2009 Scholarship winner and finalists

Solution Designer, National Australia Bank Ltd (NAB)

Damini is a talented IT professional who has been working in the financial sector since 2003. She began her career as a software developer and now holds solution design accountability for the two largest investment projects within Wholesale Banking, NAB.

Damini is close to completing a Master of Information Systems and is a volunteer high school tutor. She views the Cranfield MBA program as a unique opportunity to immerse herself in an intensive yet collaborative environment designed to accelerate both personal and professional development and position graduates for future success.

Senior Crime Scene Scientist, Australian Federal Police

Vanessa aspired to be an ambassador for Australia from an early age, and in Year 12 participated in a sister state visit to Shandong Province China to donate funds to a deaf mute orphanage and further her studies of the Chinese culture and language. In 1999, Vanessa graduated from the Flinders University of South Australia with a Bachelor of Technology (Forensic & Analytical Chemistry) degree and received the Max Clark Prize for recognition or outstanding academic achievement. In 2000, she completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) and later that same year, commenced work with Australian Federal Police (AFP) as a Crime Scene Scientist.

Vanessa’s career has required her to work on many of Australia’s highest profile investigations, including the Bali bombings, the Thailand Tsunami, Operation Serene in Timor Lesté, and the world’s largest ecstasy importation in Melbourne. Vanessa has received many professional acknowledgements for her work with the AFP, including the ‘Commissioner’s Group Citation for Excellence in Overseas Work’, presented at Parliament House in 2004. To balance the extreme nature of her work, Vanessa pursues her interest in playing the violin and also her love of other cultures through studying the French language and visiting other countries, including Vietnam, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Dubai, and Germany. Vanessa believes that studying an MBA at such a highly regarded institution as Cranfield will be pivotal to her life and career. She also hopes that an MBA will enable her to pursue a career as an ambassador for Australia in the area of International Humanitarian Community Development.

Vicky graduated from the University of Melbourne with bachelor degrees in arts, majoring in political science and languages, and science with honours, majoring in physics. After completing a doctorate in physics from the Australian National University and deciding to move away from academia, she worked as an examiner of patents for a couple of years before returning to Melbourne to take on a research and development tax consulting role at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In recent years she has attempted to tackle her fear of the open water by participating in the Brooks Fun Tri Series and taking on two NISSAN/BRW Corporate Triathlons, with many more intended. Vicky views the Cranfield MBA as an excellent opportunity to develop skills in business strategy in preparation for more senior management roles in the coming years.