He and his wife Eve, whose career was in financial training, decided to enrol on a distance-learning MBA from Henley Management College. The course lasted over three years, in parallel with their jobs and lives. “In many ways, it was easier for us both to do the MBA,” says David. “It can be a real bonus to share the ups and downs of the course with a soulmate who appreciates what the other is going through. This meant that we avoided the tension points that many couples experience where the non-studying partner can feel neglected.

We were able to share ideas and work out problems together, bringing our different areas of expertise and perspectives to the course content.”According to David, Eve was the motivating force behind applying. “However, I suspect it was dogged determination and fear of failure that ensured we both completed the course,” he comments Eve adds: “The moral support element was crucial. I probably would have faltered if David hadn’t been there for me.” The Bristows admit to a spirit of friendly competition in completing assignments on time so as not to lag behind their partner. “Thankfully for the sake of our marriage, our final marks were identical,” David reflects.Part-time MBAs call for a more intensive commitment of time.

This in turn means that couples embarking on the same course have to be highly tuned to the other’s needs. Four months into the two-year Cranfield executive part-time MBA, Sophie Wildsmith, then a research director for a pharmaceutical company, discovered that she was pregnant. It was during his time at the latter that he began to harbour dangerous thoughts about his subject. He’s hoping that Britain’s oldest university will give him the chance to spread the word about how MBA graduates should view marketing in the future.”The kind of work I do is on the margins in the US,” Dr Holt says.