Paul Humphreys

Why did you choose to study Management Sciences at Loughborough University?

I love crunching data to make fact-based decisions and that’s basically what Management Sciences is. I chose Loughborough because I felt connected to the campus as soon as I arrived. It’s hard to explain, but after visiting Loughborough, I didn’t need to go to another open day.

How has Loughborough University inspired and helped you to progress in your career?

At Loughborough University I was surrounded by inspirational people. To single one person out, Dr Dave Coates inspired me to take risks and break away from conventional wisdom. I now consider him a friend, and he continues to help and inspire me.

Would there be one piece of advice that you would give to current or prospective students looking to study the same subject that you did?

Employers are looking for people with excellent quantitative skills. Use your time at university to develop them. Also, if you’re interested in starting a business, make sure you choose relevant modules as they are really helpful.

Did you take part in any extracurricular activities during your studies? If so, how did this impact upon your Loughborough experience?

Yes a whole range – from sport, church, business, to real ale. It’s great, the main problem at Loughborough is that you’re spoilt for choice!

Can you tell us about your career journey so far?

Cummins Power Generation – Graduate Scheme
I did two years in various roles within the Global Finance team. This was a great insight into how a large corporation works. It was also a steep learning curve.

Studio-40 – Business Development Manager
This is where I learnt about digital marketing – SEO, PPC, social media and Google Analytics. This too was a varied role which involved sales, project management as well as hands-on digital marketing.

Loughborough University – Enterprise Lecturer
I work with the Glendonbrook Centre for Enterprise Education, delivering lectures on a number of modules including enterprise technology, business planning for new ventures, and entrepreneurship and innovation management.

What made you decide to set up StudentCrowd?

Because life-changing decisions should be better informed. Students need help from other students to pick the best university, course, hall, bank, house, part-time job, placement etc.

How does it help prospective and current students across the country?

Students like to read reviews before making decisions. Just like with TripAdvisor® and Amazon®, this works best on an independent platform. In 2017, StudentCrowd is on track to help over one million students to make decisions.

What challenges have you had to overcome to make StudentCrowd a success?

Many! We conduct lots of experiments – some pass and some fail. It’s important for us to learn quickly and to take on the most important challenges.

Have Loughborough Enterprise colleagues helped with your business?

Yes – with ideas, encouragement, MBA projects, speaking with students and regular coffees.

What do you enjoy most about teaching enterprise at the University?

I enjoy making it practical by teaching skills that students can use in interviews, jobs or running their own businesses.

What does the future hold for you?

Growing StudentCrowd. We have a vision to help over two million students in 2018. We have many more aspirations for the platform which should keep us pretty busy for many years to come!