Chioma Mbanugo

Working in Finance Risk, Control and Change (FRCC), Chioma’s got an important job of helping businesses mitigate potent financial risks.

Student name: Chioma Mbanugo
Course title: Master in Business Administration
Country: Nigeria
Year of graduation: 2006
Current employer: Lloyds Banking Group Insurance

Describing her time in Cardiff as an ‘exciting roller coaster ride’, she knew exactly what she was looking for when choosing Cardiff to be her University.

A strong advocate of the MBA programme in Cardiff, she picked up important business skills when studying here and uses them every day in her job.

Why did you choose Cardiff University to do your degree?

In choosing where to study for my degree, there were a few things I took into consideration.

a) University league table rankings.
b) The location of the University. I wanted somewhere away from London to avoid distractions posed by a big city.
c) Cost of living. I wanted somewhere with lower living costs. I had previously been told by a friend who studied in the UK to keep away from London if I wanted to make my budget stretch.
d) Tuition costs and flexible payment plans.

Do you think Cardiff equipped you with the necessary skills for your job?

I believe that studying at Cardiff definitely equipped me with the necessary skills for not only my job but a wide range of skills for various jobs. The MBA programme was very robust and exposed me to various business areas.

Tell me a little about your time here.

My time at Cardiff University can best be described as an exciting roller coaster ride. The MBA programme was exceptionally demanding with a total of nine courses to cover within the nine-month period. We had lectures, syndicate classes, group assignments, individual assignments, class tests, semester exams, group business plans, etc.

When we felt the pressure was easing off, we had two electives to study and a 20,000 word dissertation to research, write and submit. The structure of the course has since changed, but I believe it is still as demanding as it was when I was on the programme.

You’ve had quite a career and now you’re in FRCC – did you ever see yourself in such an esteemed job?

I have always dreamt of getting to the top of my career. And I knew it was possible if I worked hard, applied myself and made the right choices. I deem my current job as one of the steps I have to go through to get to my ultimate goal. I am happy that gradually, my dream is becoming a reality.

What does your job entail now? What are your responsibilities?

Without giving too much away, I am in a risk assessment/management role. This entails oversight of controls and processes in my business area to ensure that losses through error and fraud are mitigated. One of the biggest risks of my job is failing to identify a lapse in controls and processes that eventually result in significant losses to the business.

Why is your job important? Who’s counting on you? And what are you expected to deliver each year?

My job is important because I am part of a team which ensures that the figures published in the Financial Statements (FS) are accurate. My team follows the financial year cycle ensuring that at each step of the way, processes and controls which produce the figures that feed into the FS are operating as expected. The FS is relied upon by many stakeholders including the City, Management, Financial Services Authority, Shareholders, Employees, Financial markets etc.

Do you have any words of wisdom to share with prospective students who are thinking about coming to Cardiff?

For those thinking of coming to Cardiff, I would say do it. You'll enjoy your time here. Cardiff is very cosmopolitan, has a very diverse student body, has very friendly people in the community and the academic staff will encourage you to be the best you can be. You will get a lot of support and help from the academic community as well as from fellow students.