You don't have to put your life on hold to study a valuable professional qualification. nesma's flexible approach to learning allows you to grow professionally without sacrificing the things that matter most to you.
As a Senior Marketing Manager, Joe has found that leading marketing teams isn't just about managing tasks—it's about inspiring, motivating, and fostering collaboration. This led him to the CIM Marketing Leadership Programme, a masters level qualification specifically designed to sharpen leadership capabilities and help marketers guide their teams to success.
“It’s been over ten years since completing my CIM Level 6, and it has shown me (again) the importance of continuous learning. Our industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, and it’s vital to sharpen those tools before AI takes over! Seeing some of my suggestions for change over the past 18 months being considered is incredibly rewarding. The CIM Leadership Level 7 qualification is undoubtedly mutually beneficial for both student and employer”.
Joe Bell, Senior Marketing Manager – CRM, Virgin Money
Veronica Swindale, nesma MD, asked Joe how easy it was to commit to this marketing masters level qualification whilst balancing work and personal matters.
How easily did you slip back into a studying mindset?
The training materials provided by nesma were a great resource and helped break down and structure the tasks into smaller chunks. Before starting, I knew the expectations were to complete around nine hours per week, so it was less about getting into the mindset of studying and more about finding the time with work and a busy lifestyle. The great thing about CIM is that it’s directly related to your day-to-day work, so it wasn’t necessarily about learning something new – just how you apply the learning to improve business performance.
How do you think the CIM Level 7 qualification has benefited you?
As I’ve worked in the same role for almost five years, I’ve only focused on developing the skills required day to day. It’s great being a specialist, but this qualification has helped me step back and look at the bigger picture! It’s given me a different perspective on my management and leadership approach. It’s one thing to plan, coordinate and organise teams to deliver, but leadership is about inspiring and developing others – something I’m keen to learn more about.
How do you keep your team innovative and motivated?
Virgin Money is fantastic at supporting employees in achieving CIM qualifications in partnership with nesma. Since my enrolment back in 2022, a further fifteen brand and marketing colleagues have or are in the process of studying for a CIM qualification. Combined with our graduate programme, we value these new skills and the benefits they bring.
We have some fantastic marketers who have worked in financial services and/or Virgin Money for decades. However, seeing what some of our recently qualified colleagues create each week is incredible. We work in an intensely competitive market where challenger banks continue to step up their game; therefore, it’s vital that we invest in our team and continue to be disruptive.
How do you measure your team’s success and evaluate their impact?
You can tell I’m a recent CIM graduate (I’m using a couple of business management models here)! I try to use them in every part of my job.
The PR Smith SOSTAC model helps me focus on business objectives before looking at how we approach things strategically and tactically. Having objectives gives us an aim or purpose and allows us to measure our success.
I use “we” a lot as I think it’s important that individuals are not singled out for performance when a lot of what we do in marketing requires various teams to pull together to achieve the same thing.
We also adopt a test-and-learn culture at Virgin Money, encouraging our team to try new things—even if they don’t work. Sometimes, those small incremental gains can make a massive difference for individual customers and long-term commercial objectives, so we always try to improve to go beyond good enough.
As a graduate, you will be part of the nesma learning community; what else will you do to expand your network?
Enjoying the company of my fellow learners has given me a push to get out and about more. There’s a hive of activity in the North East and a talented group of marketers, which I’m keen to get involved with. The North East Marketing Awards is just one example of the top talent getting together and celebrating success – and it was great to sit with nesma at last year’s awards.
I’m also speaking at a CRM event in London in October—the Think Summit. There’ll be a few hundred marketers listening to what I have to say about my work at Virgin Money, and without my CIM qualification and work with nesma in the last 18 months, I doubt I’d be setting foot on that stage.
And finally, what would you say to your colleagues at Virgin Money about studying with nesma?
Quite simply, it is important to embrace it and make the most of it. It’s one thing to get the qualification for your CV, but another to spend those months/years working hard to learn new things. Balancing everything life throws at you is challenging, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Joe has proven that while the qualification demands a strong level of dedication, you can pace your learning and access tutor support to keep you on track. With time management and motivation, achieving a Level 7 qualification can be manageable and rewarding.
Are you ready to advance your marketing leadership? Contact Jen at 07734 222 254 or email hello@nesma.co.uk.
