Meet The Warwick MBA Class Of 2019

Warwick Business School

OVERSEAS TRIP NOW INCLUDES MILAN FOR LUXURY

One highlight of the Warwick MBA experience is the week-long, overseas trip in March. Here, students head to either Vancouver or Shanghai to take classes with other MBAs and immerse themselves in local business cultures and industries. This year, Warwick has added a new wrinkle to its required ā€œManaging in the New Worldā€ module: students can now travel to Milan, Italy. Here, the trip will focus on luxury brand management and digitalization, which includes trips to iconic brands to learn more about the luxury industry.

ā€œ[MBA students] now have the option of studying luxury brand management in Milan ā€“ a city renowned for high fashion and luxury,ā€ says Karen Barker, director of recruiting and marketing at Warwick, in a January statement to P&Q. ā€œThe students will be hosted by Bocconi School of Management, where they will have a week of lectures on differentiation strategies, digital marketing, customer engagement management, luxury design strategies, sustainability in luxury and much more with deep dives into the yacht and jewelry sectors. We are also planning to send them on a trip to the headquarters of a luxury sports car manufacturer and offer them the chance to sample the luxury retail outlets of Milan. There will be guest speakers as well, with Ralph Lauren one of the big names penciled in.ā€

Marks Jing Xu is one of the students who is really looking forward to the trek. ā€œI havenā€™t been to Italy before and I am always curious about the success of Italian luxury brands,ā€ he admits. ā€œThe study trip offers a good chance for us to explore the best practices of growth strategy implementation adapted by successful Italian and European companies operating in luxury industries. Moreover, I look forward to having fun with my MBA buddies in Italy by visiting beautiful architecture, enjoying the local cuisine and meeting new friends.ā€

GRADUATES CAN SOON TAKE TWO FREE MODULES TO SHARPEN SKILLS

The Milan luxury brand management trip wonā€™t be the only new offering in the Warwick MBA portfolio. The program plans to provide ongoing education to its alumni base, which numbers 45,000 graduates in 140 nations. In particular, says Barker, Warwick will be rolling out the option for students to two modules at no cost after graduation.

Karen Barker, director of marketing and admissions at Warwick Business School

ā€œOur MBAs are highly ambitious and motivated employees who see continuous learning as a mindset they must adapt to stay ahead in the workplace,ā€ Karen Barker observes. ā€œWe want our graduates to succeed in their chosen careers so this will give them that extra insight they need at an important stage in their development. It is also a chance to for WBS to stay connected with our alumni and continue the relationship we have built with them over an intense year of study. They already have access as alumni to a number of the top research journals and databases, but this will help them top-up their skills as the fast-changing pace of technology and modern business means there is always new strategy tools or digital transformation knowledge to learn.ā€

This addition also enhances the MBA communityā€™s intensive support of graduates after they earn their MBAs, a difference-maker that greatly appealed to a career changer like Kristen Evelyn Rossi. ā€œThe year goes so fast, WBSā€™ post-MBA mentorship programme carried weight in my final decision. I am independent and confident in the skills I am learning on the course, but I know I will still need support after September.ā€

A TOP PROGRAM FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT

In fact, Barker believes the career services team may be the most underrated aspect of the program ā€“ at least to new recruits. This is hardly a secret in the Warwick community, however. In the 2018 Economist survey, students and alumni gave it the highest score of any MBA program for opening new career opportunities. Warwickā€™s career center also ranked 6th in the world in the Economist survey, with the school also faring well in potential to network (3rd), the internationalism of alumni (9th), and breadth of the alumni network (13th). In fact, the Warwick MBA ranked as the top full-time MBA program in the United Kingdom according to the Economist ā€“ and 18th in the world to boot.

ā€œThe support students get from our Careers team ā€“ it really is non-stop,ā€ Barker adds. ā€œIn fact, it starts before the students even get here, they have a one-to-one interview over the phone to map out their career aspirations and where they want to go so they can hit the ground running when they arrive at Warwick. And then there are numerous sessions put on by the Careers team to work on personal development and leadership. So much of business is about building relationships, so we have sessions on networking, how to influence upwards and manage courageous conversations. We always get great feedback on these sessions from the MBAs, they say how valuable they have been and how they are putting them into practice when they get back into the workplace.ā€

This focus on professional development hasnā€™t gone unnoticed by the Class of 2019. Kristen Evelyn Rossi was struck by how ā€œwell-connected [the] corporate relations team was.ā€ Marks Jing Xu was equally impressed by the one-on-one coaching he received from WBSā€™ ā€˜CareerPlusā€™ team, which helped him connect his personal values to his career objectives.

ā€œAll mentors are happy to give students professional advice,ā€ Xu adds. ā€œAt each coaching session, mentors record the studentā€™s progress to ensure the next coaching session with that student can have further improvement. Mentors always listen to studentā€™s career needs and utilize the schoolā€™s resources to help students expand their professional networks either in the UK or the rest of the world.ā€

A CHANCE TO STEP BACK AND REFLECT

Warwick Business School is an hour train ride from London

Career support isnā€™t the only area where the Warwick Business School excels. Poll students for one word that describes the MBA program and ā€œleadershipā€ is sure to top the list. That starts with LeadershipPlus, a required module that stretches two terms. Reflection-driven and feedback-laden, LeadershipPlus is a program that forces students to ā€œre-evaluate the way you think, plan, work in teams, and lead others,ā€ says Antonia Instone, a 2018 P&Q MBA to Watch.

