Melisa Abimbola

Warwick Business School

“Driven to make a change in the new more socially and sustainably conscious world.”

Hometown: Camden, London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have written music with artists from very diverse musical genres, from Akon to Roger Sanchez, with the coolest session with Rock music superstar Melissa Etheridge.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Leicester, Bachelor of Arts, