Meet Oxford Saïd’s MBA Class Of 2020

LSG: “We call it the ‘Oxford Experience,’ and it’s a unique aspect of our MBA that only comes with studying a modern qualification in an 800-year-old institution. From electrifying debates in the Oxford Union, traditional ceremonies in ‘sub fusc’ gowns to atmospheric college dinners with students of all disciplines, the Oxford MBA combines cutting-edge business education with ancient academic tradition, and it’s an experience our alumni never forget.”

P&Q: Saïd Business School is being increasingly associated with entrepreneurship and social impact. Talk to us about resources such as the Oxford Foundry, Skoll Centre, and the larger startup ecosystem near Oxford.

LSG: “Social impact and entrepreneurial thinking are not just buzzwords on the Oxford MBA. They are embedded deeply into our curriculum. With former Unilever CEO Paul Polman recently appointed the Chair of the School’s board, this emphasis will only strengthen.

On campus, we have the Skoll Centre for Entrepreneurship, which offers support to social entrepreneurs through a portfolio of programmes, events, and funding and financial support. A short walk from our school is Oxford Said’s gift to the University of Oxford, the Oxford Foundry. The Oxford Foundry is a space where students from across the wider University can collaborate on startups, and benefit from a range of opportunities including the OXFO L.E.V8 accelerator programme. We have already seen some amazing businesses and social enterprises form within The Foundry’s walls, and its story is just beginning.

As part of the MBA’s core curriculum, students take part in our Global Opportunities and Threats: Oxford programme, which places students into teams and tasks them with tackling a world scale challenge, such as climate change or the future of energy. The programme culminates in a dramatic finale, during which the best teams propose their solutions to a panel of industry experts and academics. It’s one of the highlights of the MBA year and really pushes students to approach problems from a new perspective.”

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

At its heart, says Aileen Brown, the Oxford MBA is a place where MBAs tackle the big problems. Integrating economics, finance, technology, and management tools, the program focuses on leveling the playing field, widening access, and creating opportunities – a philosophy that connects profit and purpose across curriculum.

“It’s not just one course at SBS,” observes Amandine Roche. “Not only do the professors in our core management courses integrate examples with an environmental, social, and governance focus, but the programme has specialised courses in which the whole cohort is involved. This includes courses such as Global Rules of the Game, Responsible Business, and Global Opportunities & Threats: Oxford (GOTO). This aspect of the Oxford MBA was important to me when I was comparing programmes. That’s because it is aligned to my belief that, as global citizens and leaders, we cannot ignore the impact of our individual/collective actions and decisions on the environment, society, and governance structures right now and in the future. I strongly believe in actively taking a long-term view and considering the perspectives of all stakeholders who could be affected by my decisions.”

This elevation of sustainability, coupled with the intensive resources devoted to entrepreneurship, make an Oxford MBA all the more formidable in an uncertain and changing business landscape. “At Saïd, sustainability is more than just a side note,” writes Simona Eicher, a Swiss McKinsey consultant. “It is engraved in every class: in Analytics the example data displayed was about CO2 levels in the atmosphere and in Accounting we talked about how to measure and disclose climate-related KPIs and so on. Additionally, there is a large range of courses that specifically focus on sustainability such as Impact Investment, Regenerative and Circular Economy or the GOTO program. Furthermore, Saïd truly fosters entrepreneurship. We are closely connected to the Oxford Foundry and there are regular opportunities to gain support for your own idea or connect to an early-stage start-up.”

EMBRACING THE “UNEXPECTED AND UNPLANNED”

Beyond the Saïd philosophy, there is the Oxford experience – and a brand revered the world over. This access to the broader university – and the benefits that come with it – inspired Ashleigh Herd to take a leap of faith and move to the United Kingdom for an unforgettable year.

“The opportunity to be a member of an Oxford College and the Oxford Union, access the famous university libraries, explore the historical sites within the town and nearby, and learn from students and faculty from other cultures and disciplines is unmatched. To justify taking a year off from my work, I wanted more than just a traditional business school experience. I felt that Oxford offered a more diverse and eclectic program that would facilitate a broader and more versatile understanding of what business is and how it interacts with society.”

Sure enough, Pascal Riederer is already taking advantage of these synergies with the larger university, with its 20,000 students and “world-class ecosystem of researchers and spinouts.”

“In term one, I teamed up with a Ph.D. student in robotics to help a Dutch A.I. startup develop a go-to-to market strategy,” Riederer notes. “In term two, I will be on a team with material science Ph.D. students to develop an innovative product strategy for a global textile brand. Together with three fellow MBA students, we’ve founded a pre-seed venture capital vehicle and scout Oxford spinouts as investment opportunities. I’m thankful to be a part of the Oxford community of like-minded collaborators.”

Many times, these collaborations are accidental, born over formal dinners and introductions from the unexpected connections at the school. That may be the best part of the Oxford experience, says Ashleigh Herd. It is a place where you find new passions, toss your plans out the window, and ultimately embrace the moment.

“The greatest learning I have had is that the best things in life are unexpected and unplanned. I know that I want to spend my career and my life helping others unleash their potential, training people to be more effective and impactful leaders, and helping organizations design sustainable programs and cultures to value and utilize this potential for the benefit of all parties. However, where this will be or what this will look like will evolve over the next decade into something greater than I could possibly imagine right now.”

What led these professionals to enter business schools? Which programs did they also consider? What strategies did they use to choose their MBA program? What was the major event that defined them? Find the answers to these questions and many more in the in-depth profiles of these incoming MBA candidates. 

 

MBA Student	Hometown	Undergrad Alma Mater	Last Employer
Florian Alvarez	Port-au-Prince, Haïti	Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Technologie (ENST)	Banj
Aileen Brown	Mexico City, Mexico	Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE)	Mexican Ministry of Finance
Samuel Darko	Accra, Ghana	Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology	African Leadership University (ALU)
Simona Eicher	Zurich, Switzerland	University of Zurich	McKinsey & Company
Natalia Elizabeth Espinola Lopez	Asuncion, Paraguay	Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción	Inter-American Development Bank
Ashleigh Herd	NA	Kansas State University	Leprino Foods Company
Anike Lawal	Lagos, Nigeria	Trinity College Dublin	Mamalette Community Foundation
Amandine Roche	Washington, D.C.	McGill University	Goldman Sachs
Pascal Riederer	Hamburg, Germany	Hamburg School of Business Administration	Mignon
Rangan Srikhanta	Sydney, Australia	University of Technology, Sydney	One Education