The Open University Business School (OUBS) celebrates the exceptional achievements of its high calibre students and alumni annually.

The awards are held to commend some of the highest achieving students from the past academic year, and alumni members who have made an outstanding contribution to an organisation or society.

Meet our winners and find out about their OU stories. Congratulations to all of them!

The 2021/22 Student and Alumni Awards

Thomas Vogt

MBA Student of the Year 2021

Aaron Mark

MBA Dissertation of the Year 2021

Stephanie Fordham 

MSc Human Resource Management, Student of the Year 2021

Marja Hennessy

MSc Human Resource Management, Dissertation of the Year 2021

Jill Taneishi-Reynolds

MSc Finance Student of the Year 2021

Stuart Clegg 

MSc Finance Dissertation of the Year 2021

Sarah Cope 

BA (Honours) Leadership & Management Student of the Year 2021

Hooi Emery 

BA (Honours) Business Management Student of the Year 2021

Hannah Calver 

Professional Certificate in Management Student of the Year 2021

Jonathan Key 

SLMDA Student of the Year 2021

Richard Ingram 

SLMDA Dissertation of the Year 2021

Celia Morris

Alumni of the Year 2022

Gordon MacKay

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2022

Phillip Prosser

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2022

I would never have got where I am without the great opportunities that became available to me as a result of my Open University Business School studies and the encouragement of some great tutors.

Celia Morris
Alumni of the Year 2022

The 2020/21 Student and Alumni Awards

Janina Bethscheider

MBA Student of the Year 2020

Keira Poland

MBA Dissertation of the Year 2020

Dr Kate Hammond

MSc Human Resource Management, Student of the Year 2020

Tanja Williams-Gaston

MSc Human Resource Management, Dissertation of the Year 2020

Dr Antonio Jose Meireles Ribeiro

MSc Finance Student of the Year 2020

Lloyd Morgan

MSc Finance Dissertation of the Year 2020

Eve Grisenthwaite

BA (Honours) Leadership & Management Student of the Year 2020

Bryan Steinauer 

BA (Honours) Business Management Student of the Year 2020

Grant Cooper

Professional Certificate in Management Student of the Year 2020

My studies have already helped me secure a great new role and I am really proud of my MSc as I apply my knowledge on a daily basis and feel it is contributing positively to my organisation’s success.

Tanja Williams-Gaston
MSc Human Resource Management, Dissertation of the Year 2020

David Monk

Alumni of the Year 2021

Ahmed El-Hamaky

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2021

Sara Vermeulen-Anastasi

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2021

The MBA is recognised globally and will open up doors that you never knew existed. My qualification and study experience have helped me to achieve senior management positions in the NHS at a much earlier age than most of my peers. It has also led to a national clinical leadership position with the UKs leading first aid charity.

David Monk
Alumni of the Year 2021

The 2019/20 Student and Alumni Awards

Timothy O’Donovan

MBA Student of the Year 2019

Joe Finucane

MBA Dissertation of the Year 2019

Melanie Robinson

MSc Human Resource Management Student of the Year and Dissertation of the Year

John Gibson

MSc in Finance, Dissertation of the Year

Lawrence Arnell

BA (Hons) Business Studies Student of the Year

Kate Brookes

Professional Certificate in Accounting Student of the Year

Rebecca Pooley

Professional Certificate in Management Student of the Year

If you're committed to changing your life by doing something you love, then study with the OU Business School. It's not just a qualification, it's a way of life. The skills you learn will be with you forever.

Melanie Robinson
MSc Human Resource Management Student of the Year and Dissertation of the Year 2019

Maggie Miller

Alumni of the Year 2020

Mike Redford

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2020

Astrid Bessler

Alumni of the Year Achievement Award - Highly Commended 2020

Having left full-time education at 18, the OU MBA gave me the knowledge and confidence to build my career in multinational organisations in the UK and the US. I owe the OU a huge debt of gratitude for my success. Receiving this award makes me even more grateful to the incredible staff and academics of this organisation that I’m so proud to be associated with.

Maggie Miller
Alumni of the Year 2020