Meet London Business School’s Class of 2019

Dolapo Adeyemi 

London Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Feeling the fear and doing it anyway… Otherwise, no one would ever eat a tree (A tree, as my toddler would call it, otherwise known as broccoli!)

Hometown: Irawo, Oyo State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I wrote the GMAT exam whilst 37.5 weeks pregnant with my second daughter! The coordinators at the examination centre had the ambulance on speed dial as they thought I would have the baby before finishing the exam!

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

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

 2013 – Present 

Director, Grolightly Ltd (www.oysby.com)

2011 – Present

Director, Damaris Mode Coolture Ltd (www.damarismode.com)

2012 – 2013

Project Engineer, DeltaAfrik Engrg, Nigeria (A Worley Parsons Company)

2008 – 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: Having changed careers from being a project engineer in the oil and gas industry to becoming a designer and business Owner in the fashion industry, one of my greatest accomplishments to date has been selection as a finalist for the Drapers Footwear Designer of the Year award in the United Kingdom.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Be yourself. It’s funny because, pre-MBA, I actually created a fashion brand called “OYSBY,” an acronym for “Own Your Style, Be Yourself.” I remember being worried about competing with 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 professional and entrepreneurial life that made me, “me”. Even at my interview, I wore one of the shoes I had designed and demonstrated how the solar bag I designed worked. I’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.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? 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. At the welcome event, my husband probably made more friends than I did! 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. This, amongst several other factors, 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 couldn’t find any other business school in the world that offered me such a unique combination of experiences.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? : Success after my 1st year of business school would be forming deep, meaningful relationships and identifying people who share my passion for socially impactful entrepreneurship with whom I could potentially build a successful business!