SBS Blog > Help to Grow: growing with confidence and business understanding by Mark McLay

Help to Grow: growing with confidence and business understanding

By Mark McLay - Posted on 29 September 2026

Mark McLay chose to complete the Help to Grow programme at Strathclyde Business School to help him with his business career – in today's blog, he highlights how its practical insights and mentorship has helped him grow with confidence and strengthen his business understanding.

I chose to do the Help to Grow: Management programme at Strathclyde Business School as I had recently moved from university lecturing into business. The programme seemed an ideal way to shift my mindset and fill gaps in my knowledge of good business practice.

The programme was excellent overall, with a wide range of ideas and speakers. Course leader Wendy White Finnigan brought enthusiasm and extensive experience. An unexpected highlight was learning from others in my cohort about their own business challenges and opportunities.

The mentorship from Nik Gray was particularly valuable, as were the small-group discussions. The sessions on staff wellbeing and productivity gave me some of the most useful insights.

The programme reinforced the importance of having clear values and a shared mission. These provide a practical reference point for everyday decisions, helping everyone work towards the same goals.

The weekly class was manageable alongside my work commitments. Even with a 5am start at work, I found I could stay engaged through to the end of classes at 5pm.

I left the programme with a stronger understanding of how to help staff feel valued and build a culture where everyone works towards shared goals. Most tangibly, the programme helped us establish a leadership team below director level, which has been a significant benefit to the business. It also gave me the confidence to play a key role in those changes.

I would recommend doing the Help to Grow programme to anyone new to business or looking to deepen their understanding of what makes a business successful. The practical insights, mentorship and opportunities to learn from other participants made it a valuable experience.