Oghosa Evbuomwan

IMD Business School

“Curious, action-oriented, resourceful, resilient, empathetic.”

Hometown: Benin City

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a jazz aficionado and was a saxophonist in a jazz band a few years ago. I also enjoy playing games and singing camp songs around bonfires with friends on backpacking trips.

Undergraduate School and Major: Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin, Nigeria

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Clinic Lead, St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos

IMD classes have been dubbed the “Mighty 90” for their talent and versatility. What has been the best part of being in a small class with this group of classmates? It has been the proximate opportunity to learn from my peers who come from diverse career backgrounds (from flying planes, to mining minerals from the earth core, and everything in between – consulting, fashion, sports, etc.) and have my paradigm constantly challenged. Also exciting is the potential reach of our network. We represent 39 nationalities from all the continents and know one another relatively well.

Aside from classmates, what part of IMD’s MBA programming led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It was the short duration of the program and a strong emphasis on the practical application of business theory in multiple countries via Startup Projects, Discovery Expeditions, Integrative Exercises, and the International Consulting Projects. Although intense, I chose it regardless because I have a non-business background and wanted to spend the shortest possible time out of paid employment before pivoting into a business career.

Equally important were the Leadership Streams and Personal Development Electives which together serve as an incubator to develop soft skills like emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and relationship building, by guiding participants on a self-discovery journey that outputs ethical, empathetic, and reflective leaders. The business school that offered the best Return on Investment (ROI) on these metrics as well as name recognition based on multiple global rankings, was IMD.

IMD is known for academic rigor. What is one strategy you used that would help a future IMD MBA better adapt to the workload early on? I applied myself and leveraged the expertise of my teammates on group tasks and unfamiliar courses like Accounting and Finance, while offering my expertise in courses like Entrepreneurship and Strategy. Additionally, I ate a lot of fruits (antioxidants) which luckily are supplied in ample amounts by the school, drank a lot of water, got as much sleep I could afford, and did most of the pre-reads on weekends.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The startup I co-founded, casenote, has been the biggest achievement in my career. It stretched me mentally and physically, and the outcome was fulfilling. The inspiration for casenote was a near-fatal incident at the Emergency Room when I resuscitated an elderly patient who was rushed in semi-conscious. The root cause of the situation was discontinuity of care. I learned how to conduct user research, code in Python and PHP, work with MYSQL and Virtual Machines, beta-test, recruit and manage a startup team, and pitch to investors and clients. We then created a cloud-based platform that decreased medical errors by   ̴ 20% and enabled continuity of care across provider networks in West Africa with over 5,000 users.

Describe your biggest accomplishment at IMD so far: In Module 1, I was part of the team that developed a market entry strategy, built a financial model, and proposed entry points for a Swiss-based MedTech start-up, which was focused on optimizing breast cancer diagnosis from breast imaging using Artificial Intelligence. It has now raised over $4m in Series A.

Where is your favorite hang-out in Lausanne? Why do you (and your classmates) gravitate there? Chorus Jazz Club. Jam sessions help me de-stress, engage my creative and spontaneous instincts, and reconnect me to when I was a jazz musician. The club is a nice place to meet and share drinks with other jazz enthusiasts and is situated in the city center, about 18 minutes from campus.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I had to fill the knowledge gap that I need to pivot from clinical practice to the health-technology industry, beyond the exposure I had received from certificate programs and entrepreneurship.  At this point, I am ready to leave clinical practice for industry to contribute my expertise (acquired from providing health care where the doctor-to-patient ratio is 1:6,000 unlike   ̴1:200 as we have here in Switzerland or   ̴1:300 in the US) towards the development of patient-centered solutions and to connect manufacturers of these solutions to under-served end users.

What has been your best memory at IMD thus far? Meeting and chatting with the Singaporean Minister for Health, Ong Ye Kung, and the co-founder of WIRED, Ian Stewart, on campus. Both shared how they would typically approach challenges as well as fond memories of when they were MBA students at IMD. For context, these encounters were unimaginable for me before I joined IMD. I have become accustomed to casually meeting highly accomplished executives on campus who are often pleasant, engaging, and surprisingly also want to keep in touch.

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