Safiya Sule

Warwick Business School

“I am an introverted extrovert, an extrovert with the people I love and an introvert otherwise.”

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once jumped out of a moving car out of excitement after my undergrad final paper.

Undergraduate School and Major: Bowen University Iwo, BSc Accounting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: IHS Nigeria Limited, Project Manager

What word best describes your classmates and give an example of why? I can say without a shadow of doubt that I have the best classmates. I’ll say “melting pot” (two words) best describes my classmates. Though we are from different backgrounds, cultures and age groups, we are united in the midst of our differences and collectively celebrate our diversity. Simple example – I have an Indian friend who is trying her hands on a Nigerian dish she has never made or eaten to surprise me.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Warwick Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Change-Makers. I have always been passionate about driving change both professionally and personally. My favourite quote of many on the business school walls is from Ghandhi and says “Be the change you want to see in the world” and this is something I try to live by. WBS has created an environment for Change-Makers who are driven to make a difference and have a positive impact on the environment at all levels.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Warwick Business School? I am privileged to have been elected Vice President of Partnership and Marketing for the WBS Black in Business Club, which is a club that is about empowering the minority and in this case focusing on the black community. It has been an interesting journey so far, working with an amazing team and sharing ideas and knowledge with various partners and alumni. I am definitely looking forward to the actualisation of our plans in the next few months.

What has been your best memory at the Warwick Business School so far? Why? I have had many amazing memories so far at WBS and it’s quite difficult to select just one. I’d say winning the Strategy Challenge in term one for the Strategic Thinking module with my team has been one of the best memories — and we received an awesome plaque to show for it! The challenge brought us closer as a team and the late nights with pizza were definitely worth it.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’ve had an interesting career journey so far and I’ve been privileged to work on exciting projects in different countries on multimillion dollar transactions but my biggest accomplishment is taking the leap to pursue my MBA after seven years of full-time work. This move was both personal, as I needed to step out of my comfort zone, and professional, as I needed to elevate in my career.

What do you hope to do after graduation? I’m hoping to take the lessons and value learnt from my MBA programme and translate them into tangible and intangible skills I can use in both my career and personal life. While pursuing a promising professional career, I’m also hoping to dedicate more time on passion projects doing the things I love like curating experiences and helping people.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Warwick Business School’s MBA program? Start by discovering exactly what you want. Do you see yourself as a Change-Maker? Do you value diversity and inclusion? Are you interested in learning from a diverse cohort from various industry backgrounds and nationalities? If this is you, then the WBS MBA programme is for you. Apply early enough, be truthful and elegant in your essays, do enough research before your interview and above all be honest.

DON’T MISS: MEET WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2022