Emily Pentony
2017 International Business Management BSc graduate Emily is Senior Product Marketing Manager at Wellhub in London, UK.
Interview
Since graduating, what have you gone on to do?
Since graduating, I have been working in the corporate wellbeing industry at Gympass. Gympass was founded in Brazil and entered the UK in 2016, it is now a global company throughout Europe, USA and Latin America. It is really exciting to work for a rapidly growing company and it brings lots of opportunities for professional growth and responsibilities. I started working in Business Development and then after six months, I moved into a Data Analyst role. In that role, I worked across teams to help build business strategies and priorities. It’s great to get exposure to all areas of the business and have the opportunity to make a real difference in the business. I am now Wellbeing Engagement Coordinator in the Digital Marketing & User Acquisition team.
Is the above what you planned to do before starting University?
I didn't leave university knowing exactly what I wanted to do but I have always been interested in fitness and wellbeing. I also knew that I wanted to work for a smaller but fast-growing company as I had done a lot of projects around 'Scale Up' businesses and entrepreneurship in my Career Development module.
What was your favourite thing about your course?
I loved the combination of studying both Business and Spanish and also the opportunity to spend a year abroad. My course had an international outlook focusing on topics such as management across cultures, global business and the economy. This made it really relevant and interesting.
Did you complete a placement year/study abroad/summer internship during your time at Newcastle?
As I studied Spanish, I did a placement in Spain. I spent the first half in Barcelona at 'la Universitat de Barcelona' which was a great opportunity to develop my knowledge in different areas related to international business and also experience university life in a different culture. I then did the second half in Seville as a Marketing and PR Assistant in a company called Glamping Hub. I enjoyed both studying and working and also living in two different cities as I got to experience two very distinctive cultures, meet lots of new people and improve my Spanish.
What extra-curricular activities or societies were you involved with during your time here?
I was President of Newcastle University Business School Board of Students which was great fun. We got to organise the annual Business School Ball and other student events. The Business school is also always hosting great events which are a brilliant opportunity to network, learn about current topics which are impacting the world of work and give you exposure to different industries.
How do you see future technologies and new ways of working (future of work) affecting your sector?
Technologies have made a huge impact on new ways of working, increasing flexibility and freedom as you can now work from anywhere. However, digital technology can also drive an 'always on' culture which can increase stress and have a negative effect on employee wellbeing. This is why it is more important than ever for companies to invest in their employee's wellbeing and for individuals to make sure they make time to relax and disconnect.
Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
Everything changes so fast, so it is hard to tell but I would like to move abroad again and work somewhere in Europe.
Seize all the opportunities that university gives you and aim to undertake a placement year abroad.