Second year student shortlisted as Future Business Leader

Business Management student competes for prestigious annual Undergraduate award

Kayley Maxwell, a second year BSc Business Management student, is one of 10 finalists competing for the title of Undergraduate Future Business Leader of the Year.

The award, hosted by Target Jobs and sponsored by Mars, recognises business skill, knowledge and strategy and champions students who excel at leading, motivating and inspiring others. It is one of 12 awards searching for the best undergraduates across a range of sectors and subject areas.

The final 10 nominees represent Universities from across the UK and the winner will be announced at an afternoon awards ceremony to be held 22 April 2016 in London’s Canary Wharf.

Competition for the title is strong and the quality of participants exceptionally high. All entrants had to complete a three stage assessment (January – March) before the final shortlist was announced.

Stage one involved submission of an individual application including answering three questions posed by Mars. Having completed the first stage, participants were then invited to complete three online tests designed by award partners CEB SHL. The online assessment included a situational judgement test, OPQ (Occupational Personality Questionnaire) test and an inductive reasoning test.

The final stage before shortlisting involved two rounds of interview. Following a telephone interview, 20 applicants were invited to an ‘in person’ assessment with Mars senior managers and held at the Mars offices in Slough.

Kayley is enrolled on the BSc Business Management with Integrated Work Placement programme and is coming to the end of her 5 month placement with Admiral Group.

Reflecting on her success to date, Kayley said: “Being accepted on to the Integrated Work Placement programme and successfully interviewing for Admiral gave me a huge confidence boost and gave me the encouragement to apply for the awards.

“It’s been an intense application process, with multiple interviews and tests, but my experiences on the course and the placement programme helped me prepare for the activities I was tasked with. The awards ceremony will be a wonderful occasion, but whatever happens on the night this has been an invaluable experience. It has provided me with great professional exposure and the opportunity to network with high calibre students from across the UK.”

Alex Hicks, Cardiff Business School’s Placements Manager, added: “We are incredibly proud of Kayley’s achievement and the hard work and commitment she has shown to get this far. We know the quality of our students and it is great to see their skills and efforts recognised and rewarded.”