Ilenia Biavati

"Following graduation I held the position of Business Development Manager (Europe) for Straight plc, a Leeds based waste recycling company who are the UK's leading supplier of containers. I started working here as part of a summer consultancy project which had been advertised by the Business School.'

The project involved undertaking research to identify the attractiveness of new European markets. Following the success of my project the company offered me an extended contract to progress the outcomes of my research which involved identifying suitable distributors, meeting with companies and appointing, managing and supporting distributors. My work here allowed the company to start expanding the business abroad through direct distribution.

Prior to studying my International Business MSc, I studied Sociology for five years at the University of Bologna in Italy. I chose Leeds because I heard great things about its reputation and the high level of teaching/research, particularly in international business. I also received funding from the Maurice Keyworth UK/EU Scholarship which covered all of my fees.

I learnt a lot from my course which has really helped me in my job. Working towards deadlines really helped me to focus on my workload and the high quality service I received from the University helped me to understand the importance of giving an excellent and reliable service to my customers.

The introduction I received to this company from the Business School was instrumental in my gaining a position with them, and the knowledge I gained from the course on understanding the challenges and opportunities around international growth and development has been hugely beneficial."