When Alec Berry began thinking about postgraduate study, he wasn’t driven by a hunger for credentials or a desire to climb the corporate ladder. Instead, he was searching for clarity.
After a decade in wealth management, Alec felt ready for a new challenge but unsure what direction to take. He’d already completed an undergraduate commerce degree in accounting and finance as well as specialist financial planning qualifications and wanted to gain a broader view of business. Completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA), he hoped, would open doors he couldn’t yet see.
“I’d been thinking about it for a year or two,” Alec says.
“I wasn’t exactly sure what the next step looked like, but I knew exposing myself to more learning would be a positive move.”
That instinct would eventually reshape his career.
Why UQ was the right choice
After exploring other local programs, Alec was drawn to the flexibility of UQ’s MBA, particularly the option to study part time. For someone juggling work and parenting young children, the ability to learn at his own pace was important.
He also wanted a face‑to‑face learning experience.
“A big selling point was being in rooms with people who had real management experience; I liked the idea of learning from others who could add significant value by bringing context to the subjects,” he says.
Before he applied for the MBA, Alec had wondered whether the investment would be worth it. His scepticism didn’t last long.
“Once I got into the classroom and saw the quality of the lecturers and discussions, I realised the value immediately.”
Studying with a newborn and a full‑time job
Alec started the MBA when his second child was just a month old. With a full‑time job and a partner working in a demanding legal role, life was busy. But they were up for the challenge.
He found his rhythm through completing intensive courses over 3–4 weeks.
“It was stressful but efficient,” Alec says.
“The compressed format suits the way I learn. You just dive in, get the work done and come out the other side with a lot of new knowledge.”
To stay motivated, he chose subjects directly relevant to his work. Marketing aligned with his business development responsibilities. Innovation supported new business ideas he was developing.
“Study becomes much more engaging when you can immediately apply what you’re learning,” he says.
Group work, team dynamics and practical learning
One of the most valuable aspects of the program, according to Alec, was the group assignments. Working with classmates from diverse industries helped him build the skill of rapidly forming effective teams.
“You’re thrown together for just a few weeks at a time, so you learn to identify strengths quickly and navigate different personalities. That was new for me and something I immediately used in my next corporate role.”
Insights into employee motivation, retention and how to develop team culture gained during his human resources (HR) and organisational behaviour subjects also proved beneficial.
Another aspect that made Alec’s MBA experience so valuable was the in-person learning environment. While certain information is easy enough to find online or in books, he believes the real benefit of studying an MBA comes from applying research and frameworks to practical problems with guidance from experienced lecturers.
“You can read all the books in the world, but you don’t necessarily do anything with them," he says.
"The MBA forces you to think, research and apply ideas. That’s what makes the learning stick.”
A confidence shift that sparked a career change
For Alec, the biggest impact of the MBA wasn’t a single subject or assignment but something more profound: the confidence to explore new opportunities.
“When you’ve spent 10 years in one industry, you start wondering whether your skills transfer elsewhere,” Alec says.
“Through assignments and group work, I realised there was so much I’d already picked up.”
That realisation gave him the courage to move into a management role and start his own business. He credits the MBA with accelerating that transition.
I’d always wanted to start my own business. Without the UQ MBA, it would have taken me a lot longer to feel ready to take that leap.
Alec’s business Engine Financial Services is built on his previous experience in the finance industry and applies deep human understanding over purely technical advice.
“I’ve always found the psychological side of finance more interesting than the numbers," he says.
"Working in wealth management, people would often come in without a clear sense of direction. Helping them find that clarity is where the real value is.”
His long‑term vision is to use technological solutions to expand the reach of the business.
“If you can build a model that helps people get clarity on life direction and supports their financial decisions, and then scale that with tech, that’s where you create real impact,” says Alec.
“I thought the MBA was positioned for big corporate, but a lot of the research and evidence is also directly applicable to small business.”
Advice for others considering the MBA
For Alec, the MBA has been transformative because he invested all of himself in the experience.
“You get out what you put in. If all you want is the 3 letters after your name, you can probably get through. But if you engage with the learning, the research and the people, it can genuinely change the course of your career.”
Discover what’s possible with a UQ MBA.
