Meet Imperial College’s MBA Class Of 2021

Entrance to Imperial College

P&Q: Two areas where Imperial College Business School is well-know are entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility. What do you do in those areas that enable the MBA program to stand out?

McConnell: “Most incubators at business Schools are created by and for the school – but we do things differently at Imperial College Business School. The Imperial Enterprise Lab – our on-campus new venture creation and scaling centre – brings students from the university’s Science Technology Engineering and Medicine (STEM) faculties together with students and faculty from the Business School to launch new ventures that are characterised by a merging of the STEM and Business fields. We actively support women entrepreneurs as well, by giving them both a platform and access to investors, via the WE Innovate event which happens annually.

The Enterprise Lab also supports the Entrepreneurial Journey module in the Full-Time MBA with each team supported by entrepreneurial experts in residence from the Lab. Following on from this, teams can compete to participate in our Summer Accelerator programme and for mentorship by the Imperial Venture Mentoring Service.

Social responsibility is part of everyday campus life – at the Business School and across the broader university.  However, one of the more recent additions to the programme experience at the Business School is the introduction of an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) module that all students started to take in September of this year. The content focus is comprehensive, including topics like recognising and addressing unconscious bias.”

Business Finance Lecture

10 REASONS TO JOIN THE IMPERIAL COLLEGE MBA

The Class of 2021 has been equally enthusiastic about these programs – and many more. Here is what the class said were the biggest attractions of an Imperial College MBA.

1)  MBA Curriculum: “As an aspiring impact investor, I was looking for a programme known for its academic rigor. In reviewing Imperial’s electives, it was evident that the institution would bridge any knowledge gaps I had, as the programme takes a theoretical and practical approach to learning. For example, the Imperial Innovation Challenge compliments the innovation and entrepreneurship electives, and the Group Consulting Project allows students to work collaboratively to understand and address a company’s needs and challenge existing assumptions.”
Alberta Asafo-Asamoah

“Another element that attracted me to the Imperial MBA is the programme pedagogy, which is extremely flexible and can be tailored to meet both your personal and professional goals. The possibility to concentrate on strategic management at Imperial Business School, including the Group Consulting Project, will help me develop my strategy consulting potential, which directly relates to my future career objective. Imperial College is recognised as a world leader in data analytics. The Big Data, AI, and Machine Learning elective will help me up-skill to make informed business decisions using big data.”
Spandan Shah

2) Imperial College London: “Data analytics and an association with a STEM-focused school were the key factors in my selection of the Imperial programme…Having seen the power of data analytics in my previous jobs, I started my search by looking for programmes with an emphasis on data analytics. No matter which list I looked at, Imperial was always ranked and always near the top. What differentiated it in my eyes from the other ranked schools was the incredible medical and scientific knowledge base of Imperial College London. I knew if I chose Imperial, I would have a more quantitative experience with exposure to cutting edge medical advancement. The final key factor was the massive opportunity cost savings of only losing a single year’s worth of salary versus the typical two years. That really locked everything into place.”
Luke Lindsay

“Solutions to global problems like climate change cannot be discovered in isolation by businesses. It requires collaboration between multiple stakeholders. An MBA from Imperial would also provide me with access to other disciplines like engineering and natural sciences. Perspectives gained from interaction with students from such diverse background will help me analyse and develop holistic solutions to complex problems facing business and societies today.”
Spandan Shah

Imperial College Business School

3) Sustainability: “Imperial College Business School prides itself on impressing upon each student the vision for sustainability in business. As a COVID-19 cohort of MBA students, it is crucial we consider the impact of commercial practices on ecology and humanity. Furthermore, investment returns in the areas of clean tech and renewables demonstrates that sustainability can be a raison d’etre for business rather than a moral judgement or a “nice to have”. Beyond sustainability, Imperial uniquely has some of the smartest minds in technology, engineering, and medicine on its doorstep. If you want to innovate in these industries, this is the place to be.”
Vatshalan Santhirapala

