Kate French

University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School

“Water development professional passionate about impact measurement, public health, and equitable access “

Hometown: West Lafayette, Indiana, USA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I wrote the Wikipedia page for a nearly extinct indigenous language in Washington State.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, B.A. in Linguistics; University of Oxford Master of Science in Water Science, Policy and Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Abt Associates, Project Manager WAMENA Region

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Oxford Saïd’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was drawn to Saïd’s support for impact-focused MBA students. Coming from the public sector, I was looking for the chance to build my business skills without losing focus on my passion for water and public health.

What course, club, or activity has been your favorite part of the Oxford Saïd MBA experience? Meeting my course mates who also come from non-profit and impact backgrounds has been amazing. I have already learned so much from them and can’t wait to work more with the group throughout the rest of the year.

What is the most “Oxford” thing you have done so far as a full-time MBA student? I became the captain of my college’s boat club and had the chance to race on Tideway in London – the same stretch as the Boat Race.

Oxford is known as a place where worlds collide, be it in the classroom or the dining hall. What has been the most interesting interaction you’ve had so far as an Oxford MBA student? In an attempt to get out of the MBA bubble, I attended a workshop on “Reconceptualizing Toxicity” put on by qualitative researchers in the School of Geography. I was introduced to a number of concepts that changed how I think of my own work and that I’ve brought into the classroom this term.

Describe the biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the chance to travel to West Bengal to conduct a sustainability assessment for a suite of community-based groundwater filtration systems. It challenged me to take a holistic approach to sustainability and look beyond simple measurements of impact. I’ve brought the lessons I learned in that process into every role I’ve had since.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: With my background in social science and the humanities, I am terribly proud of the confidence I’ve gained in my quantitative classes.

What has been the biggest epiphany you’ve gained about yourself or the world since you started your MBA program?  I’ve realized that the public and private sectors talk about so many of the same issues, just using different vocabulary, and have noticed how many points of engagement are being missed because of this.

DON’T MISS: MEET OXFORD SAÏD’S MBA CLASS OF 2024