Hugh Anderson-Elliott

London Business School

“Hoping to make the world a better place, not sure how yet.”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a former secondary school Math teacher.

Undergraduate School and Major: Durham University, English Literature

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Head of Strategic Operations, Century Tech

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree? I think London is the greatest city in the world. It’s diversity, history and (most importantly) food are all incredible. It’s also got such breadth of opportunity, from the tech startups scene to massive government departments, and obviously the City and financial services.

London Business School is one of the most culturally and professionally diverse MBA programs in the world. How do you see these global perspectives enhancing the value of your business education over the next two years? For me, the real value of an MBA, and the most important factor when choosing a school, is broadening your perspectives on the world.  Clearly the course content at LBS is exceptional, but that will be relatively consistent across the top schools. Being able to approach the course alongside a truly global and diverse class is what will differentiate LBS.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of London Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? What particularly excites me about the LBS course structure is the combination of practical business skills with the study of global shifts and trends, forces that have the potential to totally upend our current ways of working. Having worked on multiple projects with the UK Government’s Department for Education on the impact of automation on jobs, I will be fascinated to study electives like The Future of Work.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at London Business School? I’m excited about the social impact courses and activities at LBS. I don’t think it’s hyperbolic anymore to say we’re at a significant juncture in human history. If we don’t take the right decisions for each other and the planet, we will be looking at a totally different world quite soon.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Managing my team through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We came out the other side better organized, more efficient, and closer.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? In a professional context, it accelerated my thinking, as I’m sure it did for many people. Decisions that seemed like they could be left in the background suddenly seemed more pressing. I think COVID-19 helped me understand what is important to me, both in my personal and professional life.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I have spent my entire career working on complex social problems, with a particular focus on education. It is important to me that my work is positively impacting society, and I believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the most profound problems in society will require new and innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors. I want to be in a position to successfully lead in sectors that operate alongside the public sector, in start-ups, social enterprises, or NGOs. I believe an MBA at LBS will help me develop the skills required.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Oxford and Cambridge.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into London Business School’s MBA program? Believe in yourself! It’s amazing how quickly we forget things we’ve achieved in the past, so take some time to think through everything you’ve done. There might be some great examples to build into your application that hadn’t even occurred to you before.

DON’T MISS: MEET LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2023