Paul Herbertson

Paul’s MBA learning journey

Cambridge Venture Project client | Ernst & Young
Global Consulting Project client | University of Cambridge Trademarks
Concentration | Energy & Environment
Extra-curricular activities |  AT Kearny Global Prize; Google Online Marketing Challenge;  Odyseey Airline Simulation; Doing Good, Doing Well conference; Beyond Profit SIG; MBAT

Why the Cambridge MBA?

One of the main reasons I chose the Cambridge MBA is that it attracts such a mix of nationalities as well as people from a wide range of backgrounds. I wanted to broaden my international network and was looking for a school that would attract people from different sectors as I was keen to learn from peers as well as from the faculty. The University of Cambridge reputation was also a big part of the decision. It opens doors and has a level of prestige that really adds to and compliments the MBA which you can’t get many other places.

How was your Global Consulting Project experience?

The GCP was a great experience for many reasons. It was very interesting having a real client in E&Y but we were also lucky enough to be taking on one of their live projects so had a large multinational pharmaceutical company to work for. This gave us an extremely realistic impression of what it’s like to work for a professional services firm such as E&Y. Developing a project that was then used by the client was very rewarding.

What inspired your career direction?

The Cambridge MBA was invaluable for me in taking on a new role as a Director at Fauna & Flora International focusing on enterprise development and impact investment. Having come from the non-profit sector I was keen to broaden my understanding of business but also dig into a few different areas where I had seen real opportunities for linking business and sustainable development. It also inspired me to look at more entrepreneurial opportunities and has now led to me joining Wild Philanthropy which invests in and develops high-end ecotourism businesses in East Africa.

Your plans for the next five years?

Having recently joined Wild Philanthropy to lead the startup of the social enterprise, the next five years will see me focus on scaling up this business and establishing it as the leading ethical travel company operating in East Africa. It has spun out of award winning African Travel Specialist, Journeys by Design, and will use the experience within this travel specialist to delivering social and environmental benefits through ecotourism and ethical travel. Given our model of investing in businesses in East Africa, the Cambridge MBA has gave me the technical knowledge to enable the execution of these innovative deals.

The Cambridge MBA in three words…

Inspiring. Transformational. Fun!

Any advice to incoming students?

One of the things I remember from our introductory talk from the Director of the MBA, Jochen Runde, was to ‘keep your head up and look around you’. It seemed an odd thing to be recommending when we heard it but it is so true. Cambridge is such a unique place to study, from the formal halls to the 800 years of history, it’s truly an amazing experience. Even though you will be extremely busy with the pressures of the MBA you really must make the most of being a student at Cambridge!