Meet the winner: CMI’s International Student of the Year

The annual CMI Awards of Excellence present a fascinating opportunity to see just how far our management community reaches – in terms of both geography and expertise. The winner of this year’s International Student of the Year Award, celebrated at our recent President’s Dinner, illustrates that perfectly. 

We were delighted to give the prize to Nikhil Theva Raj, who is currently completing an MBA with Sunway University in Malaysia. Nikhil also serves as the skills industry partnership manager at Film London, where he leads workforce strategy, industry partnerships and sustainable talent development across the UK screen sector.  

The International Student of the Year Award celebrates learners outside the UK who have joined CMI-accredited courses and shown commitment to their development as future leaders. By studying hard to understand the value of management and leadership – and picking up invaluable practical tools and techniques – they are preparing themselves to guide the workforce through a host of new challenges and opportunities. 

Supporting the next generation

Nikhil is a worthy winner. He has a background as a freelance production manager in high-end film and TV, where his credits include major projects with Universal Pictures, Amazon, Sky and the BBC. He already brings strong commercial insight and governance-led decision-making to complex, high-pressure environments; he’s now using his studies to further strengthen his ability in strategy, finance and ethical leadership – and to make himself a better mentor. All of which resonates perfectly with CMI’s own values.

“I’m passionate about upskilling emerging talent and fostering inclusive, sustainable production practices,” he said. “I deliver masterclasses in production management, producing and career sustainability – bridging industry practice with business insight to support the next generation of screen professionals.”

Transformative leadership

As part of his studies, Nikhil has earned a CMI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice. He reflected how the qualification has “deepened my ability to lead with confidence and accountability, embedding reflective practice, evidence-based decision-making and long-term organisational thinking into my leadership approach”.

It’s clearly working. Our judges described Nikhil as a “transformative leader” with a perfect academic record, commending him for his intellectual rigour and practical impact in the film industry. They were also impressed by his values-driven leadership, specifically his work in designing workforce development programmes and championing parent-inclusive practices. They concluded that Nikhil is a “model of applied, values-based learning”.