Alex Dekker: From charity founder to new possibilities

What led you to choose the Cambridge MBA?

I spent the first 6.5 years of my professional life at the helm of a charity I started in 2020. At Alex Makes Meals, we did incredible things, and I’m lucky to have had the chance to do so many amazing things while there.

But it’s important to note that it has effectively been my only job. As much as I shaped and led the organisation, the organisation has shaped and led me. So, when presented with the opportunity to attend the Cambridge MBA, it was not only a chance to develop my skills, but also to allow both AMM and me to find out what we can do independently of each other.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?

The biggest achievement came recently, after taking a step back from AMM. The team back home recently won a series of transformative grants we had talked about for years, funding new programmes we had only ever dreamed of.

All credit goes to the team. I consider my biggest achievement to be leaving the organisation in a state where it doesn’t merely survive in my absence, but thrives. It is an immense privilege to watch it hit new heights while I sit on the sidelines.

How do you feel about receiving your scholarship?

The Professional Impact Scholarship is genuinely the only way I could have hoped to attend Cambridge. The non-profit world is a beautiful thing, but none of us were there for the high salaries.

What do you hope to gain from the MBA over the next year?

Perspective.

Already I’ve met so many incredible people working in fields I know nothing about.

Where do you see the MBA taking you in your future career?

That’s the great big question, isn’t it? Every conversation raises another possibility…

What does Cambridge mean to you?

Cambridge means potential.

Something few people know about you…

My only regret is working in a field where a mullet is not an acceptable haircut.