Verity Evans

London Business School

“Ex- Royal Navy Navigator who is excited to start a new path at LBS!”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: Last year, I decided to solo hike around the Isle of Wight in October, walking 130 kilometers in three days. I ran out of food on day two, and the only thing I had left was a family pack of Skittles – I haven’t been able to touch them since!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Exeter, UK; Politics and Sociology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Royal Navy Warfare Officer – Navigator of Type 45 Destroyer

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree? London is an amazing city to do an MBA. Not just because it’s a business hub, but also because it’s an incredibly diverse and multicultural city that is always offering new, exciting things to explore.

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? Cultural and professional diversity was one of the main reasons I applied for a place at LBS. Coming from a military background, I wanted to feel I was part of a student body that valued a wide range of previous professional experience.

As I am new to the world of business, I feel it important to study in a diverse setting. I wanted to make sure I could start this new phase of my career with fresh eyes. Not only will this make for an incredible collaborative learning environment, it will also support my ambition of working internationally later in my career.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of London Business School’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One reason I was drawn to the curriculum was the program’s flexible end dates and huge variety of elective modules. As I am at the start of a new career pathway, I want to have the flexibility to explore subject areas I am interested in and move electives in my second year to fit around internship and job start dates.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at London Business School? I am really looking forward to joining the Out in Business club. As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, I am passionate about creating a network of support and mentorship. Having been in the Royal Navy for the last seven years, my ability to be actively involved in this community has been restricted by busy deployment schedules.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a Navigation Officer in the Royal Navy, I was always hoping to gain as much experience in active operations as possible. This summer I was asked to return to sea to navigate HMS Diamond – a 200-metre air defense destroyer – during its deployment engaging in active combat to defend merchant shipping vessels against Houthi attacks in the Southern Red Sea. The Ship successfully defeated incoming missiles on a number of occasions, defending the Ship’s company and the lives of innocent civilians who were under attack while carrying out routine shipping movements in the region.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026? Coming from a military background, I feel I will be able to offer a different perspective on topics discussed within our study groups and streams. Though my office/workspace for much of the last seven years has been a 1x2m cabin in the middle of the ocean, I think many of the leadership challenges I have faced apply to the world of business and I hope to share my experiences with others on the MBA course.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into London Business School’s MBA program? Regardless of your previous professional field, if doing an MBA at LBS is something that excites you: apply! Before looking into LBS, I felt that there may not be a place for a veteran at such a prestigious and highly academic school. My experience of the LBS admissions process was one of support, flexibility and open communication. The admissions team helped me throughout the application process and were extremely supportive when my work with the Royal Navy interfered with interview windows. LBS really does value professional diversity and experience.

DON’T MISS: MEET LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2026