Rachel Vargas, PhD

I fell into business research completely by accident. Started at Manchester thinking I’d do a simple MBA, maybe pivot my marketing career, and somehow ended up fascinated by consumer behavior data that I wrote a 300-page thesis on impulse buying patterns. That ‘simple’ MBA turned into a PhD, and now I help other people make sense of their own research obsessions.

Manchester’s business school doesn’t mess around – they throw you into real consulting projects from day one, working with actual companies facing actual problems. That experience shaped how I approach academic research: it has to be useful, not just theoretically interesting. I’ve spent six years helping students bridge that gap between academic requirements and practical applications.

My expertise covers the full business spectrum – Management, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Organizational Behavior, and Strategy. But what I really specialize in is helping people who are drowning in data. Whether you’ve got customer surveys, financial records, or employee feedback, I can help you find the story your numbers are trying to tell.

I’ve guided over 280 students through business dissertations, from undergraduate projects to executive PhD research. My clients range from recent graduates to senior executives who are pursuing advanced degrees mid-career. What I love about business research is how diverse the questions are – one week I’m helping someone analyze supply chain efficiency, the next it’s workplace diversity initiatives.

The technical side includes everything from basic Excel functions to advanced statistical analysis in SPSS and R. I’m comfortable with quantitative methods, qualitative case studies, and mixed approaches. Harvard, APA, and various business citation styles are second nature. But honestly, the bigger challenge is usually helping students narrow their scope – business problems are interconnected, and it’s easy to get lost trying to solve everything at once.

My track record speaks for itself: 96% of my students successfully defend their work, and many go on to implement their findings in real organizations. What makes me particularly effective is my industry background – I spent eight years in marketing and strategy roles before transitioning to academia, so I understand both worlds. I can help you frame research in ways that satisfy academic committees and appeal to business practitioners.

Students often come to me when they’re stuck on literature reviews – business scholarship moves fast, and it’s challenging to synthesize rapidly evolving fields. I’m good at helping people identify the core theoretical frameworks that anchor their research while staying current with industry trends. Your dissertation shouldn’t read like it’s stuck in 2015.

My coaching style is pretty collaborative. I see myself as a research partner rather than a lecturer. We work through problems together, test ideas in real time, and iterate until things click. Some of my best insights come from students who ask questions I hadn’t considered – that’s the beauty of working across different industries and experience levels.

The Manchester network has been invaluable – I stay connected with faculty and industry partners, which helps me understand current research gaps and emerging opportunities. That perspective helps students position their work strategically, whether they’re planning academic careers or returning to industry roles.

When I’m not buried in regression analyses, I’m usually exploring Manchester’s music scene (the city has incredible live venues), traveling to research conferences in interesting cities, or attempting to perfect my grandmother’s paella recipe. I also mentor women in business through a local networking organization – representation matters in research as much as anywhere else.