Helen Foley, 29, studied for her sales and marketing qualification while working full-time

MARKETING executive Helen Foley has scored the highest mark in the North East in her professional exams.

The 29-year-old from Gosforth in Newcastle, studied for the CIM Professional Certificate with the North East Sales and Marketing Academy (NESMA) last year and has learned she got two As and two Bs.

Foley, a marketing executive for The School of the Built and Natural Environment, at Northumbria University, said: “Studying with NESMA helped me gain an in-depth understanding to the theory behind marketing practice which I now feel I can apply to any situation and in any industry.

“Completing a qualification on top of a full-time job was a challenge, but the experiences I had with NESMA made it a whole lot more enjoyable and I am very glad I chose to complete it within the year.”

NESMA is based in the North East and runs marketing programmes at all levels from introductory certificate through to the post-graduate diploma in marketing which can help lead to a chartered marketer status.

Programme director Veronica Swindale said: “We are delighted that Helen has secured this prestigious award. It recognises the hard work that she has put in to her studies on top of her full-time job.”

Another Nesma member Jeanette Henderson, of Middlesbrough won Top Student Award 2011 for the Durham and Tees Valley CIM branch for her results on the CIM Introductory Certificate programme.