Matthew Cooper has been an All Black and is currently a CEO with a six million dollar budget, but as the head of Sport Waikato, he decided he needed to get some formal qualifications next to his name.

So he enrolled for Waikato Management School's Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies - also known as Part One of the MBA.

"What really sold me was the Management School’s reputation. I knew I’d be challenged and that what I learnt in the lecture theatre would be applicable at work," says Matthew.

"Papers covered the whole gamut of management disciplines – economics and finance, strategy, human resources and communication, and the content can easily be adapted to your own working environment."

"The other thing is the people you meet. We were a mixed bunch who brought a variety of perspectives to class. We were forced to test your own thinking, and learned to think more broadly."

At Sport Waikato, Matthew oversees a team of 70 staff, who are tasked with getting and keeping the people of the Waikato and Coromandel regions active; all 382,000 of them.

“I think my decision to study sent a strong signal to staff – that you can never stop learning. So I hope they’ll be motivated to stick their hands up and take advantage of any professional development opportunities that come their way.”

Matthew completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies in two years, and graduated in 2012.