A Master of Business Administration (MBA) unlocks doors across the world. Evan Lucas, Head of Strategy at InvestSMART, tells us how his Flinders University MBA opened doors to an incredible career.

When it comes to building a lifelong career, having a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) to your name is an undeniable advantage. In fact, according to the Graduate Management Council (2016), 96% of employers believe an MBA creates value. 

One Flinders University alumni discovered the incredible value of his own Flinders master's degree before even graduating, having been picked up by an employer three weeks before his ceremony. Evan Lucas is the current Head of Strategy at InvestSMART, an online financial advisory that helps ordinary people access affordable investment opportunities. And before this, his career took him across the world.

Lucas completed his MBA in 2010 and was immediately snatched up as an intern by Dutch bank ABN AMRO. Lucas calls this the “opportunity of a lifetime,” and a pivotal experience that led to the enviable career he has today. The bank was obviously impressed by Lucas - he consistently achieved top grades throughout the course - but it was ultimately the invaluable networking and interview skills offered by the Flinders MBA that got him in front of the right employer.

But, for now, let’s rewind. How did Lucas find himself studying an MBA at Flinders University in the first place? “Having finished my undergrad degree, I found myself in a position [where] I was very unsure of my future prospects,” says Lucas. “So, I decided to go back and do my postgrad. Flinders offered me that with their MBA program.”

Lucas had previously completed an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences at a different university, but felt that path wasn’t right for him. “I felt like a number [at the other university]. The MBA provided a much more intimate experience. Classes were held in a boardroom- style setting where we debated issues, raised questions and shared ideas. The learning environment was much more aligned with what you experience in a workplace.”


"The learning environment was much more aligned with what you experience in a workplace."

The move to Flinders was a “chalk and cheese” experience for Lucas. “I wanted to be a doctor as a kid, but realised early in my undergrad that this was not the career for me. I finally woke up to myself... I loved economics, behavioural finance and global markets, which is what led me to Flinders to do my MBA. The rest is history.” 

Lucas says that another key benefit of choosing Flinders University for his MBA was that he found the right teachers to help him learn. He says he just “clicked” with them and found that the way they presented information was “second to none”. 

It’s true that the Flinders MBA program is run by exceptional teachers. Each is an expert in their profession and well-connected to members of their industry. Flinders University partners with over 350 organisations to provide practice-based experiences on top of teaching. It’s determined to give students a hands-on experience and valuable contacts before they graduate. 

But, no matter how great the lecturers are, Lucas points out that you’ll still need to put the work in if you want to see results. “It’s a very intimate learning experience... And if you hadn’t done the required reading, you were soon found out!”

A Flinders University MBA is, perhaps, one of the most flexible courses of its kind, suitable to any working style or commitment. That’s because students can complete their course online. If you’re based in or around Adelaide, you will have classes in the city. Lucas found that face to face classes were the way to go for him, highlighting the immediacy in contact and opportunity to “pick the teachers’ brains” whenever he needed advice.

No matter how you choose to study your MBA, you can be confident that you’ll leave Flinders University a sought-after, multiskilled, career-ready graduate. In fact, The Good Universities Guide 2021 has stated that Flinders University is number one in Australia for overall experience in business and management.

“If you had told my 16 year old self I would be working in global and domestic markets with economics and media components, I wouldn’t believe I was talking to my older self,” said Lucas. 

What will you be with your MBA?

Flinders University is the number one university in Australia for postgraduate employment*, and Adelaide is Australia's most liveable city according to The Global Liveability Index 2021.

*(QILT 2021 Graduate Outcomes Survey - longitudinal)

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