Eight young engineers who demonstrated leadership skills and the drive to reach senior management level early in their careers have been awarded a Sainsbury Management Fellows (SMF) scholarship to study for an MBA degree. Each engineer receives £30,000, bringing this year’s scholarship awards to £240,000, and the total granted since the scheme was established to over £8.5 million.

SMF scholarship applicants make a detailed written submission and shortlisted candidates undergo a rigorous panel interview at the Royal Academy of Engineering which manages the application process.  This year’s winners are Bishrut Mukherjee, Taha Rahman Dar and Jonathan Dyson (LBS), Alessio Falcone (IESE), Animish Sivaramakrishnan (Wharton), Deviyani Misra-Godwin (Harvard), Samarth Sharma and Fani Pournara (INSEAD).

The scholarship helps engineers who have ambitions to move into business leadership roles to gain key business skills, such as strategy, finance, and marketing.   As with the existing 330 Fellows, the MBA will enable the new awardees to combine their business and engineering skills to drive innovation in blue-chip, start-up and not-for-profit enterprises.

Started by Lord Sainsbury nearly 30 years ago, the Sainsbury Management Fellows scholarship is increasing the quantity and quality of senior executives with engineering qualifications at the top of UK organisations.

SMF President, David Falzani said, “The UK engineering sector is vital to building the UK economy yet there is a large shortfall of engineers, with demand outstripping supply across all skill levels. The SMF scholarship is doing its part to address the problem.  SMFs have generated more than £4.5 billion for the global economy and created 18,000 jobs.  SMFs lead businesses in many industry sectors including technology, finance, luxury goods, transport, retail, healthcare, education, energy and the environment.

For more information on making a scholarship application, visit the Royal Academy of Engineering website.

Photo: NicoElNino