The last weeks have been very transitional for us Fellows, which explains the slight dip in the number of blogs of late. When our externships in the U.S came to an end in March we packed our bags, said goodbye to the U.S and returned home to our loved ones ... for a few days anyway. We then spent the following weeks at a resort in Cumbernauld, studying with professors from Babson College, networking with companies and high growth advisors across Scottish sectors.  We were very fortunate to have some fantastic guest speakers; including Bob Keiller of PSN, Colin Burns from Elmwood and John Anderson of the Entrepreneurial Exchange, and worked on a business challenge from Jim McColl of Clyde Blowers. The support we’ve received since our return has been inspirational and a great boost to our return home.

We have now all started the fourth stage of the programme, which involves working with small to medium sized Scottish enterprises (SME’s).  This time around we will all be working individually but its save to say we will be supporting each other every step of the way.

For the next three months I will be working with Ciqual, an Edinburgh based leader in mobile broadband customer service solutions. Ciqual drive exceptional mobile broadband performance and customer service through innovative, real-time monitoring and analysis of the end user experience. My role is to explore the opportunities within Social Media and, in the coming months, launch a well-targeted Social Media campaign.

The transition from a Liberty Mutual to Ciqual within weeks has been incredible. It represents adapting from life with a multinational company to an aspirational one, from insurance to telecommunications and software.  Already the difference in culture is acute. While my first day at Liberty Mutual meant an induction session, signing contracts, lunch and a tour of the building, my first day at Ciqual involved a crash course in mobile broadband analysis with immediate focus on the deliverables for the next three months. In a company of twenty, the impact of each team member sends waves across the organisation and every minute counts. It’s safe to say there’ll be little sleep for us Fellows in the coming months and rest assured, we’re keen to deliver the goods once again.