The Henley Experience: Dean’s Excellence Award for best performing student in Business Management 2024-25

Hannah Hills, Henley Business School graduate, shares with us her testimonial after receiving the Dean's Award Prize Nomination at our winter graduation ceremony, December of 2025. 

Hannah's Henley Experience:

"Completing my Master’s in International HRM at Henley Business School challenged me in ways I did not initially expect. At the start of the year, I felt apprehensive and overwhelmed by new theories, unfamiliar concepts, and the academic expectations of postgraduate study. However, as the year progressed, I gained knowledge and approached coursework with growing confidence.

A defining feature of my year was balancing studies alongside competitive rowing. I joined a local rowing club early in the programme, and it became integral to my overall journey. Training alongside my academic commitments demanded careful time management, discipline, and prioritisation. Early mornings on the water and long training sessions were balanced with lectures, group work, and independent study. While challenging, rowing provided structure to my week and valuable downtime away from studying. This proved crucial during particularly intense periods, including competing at both Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta while completing my final summer assessments and final project.

Henley Business School offers numerous opportunities to apply learning beyond the classroom. One highlight was the Athens consultancy trip, where we worked as a team to deliver strategic recommendations to a real client. This experience strengthened my confidence in applying HR and business theory to real-world challenges, while remaining culturally aware and delivering a clear, concise presentation with maximum impact. A further highlight was the applied project in people management. This allowed me to explore an HR topic I found particularly engaging, applying theory to a contemporary business issue. This was a rewarding experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed the research process. My project, titled “Rebuilding Trust: HR’s Influence on Post-Maternity Career Continuity through the Lens of the Psychological Contract: An Exploratory Study of MBA Alumni Women,” enabled me to conduct meaningful interviews and gain first-hand insights into the experiences of women returning to work after maternity leave, highlighting the important role of HR in rebuilding trust and supporting career continuity.

Achieving a Distinction in my final project and gaining CIPD-accredited Associate membership were milestones I am extremely proud of. However, receiving the Dean’s Excellence Award for best performing student in Business Management 2024-25, came as more of a surprise. It meant a great deal to receive recognition that reflected not only the effort I put into my studies, but also the genuine enjoyment and engagement I found in the programme. It felt like a meaningful acknowledgement of both academic commitment and personal growth.

Henley has shaped my future in lasting ways. I leave with a strong foundation in HR and broader business knowledge, a deep appreciation for teamwork, and the confidence to work with people from diverse backgrounds. Most importantly, I leave with a strengthened sense of curiosity - the drive to keep learning, questioning, and developing. These are values I will carry forward into my career and beyond.

You can follow Hannah's professional journey on Linkedin here.