Sainsbury Management Fellows (SMF) has awarded £300,000 in scholarships to ten high-flying engineers to take their MBA at international business schools including INSEAD, IMD, LBS and MIT. Each engineer receives £30,000 towards their fees, helping them to add business, finance and marketing knowledge to their engineering skills.
The 2014/15 cohort of MBA awardees are:

Commenting on the award, Hersh Shah said: “After reading Engineering at Oxford, I have spent the last eight years working with executives of some of the UK’s largest aerospace, defence and industrial companies on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. I have decided to pursue an MBA at IMD Switzerland to broaden my international outlook, develop leadership awareness and gain new perspectives on solving global industrial issues from my future classmates and professors. I believe this will better place me to contribute to UK industry as my career progresses.

“I am delighted and privileged to be awarded the Sainsbury Management Fellowship and am grateful for its support. In particular, I look forward to being a part of the unique SMF network and hope to contribute to the future growth and advancement of UK industry in a global and competitive business environment.”

SMF was set up in 1987 by Lord Sainsbury to help engineers acquire skills that will take them into the boardrooms of Britain’s blue-chip companies or set up enterprises that will boost the UK economy.
Administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) on behalf of SMF, 330 engineers have benefited from the scheme.

Ten scholarships are available each year and applications can be made individually or in conjunction with an employer. To apply, candidates complete an online application form and submit with the required references and supporting documents. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview panel at the RAEng.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so engineers can apply throughout the year. Candidates should meet the following criteria:

• Have a first or upper second class honours degree in an engineering subject
• Have chartered engineer status or be making progress towards it
• Have the potential and ambition to achieve senior management level
• Have secured a place at one of the 14 business schools that participate in the SMF scheme

SMF President, David Falzani, said: “The scholarships help engineers gain the business knowledge and experience needed to become business leaders and entrepreneurs. Our research shows that our fellows hold over 400 director and NED positions in blue-chip companies and start-ups, they have created 220 successful new businesses, raised £1.8 billion in venture capital or debt investments, generated 18,000 new jobs, and 260 fellows support and mentor young engineers.”