Gabriela Warpsinski

Imperial College Business School 

Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have a Polish-sounding surname which my dad made up because of his obsession with Star Trek and classical music!

Undergraduate School and Major: Biomedical Science, King’s College London

Graduate School and Major: PhD in Cardiovascular Sciences, King’s College London

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: British Heart Foundation, Research Advisor

What were some of the key motivating factors behind pursuing your MBA, and why did this seem like the right time for you? My main motivation for pursuing an MBA is to strengthen my leadership skills and make a shift toward consulting or eventually start my own business. My background in academic research has given me a solid foundation, but now I’m ready to develop new skills that will allow me to take on more strategic roles. An MBA is the perfect opportunity to expand my business knowledge, sharpen my decision-making abilities, and prepare myself for the next chapter in my career.

What have been your first impressions of the Imperial MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Imperial story. I’ve been really impressed by the incredible diversity of backgrounds among Imperial College Business School’s MBA students. It’s been an eye-opening experience to learn from so many different international perspectives. There’s also a strong sense of shared ambition, which creates such an inspiring and motivating environment. I’ve particularly enjoyed following the journeys of alumni who have made impressive transitions between industries—it’s motivating to see how supportive and driven the Imperial network is.

Aside from your classmates, what were one or two key aspects of Imperial’s MBA program that led you to choose this Business School and why were they so important to you? Imperial College Business School’s MBA program stood out to me because of its strong emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. As someone who wants to launch my own business, I am really excited to learn about the incredible entrepreneurial ecosystem at Imperial, which offers fantastic opportunities to test out ideas and refine them. The focus on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and providing hands-on support aligns perfectly with my long-term goals, making it the perfect fit for both my professional and personal growth.

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA? London is an incredibly dynamic and culturally diverse city, making it an ideal place to pursue an MBA. The rich mix of global industries, innovative startups, and established multinational companies offers unparalleled networking opportunities.

What module, club or activity excites you the most at Imperial? I’m particularly excited about the upcoming Entrepreneurial Journey group project. This is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with students both within and outside of Imperial, experiment with new ideas, and work together to turn them into real business projects. I’m looking forward to the hands-on experience this will provide, as it will help me develop both my leadership and practical business skills.

Looking at your admissions process, what was the moment when you realized Imperial was the right program for you? Why? I knew I wanted to be in London to pursue my MBA, so when I saw that Imperial College Business School’s MBA programme emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration, I immediately knew this was the place for me. This approach really resonated with my background in research and my long-term goal of starting a business and felt like the perfect environment to support my growth.

What are two things you have learned at your school that have surprised you so far — one academic and one non-academic? Academically, I’ve been surprised by how engaging and even fun learning basic accounting can be. On the non-academic side, I’ve been really impressed by how supportive the Imperial community is – whether it’s the professors or peers – everyone is so willing to help and share knowledge, which has made my experience here even more rewarding.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far. One of my proudest accomplishments was during my time as a Research Advisor at the British Heart Foundation, where I advocated for a policy to increase the visibility of underrepresented research communities. I consulted multiple stakeholders and successfully convinced the senior leadership team to launch a dedicated call for researchers with underrepresented backgrounds to nominate themselves as scientific peer reviewers.

Looking ahead one year, what would make your MBA experience successful?  For me I would define this as having enough confidence to pivot into a completely new industry and experiment with a number of different business ideas!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Imperial’s MBA program?  My advice would be to reach out to current students and alumni to get a real sense of what the program is like. I found this incredibly helpful when I was applying.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE ENTIRE IMPERIAL COLLEGE MBA CLASS OF 2025