Thomas Pearson-Jones

London Business School

“Welsh army doctor forever trying to escape London to explore the wilds of the UK.”

Hometown: Mold, North Wales

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve played cricket at Lords (and won!)

Undergraduate School and Major: New College, Oxford University. MA Medical Sciences & BMBCh Medicine

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: British Army – Medical Officer

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree?  London has been one of the great trading capitals of the world since the Romans. Right now, I think London is sitting in an exciting space bridging many established markets but also the working closely with exciting new markets developing on Mainland Europe and further afield. London also remains one of the world’s major financial centres whilst nurturing an exciting health tech ecosystem – two areas I’m keen to explore during my MBA. This combination of history and forward outlook makes it the perfect place to study the development of business whilst constantly thinking about the direction it’s heading.

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? As someone who has worked for two large UK public sector institutions (the NHS and British Army), I was keen to undertake an MBA programme that would provide different perspectives. With professional diversity comes different perspectives, particularly around leadership and management discussions, whilst also providing vast experience upon which to contextualize cases and their solutions. The cultural diversity of the cohort provides immense opportunity to learn how other cultures approach business and an amazing opportunity to learn about other cultures outside the work environment. In an ever-shrinking world, I think exposure to new cultures and ways of thinking is an essential part of all business education.

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? The reputation of London Business School internationally was a key factor in my decision to apply and accept a place at LBS. Moving from a “non-traditional” background into an MBA, the academic rigor on which LBS’s reputation is built is a key motivator, giving me a firm foundation from which to pivot my career trajectory.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at London Business School? The treks and global business exchanges are two parts of the course I’m really excited about. These take the concept of “new perspectives” to a new level and immerse you in new environments whilst putting you just outside your comfort zone, forcing you to look at things differently and learn from the experience.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Professionally, my biggest accomplishment has been completing a successful deployment as the lead clinician to Bosnia & Herzegovina working with several EU nations as part of the stabilization operations ongoing in Bosnia & Herzegovina. I was particularly proud of this achievement as it entailed significant planning elements and to be able to implement your own plan successfully in an austere environment was particularly rewarding.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? Given my previous clinical role, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to see first-hand both the awful impact the pandemic had on patients but also the positive changes that came about in healthcare innovation through necessity. Professionally, this left a big impression on me and then going forward, developing the ability to drive change autonomously (without a pandemic to force my hand!) is one of the key skills I’d like to take forward in my career. More generally, the pandemic impressed upon me how important my relationships with close family and friends are to sustaining me, and working on balancing my career with spending time with loved ones is a priority moving forward.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? My career in the army had come to a natural fork where most colleagues now return to clinical training schemes embedded within the NHS. I had been interested in MBA programmes for several years. Having taken responsibility for training clinical teams, undertaking medical planning, and delivering care, I didn’t feel ready to return to a purely clinical delivery role within the NHS. Throughout the course of the MBA, I’m hoping to develop an understanding of the broader systems and economics that underpin healthcare delivery, from health tech startups right through to mature pharmaceutical companies and public sector bodies. I’m interested in how these companies achieve growth throughout their life cycle.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I wanted to remain in Europe both for my post-MBA career ambitions and for personal reasons, so to that end I applied to INSEAD and HEC Paris MBA programmes.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into London Business School’s MBA program?  I think a clear understanding of the MBA programmes you consider is essential. Engage early with schools and speak to current students and alumni to get a feel for both the course content and the broader culture the school has.

Each programme has its own strengths and weaknesses and aligning this to your own background and ambition is essential. To this end, self-reflection on your own career so far is also hugely beneficial. Look at what the strengths in your experience are but recognize the gaps and weaknesses and consider how an MBA will address these. It can be tempting to try and second guess what admissions teams at various schools are looking for but remaining honest and authentic are vital to ensure you not only get accepted, but also gel with your cohort and get the most out of your MBA experience.

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