“[I’m] getting involved with the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. Going to Imperial is like being a kid in a candy store if you are at all interested in STEM. The amount of world-class resources, academic talent, and organizations on campus is astounding. With ambition to enter the renewable energy industry upon graduation, the opportunity to work with some of the leading minds in the field within the Grantham Institute is incredibly exciting.”
Ronald Johnson II

4) Small Class Size: “The second most important part about Imperial’s MBA that led to me applying is the small but diverse class sizes. I went to a small liberal arts college for my undergraduate degree, and there I found it much easier to make meaningful connections and feel like a part of the community. I wanted to emulate that experience for my graduate degree, so having a class size of less than 70 really means you can get to know everyone on a personal level.  Additionally, at Imperial, the class size does not mean a sacrifice in diversity, and it feels to me like there is no true majority in nationality or background.”
Olivia Xu

5) Entrepreneurship: “Imperial College is at the epicenter of innovation with a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit. The strong focus on science and technology has spurred countless startups and I am fascinated by their valuational, strategic, and regulatory considerations owing to my keen interest in the world of private equity and venture capital. The Imperial MBA goes beyond just academic upskilling, it presents me with the opportunity to work and interact with entrepreneurial leaders of the future and gain in-house knowledge of the drivers behind multimillion dollar buyouts and funding.”
Madhav Mahendra

“What spikes my interest the most is Imperial’s WE Innovate….WE Innovate is an accelerator of female-led startups at Imperial. This is a place where I can align myself with other female professionals with similar innovative spirits and explore innovative ideas that challenge the status quo.”
Shannon Wong

Imperial College London

6) Career Services” I was also impressed by Imperial’s emphasis on individual career development. As I am about to make a significant career switch, I believed working with a career advisor dedicated to helping me define career objectives and brainstorm ideas would go a long way.”
Shannon Wong

7) Enterprise Lab: “I’m most excited about the Imperial Enterprise Lab, which inspires student innovators and entrepreneurs. There are many great events, providing valuable opportunities for young entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and find potential partners, such as Idea Challenge, Innovation Pitch and We Inspire.”
Joanne Long

8) MBA Connect: “MBA Connect is the bridge from Imperial College Business School to Imperial College London and all the brilliant minds it has to offer. Students from the entire university can submit ideas to MBA Connect and be paired with an MBA student to coach that idea into a budding business. It is a close partner with the Imperial Enterprise Lab which also works to help students commercialise their ideas. I think this support structure is invaluable because it forms highly effective partnerships, and many viable business relationships that extend beyond the initial coaching period.”
Luke Lindsay

9) Global Experience Week: “The Global Experience Week is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to local businesses and work in a team setting to solve real-life business problems. Through this activity, I will be able to put theories into practice and develop a more international perspective of today’s business challenges”
Shannon Wong

10) Student Investment Fund: “I am also very excited about the Student Investment Fund for aspiring wealth managers to have hands on experience in equity research and portfolio management.”
Teniola Esan

What led the Class of 2021 to pursue an MBA? What types of extracurricular activities have they pursued in business school? What was the moment that defined them? Check out the student profiles below for answers to questions and many more. 

MBA Student Hometown Undergrad Alma Mater Last Employer
Alberta Asafo-Asamoah Accra, Ghana Syracuse University AlgebraInTheCity
Aoife Considine Sligo, Ireland Trinity College Dublin Heathrow Express
Teniola Esan Lagos, Nigeria University of Benin Private Attorney
Ronald Johnson II Orange County, CA USC U.S. Army
Luke Lindsay Houston, TX Santa Clara University SI-BONE
Joanne (Xueting) Long Shenzhen, China Nanjing Normal University DragonEx
Madhav Mahendra Calcutta, India University of St. Andrews Darashaw & Co.
Jayshan Ratnakumar London, UK Imperial College London GreenSpur Wind Ltd
Vatshalan Santhirapala London, UK Imperial College London Harvard Medical School
Eugenia Sepulveda Chihuahua, Mexico Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Uber Eats
Spandan Shah Ahmedabad, India Gujarat University KPMG
Shannon Wong Hong Kong Upper Iowa University Fortune Financial Capital Limited
Olivia Xu Palo Alto, CA Amherst College Lose It!