The Pioneering MBAs In The Class Of 2019

DolapoĀ AdeyemiĀ 

London Business SchoolĀ 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:Ā Feeling the fear and doing it anywayā€¦Ā Ā Otherwise, no one would ever eat a tree (AĀ tree, as my toddler would call it, otherwise known asĀ broccoli!)

Hometown:Ā Irawo, Oyo State, Nigeria

Fun FactĀ AboutĀ Yourself:Ā I wrote the GMAT exam whilst 37.5 weeks pregnant with my second daughter! The coordinators at the examinationĀ centreĀ had the ambulance on speed dial as they thought I would have the baby before finishing the exam!

Undergraduate School and Major:Ā University of Lagos, Nigeria ā€“ BSc Chemical Engineering; University of Warwick ā€“ MSc Process Technology and Business Management

Employers and Job TitlesĀ SinceĀ Graduation:Ā 

2013 ā€“ Present

Director,Ā GrolightlyĀ Ltd (www.oysby.com

2011 ā€“ Present

Director, Damaris ModeĀ CooltureĀ Ltd (www.damarismode.com

2012 ā€“ 2013

Project Engineer,Ā DeltaAfrikĀ Engrg, Nigeria (A Worley Parsons Company)

2008 ā€“ 2010

Project Engineer / Business Development Support, OANDO Plc (Leading Integrated Oil and Gas Company in Africa)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:Ā Having changed careers from being aĀ projectĀ engineer in theĀ oil andĀ gas industry to becoming aĀ designer and business Owner in theĀ fashion industry,Ā one of my greatest accomplishments to date has been selectionĀ as a finalist for the Drapers Footwear Designer of the YearĀ awardĀ in the United Kingdom.

Looking back onĀ your experience, whatĀ one piece ofĀ advice would you give toĀ futureĀ business school applicants?Ā Be yourself. Itā€™s funny because, pre-MBA, I actually created a fashion brand called ā€œOYSBY,ā€Ā an acronym for ā€œOwn Your Style, Be Yourself.ā€ I remember being worried about competing withĀ consultants and investment bankers during the application process and I almost restricted myself to emphasizing my conquests as a project engineer. It became apparent as I wrote my essays that I sounded less rehearsed and mechanized when I wrote about the aspect of my professionalĀ andĀ entrepreneurial life that made me,Ā ā€œmeā€.Ā Even at my interview, I woreĀ one of the shoes I had designed and demonstrated how the solar bag I designed worked. Iā€™m quite certain that staying true to myself was what made my application stand out, so much so that I was awarded a full tuition scholarship.

WhatĀ was the key factor thatĀ led you to choose this program for your full-time MBAĀ and why was it so important to you?Ā As a wife and mum of two beautiful daughters, I was intent on ensuring that my decision to pursue an MBA degree will not negatively impact my family. I was very happy to discover the extent to which LBS supports spouses and families by giving them the opportunity to participate in different activities on campus, particularly the clubs.Ā At the welcome event, my husband probably made more friends than I did!Ā Feedback from previous students also indicated that spouses will never feel left out which ultimately encourages the spouses to support their student partners even more.Ā This, amongst several other factors,Ā made my decision to apply to LBS quite easy. As a matter of fact, LBS was the only business school I applied to as I couldnā€™t find any other business school in the world that offered me such a unique combination of experiences.

What wouldĀ success look like to you after your first yearĀ of business school?Ā :Ā Success after my 1st year of business school would beĀ forming deep,Ā meaningful relationships and identifying people who share my passion for socially impactful entrepreneurshipĀ with whom I could potentially build aĀ successfulĀ business.

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