Jenny Turner

"My career has spanned over two decades, mostly in professional services. After completing a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Geography, my initial roles were as an environmental scientist and hydrogeologist. In my late 20s, I found my strengths were more in managing teams, and leading people to deliver client projects, so my focus shifted to project management.  This took me to some interesting corners of the world – I managed large field investigations and civil engineering projects in Canada, Senegal, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. 

"Returning to NZ in 2012, I joined the professional services firm Beca. In 2016 I moved away from client-facing project management roles and into a corporate role to refine Beca’s project management culture. I became Head of Delivery Practice, leading a team responsible for improving delivery processes and systems for Beca’s 4,000+ staff and developing engaging learning and development programmes for project managers and directors, and building a support network across the company.

"During this time, I learned a lot about agile ways of working, leadership, change management, innovation, and modern adult learning. I completed my MBA while in this role, before venturing out in early 2024 to start my own company."

"I had wanted to complete a master’s since completing my first degree in 2001, and given my focus on business and ambition to attain significant leadership positions, I had decided that a Masters in Business Administration was the right degree for me. I initially enquired about an MBA in 2008, but decided I needed more career experience to get the most out of it.  I then thought I might pick away at it on maternity leave with my first child in 2015, but the child had other ideas! By 2022, my work-life balance was such that I could consider taking on this challenge, finally. 

"I knew the connections made through the degree would stay with me for a lifetime, so I felt it was important to complete the MBA in the city you intend to work in for the next stage of your career. The University of Auckland had a great reputation, and the quality of the degree was important to me. I reviewed the topics covered and the learning outcomes, and felt it was a good fit for my needs. Lastly, I liked that I could start the MBA full time, but there was the flexibility to drop to part time if the workload proved too much."

"Firstly, the rich knowledge - I have gained a deep understanding of modern business management practices and leadership approaches, an understanding of how this has changed over time, great frameworks to apply in practice, and the intelligence to know when and how to apply them. I enjoyed all the references and articles for the things we talked about. 

"Secondly, the diversity of perspectives - I have really enjoyed hearing from the diverse professionals around the room on topics such as the value of Te Ao Maori in business, how different companies are fostering innovation, industry ecosystems and how they really work, what the culture is like in different companies and industries, different generational perspectives on work, and how ways of working vary. This stuff is often not written anywhere, and it is real gold to gain an appreciation of! 

"Thirdly, the people - It's a cliche, but it is true - I really have gained friends for life, and created fantastic professional connections that I know I can rely on to call whenever I have a question or need a favor in future. In a small country like NZ, this is really valuable! 

"Lastly, investing in myself – I reignited my love of learning."

"When I started the MBA, I intended to apply my newfound knowledge in leadership roles at my employer at the time, Beca. But as the MBA progressed through the last 6 months, I had exposure to more start-ups and entrepreneurial ventures, and this really ignited something in me. I felt right at home in this business start-up culture, and the MBA had given me the skills and confidence to take the leap and try something new. 

"At the same time, my work-life balance had become unsustainable, and the needs of our children were changing, and so it made sense for either my husband or I to try a new type of role where we had more control over when and where we worked. And I now had the drive and knowledge to start my own business.

"In my final project I had worked in a team to develop a market entry strategy for a product-focused company, and I really enjoyed the challenge of entering or creating new markets. The courses around innovation ecosystems and market shaping also got me thinking about what sorts of markets had not yet been created, in NZ or globally, and I started to look for unmet customer needs everywhere. The tipping point was the course on women and entrepreneurialism, where we had to pitch a business idea in the diversity and inclusion space. My teammate and I chose to focus on the unmet needs of those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in NZ and fleshed out a business idea related to that.    

"The reason why the needs of ADHDers was close to my heart, was because over the course of the MBA, I had been diagnosed with ADHD, as had my two children. I discovered that there was very little psychosocial support to help people to understand what ADHD is, to appreciate how their brain wiring is influencing how they think, feel, and act, and to be empowered with strategies to harness their exceptional strengths more consistently, and mitigate some of their challenges. I applied my new research skills and delved deeply into understanding ADHD, and neurodiversity more broadly. The more I learned, the more I wanted to share with others who were missing this vital knowledge! 

"Human Fabric emerged from a combination of my lived experiences with ADHD, desk research into neurodiversity, and my professional expertise in leadership and organisational development. I realised there was a significant gap in support for neurodivergent individuals in professional environments and an untapped potential for organisations to harness these unique strengths. Human Fabric is my way of bridging this gap, offering coaching, education, and consulting services to create environments where diverse teams can truly thrive."

"My advice is to approach the MBA as an opportunity for personal transformation, not just knowledge gain. The relationships you build, the insights you get from working alongside others with such diverse backgrounds, and the experiences you gain can be as valuable as the coursework itself. 

"It is a big undertaking and requires a high level of effort sustained over a long period of time, so you have to really be hungry for the growth and know why you are doing it. Keep that in mind to stay motivated, but also remain open to new ideas and directions. Your 'why' at the beginning might be a different 'why' at the end. 

"Finally, don’t be afraid to be your authentic self in the program – sharing your unique experiences and perspectives will enrich your learning and those of your peers."