Instoneā€™s classmate, Mayank Kapoor ā€“ another 2018 MBA To Watch ā€“ adds that the module pushed him to understand his personality and forge an identity, so he could differentiate himself with an authentic leadership style. For both, LeadershipPlus was a defining experience that left them forever changed.

ā€œWhen else in life are you so encouraged to reflect on success, analyze failure, and think differently,ā€ Instone asks. ā€œWithin an academic framework, it provided an opportunity for many personal ā€˜lightbulbā€™ moments and the initiative to recalibrate as I return to the workplace on graduation. I donā€™t just have a better grasp of the way to make business decisions, but a firmer idea of the kind of leader I want to be.ā€

FACING WHAT YOU DREAD ā€“ AND TRANSFORMING IN THE PROCESS

In other words, Warwick MBAs gain an awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, an understanding of the underlying tendencies driving their behavior, and a platform to practice techniques that enable them to communicate more effectively. This was true in the Courageous Conversations workshop, which left an unforgettable impression on Devanshi Mehra.

ā€œIt made me realize how the simplest of things we say have such a profound impact,ā€ she says. ā€œI learned how simply modifying a few words and tone of the conversation could lead us on to much better results and how facing our most dreaded conversations can actually lead to some of the best things that can happen in our lives. That one day of the workshop was a huge stepping stone in my personal development.ā€

Mehra wasnā€™t the only one from the 2019 Class to come away with life-changing epiphanies from the course. ā€œThrough different activities and workshops, the Leadership course gave me an opportunity to reflect on myself and learn how to manage and communicate in a team instead of commanding people,ā€ adds Marks Jing Xu. ā€œA good leader knows the art of management and good management requires good communication skills. The Leadership course gave me many practices to accomplish being a better communicator within any organization.ā€

STUDENTS CAN STUDY IN THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDEā€¦OR LONDON

Leadership and career services arenā€™t Warwickā€™s only differentiators. The program also offers the best of two distinct worlds: a traditional campus in Coventry plus the ability to take classes in the Shard, a 95 story architectural masterpiece that overlooks landmarks ranging from Tower Bridge to the London Eye. The Shard enables students to attend guest lectures and network in the heart of London commerce while being able to return to a more leisurely campus pace.

A commons area in a floor occupied by Warwick in the Shard.

There is a perception that WBS isnā€™t in a great location,ā€ notes Andre Matos, a third member of Warwickā€™s 2018 MBA class who made P&Qā€™s MBAs to Watch. ā€œIn reality, Warwickshire is fantastic, with lovely towns such as Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon, and so are the picturesque Cotswolds villages just 40 minutes away. Iā€™ve been living in this area for five years and really enjoy it.ā€

Such surroundings are helpful in a program like the Warwick MBA, which carries a reputation for academic rigor. Warwick students and alumni, for one, have given the schoolā€™s faculty the third highest marks in the 2018 Economist MBA survey. However, the program is hardly a stuffy 18th-century throwback.

DEMANDING BUT EXHILARATING

Marks Jing Xu was thrilled how the caseload included a heavy dose of companies from Europe, Africa, and Asia. At the same time, the strong teaching is supplemented by a ā€œheartfelt and warm hospitality,ā€ says Mehmet Ulker, a family with a ā€œgenuine interest in your success, development and future.ā€ Although the workload can seem ā€œoverwhelmingā€ at first, adds Andre Matos, students quickly acclimate themselves to the demands.

ā€œYes, there is plenty to do, but with enthusiasm, discipline, and the support of a great cohort and faculty, it is absolutely doable.ā€

Not only doable but absolutely worth it too. Thatā€™s because students like Marks Jing Xu have a vision for themselves ā€“ one that goes far beyond a dream employer or role. ā€œIn the next five years, I wish to see myself having a career in strategic brand consulting with recognition from colleagues and clients. My family is happy and healthy. Most importantly, I will keep being humble and continuously making a positive impact within the community.ā€

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates.Ā 

Student Hometown Alma Mater Employer
Nana Adjoa Feniwa Yamoah Essiama, Ghana University of Ghana Business School Ghana National Gas Company Limited
Paul Fitzgerald Dublin, Ireland Dublin City University Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Marks Jing Xu Shanghai, China University of Miami Omni Marketing
Mohanad Mabrouk Cairo, Egypt University of Cairo Vodafone Global Business
Devanshi Mehra Alwar, India Gautam Buddha Technical University Accenture India
Henry Midgley Christchurch, New Zealand University of Canterbury Chant West
Said Muhtadi Amman, Jordan McGill University K&A
Sandhya Ramula Kolkata, India Calcutta University Ernst & Young
Kristen Evelyn Rossi Massapequa, New York Point Park University Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel
Phil Taneborne London, UK University of Bristol NATO
Mehmet Ulker Oxford, UK Oxford Brookes University Banco Santander
Brittany Walker Grand Forks, North Dakota University of Minnesota Saks Fifth Avenue

 

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