UEA

Marion Denantes, MBA Strategic Carbon Management 2010

Marion Denantes left Norwich Business School in December 2010 with an MBA, plane tickets for a well-deserved month’s break in South-East Asia and the prospect of returning to Europe to start a new job in the carbon market.  Marion had secured her new position whilst studying for her Strategic Carbon Management MBA at the University of East Anglia.  The job, based in Paris at Ably Carbon (a division of the BionersisGroup) was as a ‘Senior Carbon Consultant’ with a company specialised in Clean Development Mechanism and carbon advisory services.

Her role was to develop new Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in Latin America and Africa.  CDM is a UN initiative to assist clean energy projects in developing countries - Marion had sought out the position through her previous work experience and because she had had some very recent experience of CDM as a student as part of her MBA...

‘Before my MBA I had been working in Brussels as a consultant to evaluate EU funded projects in developing countries for the European Commission.  Different jobs had taken me to see sustainable development projects in places such as Morocco, Madagascar and Bolivia so I was used to travelling for work and well acquainted with many of the UN and EU efforts for environmental improvements in developing nations.’

‘Just as relevant though was one of the modules I was taking in the second semester of my MBA.  The International Perspectives in Carbon Management module had in it a marked assignment on CDM – the Clean Development Mechanism.  Everyone on this module had to take the forms and guidelines and make a full application (a PDD) as if it were a genuine project.’

‘At the same time I had seen the job at Ably Carbon advertised and was able to go to my first interview with them and demonstrate that I knew all about CDM procedure and how it worked.  It was brilliant - I was able to research a key topic for MBA and a prospective job application and subsequent career move all at the same time.’

‘I had a lucky break with that job coming up at exactly the right time for me.  Even though I was studying hard, I made some time to make a strong application and attend some more interviews and was offered the job.  After the intensity of the MBA, I needed a break and went travelling in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.  It was just as well I did so, as soon as returned to Paris I started at Ably Carbon and was straight away working on CDM projects, only this time for real.’

‘Most of our CDM applications are to help fund projects in developing countries to capture biogas from landfill sites and use it to make renewable energy.  I’m really enjoying my job at the moment; it’s very challenging and I get to travel a lot to visit our projects, in particular in Nigeria, Brazil and Serbia.’

‘When I look back at how I got my new job, I guess I did have some luck; but then they say you make your own luck.  I worked hard for my MBA, and the fact that I was studying the right topic at the right time gave me that extra confidence to make a strong application and be the successful applicant.’