Mary Ajekiigbe named second recipient of the Ian Harper AO Scholarship for Excellence
After six years auditing oil and gas in Nigeria, Mary is just weeks into her MBA and already thinking about how to help smaller energy companies turn to renewables.
It started as an ordinary day. Mary Ajekiigbe was coming home from work when she missed a call from Professor Jenny George, Dean of Melbourne Business School.
“I'm like, oh my God,” Mary said. “If Jenny wants to call me, it has to be something positive.”
When Mary called back, Professor George told her she had been awarded the Ian Harper AO Scholarship for Excellence, covering the full tuition for her Full-time MBA.
“When I heard 'you've been awarded,' I didn't hear anything else she was saying. I was extremely excited,” she said.
For the rest of the day, Mary was dancing. “I'm into music and I love to dance,” she said. “You could see the excitement in me all through that day.”
Awarded on merit, the scholarship supports an international Full-time MBA candidate who shows academic excellence and exceptional management qualities to study at Melbourne Business School, in recognition of its former Dean, Professor Ian Harper AO.
Mary is the second person to be awarded the scholarship, following inaugural recipient Navneet Badhan Singh in 2025.
From oil and gas to renewables
A chartered accountant who graduated with first-class honours in her accounting degree, Mary comes to Melbourne with more than six years of experience as an auditor in Nigeria's oil and gas industry. At Hyde Energy Limited, her work focused on reducing risk and improving operations and processes within the industry.
By studying an MBA, Mary is hoping to use her experience to pivot towards renewable energy.
“There is a new vibe in renewable energy,” she said. “I realised that I could bring my problem-solving experience into helping sustainability.”
Eventually, Mary hopes to build her own consulting firm helping smaller oil and gas companies move into the renewable sector. Her plan is to start back home in Nigeria and then take it global.
“I want to be at the intersection of business and community,” Mary said.
One of the reasons Mary wanted to study at Melbourne Business School was because of its strong focus on sustainability.
“Melbourne Business School has the Sustainable Value Creation Institute where you can do all of this and have practical experience, and that really attracted me,” she said.
Already in the classroom
Mary is only a few weeks into living in Australia and studying her MBA, but she’s already learning vital skills for the future. One of her first modules is business strategy, which she says is a core skillset to work as a strategy consultant.
“The quality of professors that Melbourne has and the quality of educational resources that are made accessible is outstanding,” she said.
The cohort has made an impression on her too.
“Everybody is eager to learn from your experience, and you're also eager to engage with them,” she said.
Mary plans to take electives in renewable energy so she can test what she learns against real-world challenges.
Outside the classroom, she’s excited to explore Melbourne’s famous live music and food scenes.
“Melbourne is beautiful; it's a beautiful city,” she said. “I've met people with different cultures, and I'm hoping to meet more people, learn about your culture, and also explore the wonderful things that Melbourne has to offer.”
A scholarship built by alumni for a new generation
The Ian Harper AO Scholarship for Excellence honours its namesake, a former Dean of Melbourne Business School and one of Australia's most influential economists.
In December 2023, the School launched a fund to carry Professor Harper's legacy forward, and its alumni community responded. Enough has been raised to support a Full-time MBA scholarship for international students in 2025, 2026 and 2027.
For Mary, she’s thankful for the opportunity.
“I don't have to think about the tuition,” she said. “That takes away a lot of stress, and I just focus on my education.”
And when asked about her advice for future scholarship applicants?
“Put yourself out there. Just dare to do it, and it's possible.”
To contribute to the Ian Harper Scholarship for Excellence, visit our Giving page.
To find out more about studying at Melbourne Business School, visit our Degree Programs and Short Courses pages, or learn about our range of services For Organisations.
