Alistair Crawford
Warwick Business School
Age: 43
“Relentlessly curious, intrinsically motivated, exceptionally self-disciplined, focused, thoughtful, empathic, kind, compassionate, extroverted, and engaging.”
Hometown: Nottingham, United Kingdom (though I was really made in the Royal Navy)
Family Members: Married with two children aged 6 and 8
Fun fact about yourself: I testified in US Federal Court against Somali pirates that I caught whilst serving in the Royal Navy as a helicopter pilot.
Undergraduate School and Degree:
BEng(Hons) Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering – University of Derby, UK
MSc Leadership and Management – University of Portsmouth, UK
Where are you currently working? Chief Operating Officer, Mental Health Innovations (UK charity). It is a charity that delivers the Shout mental health support service to the whole of the UK 24/7.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: I am a runner and enjoy endurance events. In recent years I have completed the Jurassic Coast 100km Ultra Marathon, a 105-mile coast to coast race across Scotland’s highlands, and a race from the coast to the top of the highest mountain in Wales and down again to raise money for charities.
I have a pro-bono role as an advisor to a suicide prevention charity called Ripple. I am on their Military to Civilian Transition Advisory Board. I also provide mentoring and informal coaching to several people, with a focus on supporting military people as they navigate the sometimes emotionally difficult process of becoming a civilian.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I believe in working hard across three domains the physical, intellectual, and emotional. I have a running coach to guide me through my physical training, used the Exec MBA to develop the intellectual, and worked with a therapist on the emotional. I think the emotional domain holds the capacity for the most power. People that can gate-keep their own emotional reactions to events and put guardrails around their egos are the most effective leaders.
I’ve worked hard across all three domains during the Exec MBA, but I’m proudest of the gains I’ve made in the emotional. Having greater command in the emotional domain makes me more effective both personally and professionally.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Keeping ports open to humanitarian aid in the 2011 Libya conflict is right up on this list. But the winner is taking £2M in seed funding from The Royal Foundation and building the UK’s first 24/7 text-message-based mental health support service in 2018. Assembling a team of incredibly kind and compassionate staff members, and thousands of volunteers, all there to help people in their moment of need is an amazing experience. It is very humbling to watch this organisation, that started with a handful of people in one tiny office, as it supports thousands of people each week.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? WBS has a very visible and obvious culture – even to an external observer. It is kind and inclusive. It really is seeking people with diverse backgrounds and broad perspectives, who are in the pursuit of an academically creative thought environment. Being outside of London, but still within easy travel reach for international students, allows Warwick to attract an eclectic group of students that are not from city or financial backgrounds. This diversity of people and perspective fosters a truly fun environment in which to explore the school’s ‘change maker’ ethos.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? The biggest lesson was that understanding a broader range of business disciplines is a super-power. Being able to breakdown challenges using the different models and lenses and being able to reframe them using a different perspective is exceptionally powerful. The ‘range’ that the Exec MBA has given me feels like a gift.
I’ve been able to bring these skills into the charity, applying them daily in delivering mental health text messaging support. I have directly applied the learnings to improve organisational structures and operational processes to better support our 2,000 active volunteers and improve on their experience with us. We’re on a journey to improving their experience and retention rates.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? This is easily the hardest part of the MBA and is not something that I can say I’ve done perfectly. My wife and children have definitely missed out on some time with me, which I plan to make up to them.
The way I found best to survive was to be exceptionally disciplined about my time. I was up at 05:00 most mornings, running by 05:30, showered and dressed by 07:30, school run at 08:30, and at my desk for work at 09:00. Work until 17:00 or 18:00 as needed, and then into university mode. Do the kids’ bedtimes as often as I could, and then be in bed at 22:00.
It is a bit of a tough routine, but I thrive on it, and it makes me very productive.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Be very mindful of your capacity going into the program, and how your capacity might change over time. Life events can quickly overwhelm you. Think carefully about taking on too much work simultaneously, and don’t be afraid to say no to things. Ultimately be kind to yourself. You’re not superhuman and sometimes you’ll have to take your foot off the gas to allow for rest and recovery.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? With nearly 50 people in my cohort and a huge number of people that I’ve met during the journey, there are many people I could name here. But, if I must choose one, then it is David Linford.
Dave works for the coatings company PPG. I’ve been in total awe of the passion and enthusiasm that Dave brings to his business. He talks about his business, and their paints and coatings, with an unbelievable amount of enthusiasm and passion.
Dave would also tell you himself that this MBA is his first education post-high school, and he’s been utterly fearless in the way he’s embraced his university experience. He is always willing to share his business insights and thoughts, I’ve learned a huge amount from him.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I like to dive all-in on things that I do. I’m also an extrovert and gain energy from talking about ideas and concepts with intelligent people. I wanted to do the MBA in the most immersive way that I could. That required in person teaching with in person peers, and a relatively high tempo of delivery. The Exec MBA was the perfect choice for me.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To build and put out into the world a product (or two) that genuinely delivers a positive impact on the lives of people that use it.
