The Strathclyde MBA Journey: A Personal Reflection
By Loretta Myers - Posted on 8 January 2026
Loretta Myers did her MBA at Strathclyde’s UAE centre, graduating in 2000. With the UAE centre celebrating 30 years, Loretta reflects now on what doing the MBA has meant to her, personally and professionally.
Why I Chose an MBA and Strathclyde
At a pivotal moment in my career, I realized the need to expand my professional horizons. Pursuing an MBA felt like the right step to achieve this goal.
At the time, Strathclyde was one of only two universities in Dubai offering an Executive MBA programme with international accreditation. What set Strathclyde apart was not only its globally recognised curriculum, but it also provided the same academic experience as its full-time students in Glasgow, including opportunities to take electives there. Weekly sessions with local counselors and the chance to connect with fellow cohorts further differentiated Strathclyde from other programmes.
The MBA Study Experience
The Strathclyde MBA offers more than just academics providing hands-on learning experiences to practice in real life situations. Subjects such as “Exploring the Business Environment” are unique to Strathclyde and prepares you for dealing with the future, change, uncertainty, and group dynamics.
The real-world consulting experiences in Glasgow and assignments such as preparing a strategy to sell Irn Bru to a client in Chile, or opening a Club-Med in KwaZulu-Natal broadened both our taste-buds and geography. The group assignments were difficult at the time but on reflection the words “In real life you don’t get to choose who you work with” hold true!
Impact on my Career
Just two months after graduating, I relocated to Houston, Texas, in the United States. My first role there was as a Market & Business Analyst in the Upstream Deepwater Business Unit of a major oil and gas service company, reporting to the Vice President of Strategy in Paris. Despite lacking prior knowledge of the Subsea, Umbilical, Risers & Flowlines (SURF) market, I interviewed with confidence, drawing on the skills honed during my MBA. The programme taught me how to quickly acquire relevant information and present strategic options to executive management under tight deadlines.
The MBA prepared me with all the tools to re-invent my career – and it equipped me for a portable, competitive career (a career in my suitcase so to speak). My multi-faceted, multi-industry professional career, spanning international countries from Yemen via the UAE and China to the USA, is a testament to this. My industry background includes professional services and consulting, government agencies, oil and gas; upstream, downstream and low carbon solutions.
Reflection on Strathclyde’s MBA
Strathclyde’s robust alumni network continues to offer support and development opportunities, fostering global connections. The recent celebration of 30 years of the MBA in the UAE aboard the QE2 highlighted the programme’s enduring impact and the strength of its alumni community.
My advice to fellow alumni is to embrace opportunities to become local counselors and to remain committed to lifelong learning. I was fortunate to be mentored, and offered such an opportunity, by the late Dr Ron Bradfield, whose guidance and support profoundly influenced my career.
Strathclyde truly stands as a place of useful learning.
About Loretta Myers
Loretta Myers is Senior Business Strategy Specialist, Low Carbon Solutions, at McDermott International, a leading provider of engineering and construction in the energy sector. She is currently based in Houston, Texas and has a career that spans multiple continents and industries.
