Annabelle Akintoye

IESE Business School

“International athlete, entrepreneur, ex-CEO advisor, perpetually busy, guaranteed to say yes to one more thing.”

Hometown: London(ish), UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was/am the first Black captain of Lacrosse in England in any format of the sport.

Undergraduate School and Major: Swansea University, Chemical Engineering major.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Global Program Manager – Tech, Data & Operations, AXA Group.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? What makes the case method so effective is how quickly it challenges your assumptions about decision-making. I remember reading a leadership case early in the program and feeling confident that the “right” answer was obvious. Then I went into my team meeting and heard eight completely different conclusions, each grounded in solid reasoning.

When we got to class, that number expanded to sixty more perspectives, often shaped by different industries, cultures, or professional backgrounds. Even in cases that felt very quantitative or financial, people interpreted the same data in fundamentally different ways.

This experience reminds us that management isn’t about finding the single correct answer, it’s about understanding trade-offs, anticipating how others will see the problem, and making decisions in a world where smart people can disagree. Over time, the case method builds that muscle, which is exactly what effective managers need.

What has been your favorite part of Barcelona so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA? One of my favourite things about Barcelona is how accessible everything feels, especially compared to larger cities I’ve lived in like London. The city is smaller and more intimate. Most of my friends live within a 30-minute walk, and there’s always something to do close by, which makes day-to-day life very connected and spontaneous.

What really stands out is how easy it is to get around and out of the city and experience something completely different. The beach is on your doorstep, and recently we went on the annual “SKIESE” trip to Andorra, which felt incredibly close despite being a totally different environment. As a Brit, the weather has also been a huge bonus – seeing the sun more days than not is a big win. Overall, Barcelona has everything you need in one place, which makes it an ideal setting for an MBA.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the one key part of the IESE Business School MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One key reason I chose IESE was how intentionally the program prepares you for what you’ll actually face in the workplace, not just in theory but in practice. That mindset runs through the curriculum, all the way down to how you’re assessed in exams.

For example, in Business Analytics this semester, we learned how to build regression models, but the real emphasis was on interpreting the results and understanding what they mean for decision-making. It’s less about proving you can run a model and more about showing that you can use data to make sound managerial judgments.

That focus was important to me because it reflects how decisions are really made in organisations. IESE trains you to think like a manager, someone who combines analysis with context and judgment, rather than just applying technical tools.

The IESE MBA is known for heavy reading and rigorous academics. Has the program lived up to its reputation? What advice would you give to first-years to help them thrive in the early months of the program? The reputation is well deserved, and the workload is intense, particularly in the first few months.

People often ask me how I juggle training as an international athlete, keeping up with academics and the social side of the MBA, and now trying to set up a business. My honest answer is always, “I have no idea.” What I’ve learned, though, is that thriving at IESE comes from prioritisation, not perfection in everything all the time.

Being comfortable with the fact that some things will fall by the wayside at different moments is essential. The key is knowing what truly matters right now and letting go of the rest without guilt. Once you accept that mindset, the rigour becomes manageable and the experience much more sustainable.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at IESE? One club I’ve enjoyed the most has been the Start-up and Entrepreneurship Club. It’s been a great complement to the academic side of the MBA because it’s very hands-on and idea-driven. Through the club, I’ve been exposed to founders, investors, and classmates who are actively building or seriously thinking about starting businesses.

What I’ve valued most is how open and collaborative the environment is this: people are genuinely willing to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and give constructive feedback. It’s helped me refine my own thinking around entrepreneurship while also learning from how others approach opportunity identification, risk, and execution.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of my biggest professional accomplishments was working as Business Manager to the CEO of AXA UK. During my tenure, I oversaw a changeover of CEOs, which meant navigating a period of significant transition at the top of the organisation.

That role gave me a front-row seat to executive decision-making under real pressure, balancing strategy, stakeholder management, and day-to-day operational realities. I had the opportunity to learn from some exceptional leaders and to build trust across the organisation during a time of change. The experience significantly shaped how I think about leadership, governance, and influence at the most senior levels of a business.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: My biggest accomplishment so far as an MBA student has been winning IESE’s entrepreneurship competition, Pitch Please. Not long after this, I was invited to apply to the Insurance Revolution Forum hosted by Línea Directa and IESE.

After a number of selection rounds, my business idea was chosen as one of four out of more than twenty companies. In the coming weeks, I’ll be pitching to an audience of around sixty people, including Línea Directa’s entire executive committee, business angels, and venture capital investors.

Beyond the recognition itself, the experience has been incredibly validating. It has shown me that the ideas I’m developing at IESE resonate beyond the classroom and can stand up to real-world scrutiny from industry leaders and investors.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? One of my best memories so far is the career trek in November to Lisbon with the Start-up and Entrepreneurship Club. It was an incredibly fun and energising experience, both personally and professionally.

We spent time meeting founders and CEOs of start-ups and scale-ups, hearing directly from VCs about what they look for when investing, and learning how entrepreneurial ecosystems differ across markets. Just as importantly, it deepened friendships and gave me a much better understanding of my classmates, their backgrounds, ambitions, and business ideas. It really captured what makes the MBA experience special.

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