2015 Best MBAs: Anne-Marie Kruk

Anne-Marie Kruk

London Business School

How do people cope with a medical disorder? Some complain or withdraw. And others – like Anne-Marie Kruk – fight back by launching a an organization to improve the lives of others and building a community around it. Kruk, who has epilepsy, is the founder of Something on the Brain, a non-profit that counters the myths and stigma behind epilepsy. For efforts like these, she was awarded the MBA Star Women of the Future Award. In addition, Kruk served as the president of the Consulting Club and the co-chair of the school’s Corporate Sustainability Conference. She was also a finalist for the Bain Student Impact Award, which honors students who excel in academics, campus involvement, and exemplify campus ideals.

Age: 32

Hometown: Born in Epsom, UK, but did most of my schooling in Canberra

Undergraduate School: University of Sydney/University of Deakin

Undergraduate Degree: University of Deakin

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Head of Marketing: Harvey Nichols Dubai; Advertising/Marketing Manager: Harrods

Where did you intern during the summer of 2014? Commercial Fleet department, Shell, London

Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey, London Office

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I heard how life-changing it was.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working in fashion and moving up the corporate ladder.”

What are your long-term professional goals? I would love to be a CEO for a Fortune 500 company. And once I have made my mark, work on my charity full-time and dedicate myself to philanthropic work.

Favourite Courses: Corporate Finance, Strategy & Business, Government and Society.

Which academic or professional achievements are you most proud of? Most proud of starting a charity by myself, building a network through website and social media channels. The recognition of winning the Women of the Future Award (MBA Star) for my charity work was one of my proudest moments.

Who would you most want to thank for your success (and why)? My parents. They have always encouraged me to embrace every opportunity and be curious about the world around me. They have always made me feel that anything is possible, and if I want something to work hard for it. They are great role models and I feel very lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.

Why did you choose this business school? London Business School has an amazing reputation for educational excellence and a hugely diverse student body. I was keen to be in a major city, where I could not only have access to all the Fortune 500 companies, but where I could also experience the history and variety of London.

What did you enjoy most about business school? The inspiring people I met. I have learnt so much from my classmates, who come from such a diverse group of professional and cultural background; future CEO’s, change leaders and innovators. They are so talented and unique and I now have a network around the world of people who I can call my friends.

What is your most memorable moment from business school? As part of the orientation week at London Business School, we have a team bonding away day with our study groups and streams. My most memorable moment was leaping for a trapeze from the top of a pole with my classmate Raj, which involved a lot of trust and facing our fears together!

Fun fact about yourself: I once sang for the Queen and was a piccolo player in the opening ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games!

Favorite book: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Favorite movie: Life is Beautiful

Favorite musical performer: Queen

Favorite television show: Game of Thrones

Favorite vacation spot: Mauritius

What are your hobbies? I am a music lover (piano and flute player, and a singer), a consummate bookworm, world adventurer, and enjoy spending time with friends and family.

Twitter Handle: @somethingontheb

What made Anne-Marie such an invaluable addition to the class of 2015?

Two areas of achievement that I would like to highlight are how Anne-Marie has helped our new students come into the School and how she is changing how people perceive epilepsy.

Last autumn Anne-Marie won a ‘Women of the Future Award: MBA Star’. This is a U.K. award to recognise “a female MBA student of exceptional vision, talent and promise.” This was largely due to her work on her charity. She has taken a condition that has affected her personally and – through this charity, Something on the Brain – is in the process of improving the lives of people suffering from epilepsy. This includes her creation of a simple medical technique to help people respond to an epileptic seizure.

She is using her MBA to learn the skills and gain the professional experience so that she can return to her charity in the future to increase its impact.

Internally to the school, Anne-Marie has multiple roles across our community. In particular she has made her mark through helping new students join the school. One of the clearest examples of this is through her role as Incoming Student Representative on the Student Association which included creating our Incoming Student Guide to help new students navigate London Business School and London life.

Additionally, as a Student Ambassador for the School, she been helping host events both in School and abroad and has been commended for her enthusiasm, keenness to engage with potential students and her ability to act as an outstanding role-model.

– Jon Conradi, Senior Student Activities Manager