2015 Winner & Finalists for the Ninth Scholarship

2015 Winner and Finalists headshots 2


Lily Rattray

Winner Ninth Cranfield Australian Alumni Scholarship

Quality Assurance Manager – Flowerdale Farm 

Lily has grown up working in a family business that has been a leading innovator in intensive indoor farming for 40 years. Flowerdale Farm was the first company to commercially farm alfalfa in Australia, they have since introduced more than 200 other new products to market and now grow a range of sprouts, shoots, leaves, herbs, Australian native plants, baby vegetables, microgreens and edible flowers that make foodies quiver with excitement.

A natural entrepreneur herself, Lily started her first business at the age of 8, and has since founded a number of food-related businesses; it seems Lily has an unquenchable enthusiasm for agriculture and food. She is a talented cook and gardener and passionate about growing, using and promoting fresh Australian produce.

Lily has a solid education in scientific research methods and has applied her knowledge effectively to develop innovative new growing methods and improve production efficiencies.

Lily’s combined skill set of entrepreneurship, scientific research ability, and food safety management put her in a perfect position to help Australia take advantage of a massive food export market. Lily is passionate about the future of Australian farming, and the future of world food production.


Paul Lamprecht

Finalist, awarded an Outstanding Candidate Fees Bursary by Cranfield School of Management

Occupational Health and Safety Manager – Downer Group 

Paul is a trained occupational therapist working in the Australian mining explosives industry as an occupational, health and safety manager. Prior to studying occupational therapy at James Cook University Townsville, he worked in frontline behaviour management at Education Queensland in Brisbane north, working with young people at risk. In 2013, he volunteered in an Indigenous community in the Kimberley for six weeks, establishing the foundations for a Men’s Shed. He has coached volleyball for many years, working with players of all ages and levels.The most interesting location he has coached was with the Australian Junior Team playing in Isfahan Iran, against Iran.

Paul’s passion is establishing healthy and harmonious workplaces. In particular, he enjoys working within large organisations establishing education and support structures, for those with mental health conditions, increasing productivity and effectiveness. He has a travelled, camped and surfed widely throughout Australia, most recently circumnavigating the country with his partner Tim.


Claire Dyason

Finalist, awarded an Outstanding Candidate Fees Bursary by Cranfield School of Management

Environmental Consultant – Origin Energy 

Claire grew up on a mixed farming operation in northern New South Wales and after graduating from the University of Queensland in Environmental Management, for the past 8 years has worked in the natural resource management field in Australia and overseas.

Claire’s first role post-graduation was in remote outback Queensland with Australia’s largest beef cattle producer as Rangeland Coordinator. After three years of cattle station life Claire relocated to the UK and worked as a consultant assisting farmers and small-scale developers in Scotland to erect wind turbines.

Claire returned to Australia in late 2011 and spent three years in the environmental team on the Australia Pacific LNG project with Origin Energy. Claire’s broad experience in the environmental discipline has exposed her to a variety of industries and underpins her desire to continue working in the field focusing on the agricultural sector, where her passion lies.

Claire is very excited to be part of the Cranfield MBA program and is looking forward not only to the academic challenge but the networking and personal growth benefits that the SoM offers.


Martin Courland

Finalist, awarded an Outstanding Candidate Fees Bursary by Cranfield School of Management

Senior Analyst, Strategy & Planning – Reserve Bank of Australia 

Martin is a creative, energetic individual who thoroughly enjoys working with people. He was born in South Africa and immigrated to Sydney at the age of seven. He attended Sydney Boys High School and studied Information Systems at the University of New South Wales. He has solid experience in financial services, including working for some of the biggest retail banks in Australia. Martin has focussed much of his career in business analysis, with a recent move into a strategy role. Martin has spent over thirteen years studying and teaching internal martial arts in both Australia and in Asia. He is very motivated contribute to a society where people are more fulfilled – and seeks to use his experiences to benefit others in future. Martin is very keen to experience the full time MBA at Cranfield. He sees it as an opportunity to expand his self-awareness, forge lasting relationships and enable him to reach his full potential in life.


Alex Gleeson

Finalist, awarded an Outstanding Candidate Fees Bursary by Cranfield School of Management

Senior Treasury Analyst, Fiscal Discipline and Social Services Unit – Queensland Treasury and Trade 

Alex is a consultant and project manager, with experience in Australia, Europe and the United States in both public and private sectors.  Although initially a management consultant focussed on post-merger integrations, he has spent the last two years working in the Queensland Government, leading projects that focus on organisational development, process improvement and social services reform. This exposure cultivated a passion for the public service and for service delivery reform that he hopes to compliment with the Cranfield MBA to effectively address the challenges facing the sector.

Outside of work, Alex is an avid sportsman and traveller, having received a Blue while studying law at the University of Oxford.  When feeling less energetic, Alex enjoys a good film or book and is a keen conversationalist.