RGU and EIC supporting rising stars in the oil and gas sector

Ben Richardson from Alpha Process Controls was announced as the winner of The EIC and RGU Rising Star MBA Award at the EIC National Awards Dinner in London.

The EIC and RGU Rising Star MBA Award is an initiative created to develop leaders of tomorrow in the oil and gas sector and sees the winner receive full tuition fees (worth £17,000) for the MBA Oil and Gas Management course at RGU.

Ben said: “It’s a fantastic honour to win this award, but also secure a place on the MBA programme, which will be an important part of my career progression. The other finalists were all exceptional and highlights the quality of young engineers in the UK.

“I am also very grateful to the support from Alpha Process Controls and the GT Group, which is enabling me to build on my experience and play a key role in the development of the company’s engineering solutions.”

The second prize of £5,000 scholarship tuition fees was awarded to James Blackwood from Advanced Insulation Systems, and the third price of a £2,500 scholarship was awarded to Laura Maley from Booth Welsh; Gavin Calder from Weir and Kamil Tomaszewski from Advanced Insulation.

Winners can choose to pursue the executive part-time MBA Oil and Gas Management course which is delivered at RGU’s Garthdee campus, or the online distance learning MBA Oil and Gas Management course which can be studied from anywhere in the world.

Dr Ian Broadbent, Director of the MBA programme at RGU, said: “We designed the Rising Star MBA Award together with the EIC in order to enable innovative, committed and talented individuals to join the internationally recognised and accredited MBA Oil and Gas Management programme at Robert Gordon University.

“We’ve been very impressed with the quality of applications and the judging was extremely difficult this year! We very much look forward to welcoming the award winners onto the programme in January.”

Stuart Broadley, CEO of the EIC, said: “We’re proud to once again work with RGU to find the industry’s next rising star. Ben Richardson is already doing fantastic work at Alpha Process Controls. This on the ground, practical experience, combined with RGU’s world leading MBA in Oil and Gas Management, will ensure he fulfils his full potential and, I’m in doubt, become one of the industry’s leaders of tomorrow."