Daren Maynard
Having recently completed his MSc course in Project and Programme Management at WMG, we asked Daren Maynard to reflect on his year with us – and to describe his Warwick experience. Daren arrived at WMG in September 2010 from his native Trinidad and Tobago, with the aim of developing his career in a new direction. “After gaining my BSc in Industrial Engineering at the University of the West Indies, I spent just over a year working as a supply chain specialist,” he explained. “Basically, I was involved in large scale logistics programmes for major ammonia plants, which included creating systems and running special projects.” So did this spark his interest in project management? “I already had ambitions in that area to be honest,” he said. “And as I had won a scholarship from the Government to study further, I looked into the options available to gain a Masters degree.” Daren researched a number of universities around the world before settling on WMG. “Its reputation speaks for itself. But I also liked the flexibility that the programme offers: the choice of elective modules meant that I could tailor the course around my own particular interests which looked exciting.” His first impressions of Warwick were certainly very positive; the first thing he noticed was the number of trees and foxes! There wasn’t a great deal of time to enjoy the campus though, before the real work began. “Yes, we got stuck in from day one and the programme itself was definitely very intensive,” Daren said. “I liked the fact that everything is based on your course work and there are no exams. However, this doesn’t make it any less focused or hard work.”
Daren was also keen to mention the lecturing staff: “What’s important is that they are all experienced practitioners. They’re not just teachers, but people who have been there and done it. They can show you how to take the theory and put it into practice in a real working situation.” For his dissertation, Daren returned to an industry he had worked in previously. His subject was Planning for Supply Chain Risks in Ammonia Plant Refurbishment Projects. “Although there are management systems designed for project and supply chain risks, none had been created specifically for the ammonia industry. I developed a new experiential risk planning model with input from supply chain professionals in the industry. “Let’s say you have a major repair programme for a plant,” he continued. “You could be looking at a £25 million project with a two-year lead time. With materials needing to shipped in from across the world, there are massive supply chain risks. This model addresses those risks from an industry-specific perspective, and gives managers a robust framework within which to plan the project.” His dissertation won Daren a distinction and has already been published as two conference papers, as well as being included as a chapter in International Supply Chain Management and Collaboration Practices (Vol 4). In addition to receiving WMG’s prestigious Outstanding Scholar Award, Daren won the Advantage Award for his extra-curricular activities at Warwick which included acting as Student Ambassador and as a member of the University Students’ Union. Just a day before heading back to his homeland to take his next career step, we asked Daren to sum up his time at WMG. “All in all, it was a terrific year,” he said. “In practical terms, it taught me a lot about planning and goal setting, which are lessons that can be applied to life as well as work. On top of that, collaborating with so many people from around the world made it a real ‘wow experience’!” |
He went on to describe the programme in more detail: “Every one of the modules was excellent in its own right. A couple of them stood out for me though. Managing the Multi-Project Programme Environment was a real eye-opener. I had only managed single projects before so I found this module particularly stretching, but equally rewarding. Management of Change was another subject that made all of us think in new ways.”