How Ruth is powering her global business ambition

Ruth Hassan was looking for an MBA programme that would help her to take the next steps in her career. As an established businesswoman, she wanted a degree that would allow her to build her businesses on a global scale. After discovering our MBA Global, she knew she’d found a course that could support her goals.

“I chose the University of Derby because I wanted an MBA that combined academic rigour with practical business leadership. As a founder and strategist already leading several ventures in Nigeria, I needed a programme that would help me transition from running businesses to building sustainable, innovation-driven organisations that could scale globally.”

Gaining real-world experience 

Ruth credits the opportunities to apply classroom insights to real-world challenges with helping her grow her knowledge and skills. Ruth was able to bring her business venture MatchPods to life utilising skills she learned on the MBA:

“During the programme I have been able to conceptualise and redefine MatchPods, a tech platform designed to connect individuals using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR) to create a new kind of dating experience. The frameworks learned in modules such as ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ and ‘Business Strategy and Transformation’ directly shaped how I developed the business model, structured the go-to-market plan, and built the early-stage operational framework.”

Fostering entrepreneurship

Ruth says the MBA has supported her goals as an entrepreneur, helping her continue to build her businesses while studying and applying what she’s learned directly to her ventures.

An image of MBA student Ruth Hassan against a grey background.

The MBA at Derby has been really great - I often say that the biggest beneficiaries of the Derby MBA are potential or growing entrepreneurs, people like me who are building and leading ventures while studying. The course has given me the structure, confidence, and theoretical grounding to scale my ideas into viable enterprises.

Ruth Hassan
MBA Global student

Future goals

Ruth plans to continue to scale her business ventures after graduation, using what she’s learnt to grow her businesses in the UK and internationally.

“My goal is to build my startup, MatchPods, into a thriving business in the UK serving both the Nigerian and UK markets. Alongside this, I plan to expand ANOCS Consulting into new markets, empowering more young professionals and small businesses to grow and create employment opportunities across Africa.”