Derby graduate named Chartered Management Institute Student Ambassador of the Year

A University of Derby graduate has been named as the Chartered Management Institute’s (CMI) inaugural Student Ambassador of the Year.

Danielle Keeling, who graduated from Derby with a first class honours degree in Business Management in 2018, received her award at a ceremony in London on Wednesday in recognition of her role as the University’s CMI student ambassador while studying here.

The CMI has been at the forefront of helping companies develop leadership and management excellence for more than 60 years, and is the only awarding body to offer qualifications with chartered management status.

Having chosen to study at Derby because the degree course was accredited by the Institute, Danielle also launched and chaired a Student CMI Board, and helped other institutions to set up their own ambassador schemes.

She joined the East Midlands Regional CMI Board while still at university and maximised the opportunities her links with the Institute gave her for networking with businesses across the region.

Gaining that experience while still a student impressed international accountancy and business support firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) to offer Danielle a permanent position in Birmingham soon after graduating.

Danielle also qualified for a Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership upon graduation and was made an associate member of the CMI.

She is still working with the Institute and looks forward to continuing her involvement and professional development with the organisation.

"There is no doubt that my involvement with the CMI ambassador scheme helped me to secure my dream role within just a few weeks of finishing university," said Danielle

“I am very proud of what I have achieved whilst being a CMI Student Ambassador and I thoroughly enjoy sharing my experiences in an effort to support both new and existing ambassadors throughout the Midlands and the rest of the country."

Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby, said: “I am absolutely delighted for Danielle. This honour reflects her determination to get the most from her Business Management degree at the University of Derby.

“By engaging with the CMI as fully as she has, she has demonstrated how our students can take a bold multi-dimensional approach to their studies: raising her profile within the industry through networking and enhancing her employability. It is an outstanding example of how students can take full advantage of the opportunities open to them.”

You can read more about Danielle’s role as a CMI Student Ambassador at Derby.