regarded, regularly in the top 10 of MBA programmes, and allowed an entry route for non-degree holders. I started the programme in 2001.

Speaking to others who had completed the EMBA, including past students at the course induction, there were two consistent themes that stood out. First the commitment of time and energy the programme demanded and, second, that it would change your whole outlook on work and life. At the time I found both claims difficult to believe.

At the end of the course, I reflected on the time and energy it had taken and realised that my predecessors had been right. However, it had not been the draining commitment it had sounded. I found the experience energising and empowering. At Lancaster I was encouraged to explore new ideas, accept nothing as sacred and feel confident to develop my own path based on learning and reflection. I developed critical thinking and became more discerning as a result.

The EMBA programme completely changed my view of the world, not just in business, in all aspects of life. And I made some lifelong friends. There is no doubt the credibility of the MBA opens doors to new opportunities that might otherwise have been beyond reach.

Broadening out from pilot related management roles, since completing the MBA I have held senior executive and non-executive leadership roles in a number of organisations, including a FTSE 100 company, all of which I have found challenging, exciting and hugely rewarding. The foundation from the EMBA helped me tackle many of the challenges confidently and enabled me to continue to develop as a leader and as a human being. And I still fly aeroplanes whenever I can!"