London Business School’s Class Of 2018

Nick McClish

London Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Strategic thinker, innovator and builder, focused on the intersection of design and commerce.

Hometown: Orange County, California

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was one of Vogue’s Best Dressed Men in Spring 2015.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Communications

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Co-Founder, SSNTLS

Men’s Dress Furnishings & Luxury Sportswear Buyer, Barneys New York

Men’s Trend & Concept Design Senior Manager, J.C. Penney

Men’s Advanced Designer Associate Buyer, Bergdorf Goodman

Men’s Luxury Sportswear Assistant Buyer, Bergdorf Goodman

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After 10+ years of value added work across all channels of the retail industry, my biggest accomplishment came just 3 weeks ago when I received my start-up’s first product prototype. The receipt of this single sample represented countless hours of ideation, iteration and viability, and was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.                                                                                                                                 

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Before taking the GMAT / GRE, take a crack at filling out an entire application.  I think you’ll quickly realize that the GMAT / GRE is only a small piece to a much larger story. You need to really understand yourself, and reflect upon how each past event, accomplishment and goal ties into your life story. If you can figure that out, you’re as good as gold both for your application and (more importantly) for yourself.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? My passion and expertise is within the luxury retail sector and naturally I was drawn to LBS’ Walpole Luxury Management program, which offers unparalleled access to industry leaders, one-to-one mentoring and specialized training. Additionally, as someone who recently launched a startup, the proximity to London’s Tech City and V.C. community offers a unique environment of innovation and incubation unlike anywhere else in the world. These factors coupled with London’s endless cultural opportunities and proximity to the broader EU makes LBS the perfect global learning environment for me.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? Ultimately, my goal is to be an investor and think tank leader in new retail ventures which creates positive impact for how people consume and interact with brands. In order to reach my goal, I envision the following paths at this moment in life: working for a PE/VC, global design firm, and/or scaling my start-up SSNTLS.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? “Nick is an inspirational thought leader who draws the best from his teammates. Equally strategic and industrious, he is a visionary and a doer, willing to get his hands dirty. He welcomes diversity and demonstrates enthusiasm towards collaboration, innovation, and positive change.”