Article: “The self-belief Chartered Manager status has given me is fantastic” Written by Beth Gault Thursday 09 October 2025 Share Share to LinkedIn Share to Facebook Share via email Andrew Fox-Russell CMgr FCMI, our Chartered Manager of the Week, is a former incident officer and a current MBA student. He shares how accreditation has enhanced his career After doing various jobs early in his working life, Andrew Fox-Russell CMgr FCMI wanted to build a career for himself. He took an entry-level role in a regional water supplier and gradually worked his way up to manager level. “I sold myself well,” says Andrew. “But that was my first experience of managing people, and unfortunately I didn’t have any training.” His approach? “Trying to manage people how I would like and expect to be managed myself.” After a period of restructuring and redundancies, Andrew progressed to a team manager position. Suddenly, he was responsible for 600,000 customers. This, he says, was a big challenge. Are you a Chartered Manager with a story to tell? We’re always on the lookout for inspiring stories from our community of Chartered Managers. You could feature in an article on our website and member newsletter. Contact us “There was very low morale, and I spent my time trying to have team meetings, getting people together and building relationships again, as your people are so important,” says Andrew. “I did that role for quite a few years, but as happens in business, things evolved.” Dyslexia and studying for a business degree This evolution meant different roles and changes in responsibilities and reporting lines. Andrew realised he wasn’t quite challenging himself anymore. “I’d been in middle-management roles for ten years and I wanted to push on, which led me to the decision to study,” he says. At first, he opted for a business degree course at the Open University, completing the stepping stone Certificate of Higher Education in Business. As Andrew is dyslexic, it felt like a significant achievement. While studying, he realised he wasn’t happy in his role, so he reassessed his priorities. He decided to take a 12-month sabbatical to recharge and spend time with his family. However, a family member became ill and passed away, which caused Andrew to stop studying and reflect on what was important to him. “I found out that I could do an MBA based on experience,” says Andrew. “So my wife and I decided to go on an adventure with our two kids and move to Australia, where we could both have the adventure and do the MBA.” Read more: Andrew’s career realisation Login or register below for Free Instant Access Login If you are already registered as a CMI Friend, Subscriber or Member, just login to view this article. Confirm your registration Login below to confirm your details and access this article. Sign in with email Email remember me remember Forget? Please confirm that you want to switch off the "Sign in with email" remember me feature. Yes No Register for Free Access Not yet a Member, Subscriber or Friend? Register as a CMI Friend for free, and get access to this and many other exclusive resources, as well as weekly updates straight to your inbox. You have successfully registered As a CMI Friend, you now have access to whole range of CMI Friendship benefits. Please login to the left to confirm your registration and access the article. Article Our extensive range of articles are designed to keep you in the loop with all the latest management and leadership best practice, research and news. Members See More CMI Members have access to thousands of online learning and CPD resources. Learn more about our membership benefits Join The Community CMI offers a variety of flexible membership solutions, tailored to your needs. Find out more and get involved in the CMI community today.
