James Tesar
International Management
1. Tell us about yourself.
Hi, I’m James and I’m a former ARU student. I studied International Management in Cambridge, and I also had a study abroad semester at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
I graduated in 2015 and then joined a graduate scheme here in the UK at utilities company, Thames Water. My first ever role was in their customer services function, responding in person to high priority complaints sent to the company’s executive team.
I then had the opportunity to join their Brand & Marketing function ahead of a major refresh of their brand’s visual identity. It was a great introduction to the marketing world and after a year in that team, I decided that it was a great career path to pursue.
I then moved on to a Brand Strategy and Management role at Legal & General in the financial services sector. This allowed me to broaden out my experience and I met some great people along the way.
After starting my career in bigger businesses, I then made the move to a homeownership start-up called Wayhome. I took the brand through a rename, rebrand, product launch and company fundraising round, eventually becoming their Head of Marketing. They were four fast-paced and exciting years!
My current role is at HSBC and I sit within their Global Communications team, delivering creative campaigns that drive attention and customer consideration for the bank all over the world. It’s a brand I really wanted to work for when I was studying, so it’s been great to achieve that goal.
2. What is your fondest memory of Anglia Ruskin University?
Meeting people from lots of other countries. I made some amazing friends through my time in both Cambridge and Montreal.
3. What has been your favourite job?
My time at Wayhome, where I got to create a brand from the ground up is a big highlight. It was great to launch the product to the market and then see the business grow from strength to strength.
If you’re like me and you love seeing the outcomes of your hard work, then a job at a start-up or smaller business is a great environment to experience and learn from.
4. In one word, how would you describe Anglia Ruskin University?
International.
5. How did your time at ARU help you?
It was the perfect place for me to discover what I wanted to do with my career. The course modules were really diverse, and I had some incredibly supportive lecturers.
I’ll give a special mention to the study abroad scheme, which was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in life. It gave me so much confidence and memories that I’ll never forget.
6. What did you love about your chosen course?
It was great for giving you a well-rounded view of different business disciplines. From economics to marketing, it was the ideal course for someone like me who didn’t know which direction to take their career in when I started my degree.
7. What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?
Be honest with yourself about what you’re genuinely interested in. The best roles I’ve had are always the ones where I’d happily talk about my job outside of work!
8. What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst studying?
I’d have done more research earlier about the different ways that you can start your career. I had no idea that graduate schemes existed until I applied for one, but I was lucky that it all worked out. It was such a great way to jump into the working world and move between different teams.
9. Who was the biggest influence on career?
My former manager (and now good friend!) who I worked with at Legal & General. She taught me so much, gave me lots of confidence to take on new responsibilities and created a supportive environment where I could learn from my mistakes.
10. What advice would you give your younger self?
Being the first to listen and the last to speak can be incredibly powerful. It gives you the time to learn from others, but also to add lots of value to the conversation.
11. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I used to be a sprinter when I was a teenager and ran the 100 meters in 11.5 seconds. I’m far, far slower these days…
12. What’s next?
In the very short-term, a meeting!
Further out, I’m hoping to deliver some exciting campaigns at work while also leaving plenty of time for travelling. Mexico is the next big trip in the diary for 2026.