Mathew Denny began his studies with Open Polytechnic in 2020, first completing the NZ Diploma in Business, and now working towards the Bachelor of Applied Management.
Career-wise, he spent nine years working in the specialty coffee and hospitality management sector, saying he loves the connection and ritual that coffee brings to people. More recently, Mathew has taken up a role as a human resource advisor/administrator in an organisation with just under 50 employees.
Studying 2-3 courses a trimester alongside work and enjoying being a new Dad, Mathew says “I chose the Open Polytechnic based on the flexibility it allowed for me to continue my lifelong journey of study, while also working and having other commitments.”
With an interest in management, Mathew focused on working his way up into the frontline of business and getting into a leadership role and that ultimately helped drive his decision to study. In the early years of his management experience Mathew says he felt that he could wing it. “Some might call that situational leadership. In retrospect I look back on some of the decisions or conflicts in managing teams of people and think ‘wow I wish I had tried this approach’. I think I always knew I was going to come back to study, but I wanted to do the reverse approach and go get the work experience before hitting tertiary study.”
Joining the Student Advisory Group in November 2020, Mathew says “I hope to contribute a voice of experience, so that decisions may be guided with the knowledge of possible unintended consequences.”