Omotowunmi Bello

Warwick Business School

“Strategic thinker, fashion enthusiast, Creative problem solver and passionate about business transformation.”

Hometown: Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria.

Fun fact about yourself: I can dissect a crime drama plot within the first 10 minutes and I can almost always predict the ending.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Ilorin, B.Sc Physiology

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Group Operations Manager, Tiffany Amber Africa

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? StellarOps Strategies, Lagos, Nigeria

Where will you be working after graduation? TBC, Ideally an Operations Consulting firm.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

President, WBS Black in Business Club

Vice President, WBS Consumer Goods and Retail Club

Member, Community Impact Society

Leamington Spa Night Shelter Volunteer Member

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It was spearheading an initiative to connect Black business students with leading industry professionals. This is because it creates a mentorship pipeline that continues beyond graduation, giving students and fresh graduates insights into the job market before they become a part of it.

The majority of the Black Business students are like me and have come from different parts of Africa, where the business clime is different. We are used to seeing more people like us and this causes most of them to hesitate when it comes to networking, participating in events, or putting themselves out there. I know first-hand what it is like to feel alone in a room full of people because you’re scared you’ll be treated differently than others simply because you feel different. This has cost me a lot of opportunities in the past and I am determined to ensure that I can prevent this from happening to other black business students. By supporting them and giving them tools and confidence, we are preparing them to go into the business world confident in their abilities, so their doubts and fears do not come in the way of their greatness.

In 2020, People Management estimated that in UK private sector, only 1.5% of senior management roles are held by Black professionals. In 2021, McKinsey found that the Black professionals occupy only 7% of the managerial levels in the US. This is why representation is important. If we do not exist in the top roles, there is no room to uplift and hire people that look like us. The lack of comfort that begins at a smaller level like I mentioned above will only deepen more if you don’t see anyone who looks like you in a senior position because that could indicate that there is no room for career progression for people who look like me.

Every single event, I am just a bit let down at the disparity in the type of speakers made available and I look forward to the day when it will all be on equal front.

This would sound corny and cliché, but the need to be great. Not for myself, but to show people especially women that if I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT. I know Black women exists that have shown us its possible, but frankly that is in creativity, politics, or showbiz. I want to show that I can be a black woman in a boardroom calling the shots and not in any of the three sectors above. It can happen in real life and not just in TV series. I want to be a living proof of “Mama, I made it” I really cannot wait to say those words.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Planning and producing a major fashion show for a luxury brand with over 300 attendees and a 50 look collection.

Why did you choose this business school? The consistent theme on creating Change makers resonated with me. It went beyond just teaching but also nurturing the students to be the best version of themselves and create change making an impact wherever they go.

Who was your favourite MBA professor? Associate Professor Jodie Lucas. Her ability to translate theory and definitions into real-world application made complex accounting concepts tangible and practical. I learnt a lot from her class and her mode of delivery.

What was your favourite course as an MBA? Strategic Thinking: Strategic Evaluation & Analysis: It redefined my decision-making process and the way I analysed information. I realised later on that other modules in my MBA in one way or another always came back to Strategy. The frameworks are endless and this provides you with more than enough tools to make informed decisions.

What was your favourite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The Development Centre. This involved internal and external assessors who come in and assess you based on your competency interview, case study presentation, and boardroom meeting simulation. It was a very insightful and enlightening experience, as it was putting us in situations that we would soon be exposed to after graduation and helped fine-tune our skills.    

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would have started networking earlier. I realised too late how crucial intentional relationships are for long-term career success.

What is the biggest myth about your school? That WBS is centered around finance and consulting. However, I found that the entrepreneurial ecosystem here is equally thriving and highly supportive with the WBS Entrepreneur Club and Warwick Enterprise Society. I found it all highly engaging and interesting.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The blend of history and modernity – Coventry is a bustling suburban town while areas around University of Warwick offers a quiet, intellectual environment. On top of that, it is close enough to London for endless opportunities.

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Suits – It highlights the importance of strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and building strong professional alliances.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? The ability to use it for critical analysis. It is useful in reframing problems as well as just for practice in refining how to write and how to speak.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Brinda Sakar. Her ability to take one look at data, process it within seconds and provide an analytical rationale behind the data/information. I usually would have to gather more information to process for some minutes to arrive at a conclusion.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. To build a Capital Consulting firm that connects African Fashion brands to Global Fashion Conglomerate to help them scale internationally.

2. To launch a startup that’s focused on connecting service providers to the people who need them particularly people of an ethic minority.

What made Omotowunmi such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“When she joined my Corporate Reporting and Decision-Making module with no prior finance experience, she pushed herself from the very start. Her attitude was both determined and inquisitive—I remember one of her early sessions, where she came prepared with a list of questions to deepen her understanding. determined in her approach, she engaged fully in every session, eager to absorb new knowledge and explore its relevance to her experience/role in the fashion industry.

From Day 1, she demonstrated a strong willingness to challenge herself and step outside her comfort zone—an attribute I am confident she will carry forward for the remainder of her MBA journey and beyond.”

Dr Jodie Lucas
Associate Professor of Accounting Group  

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2025

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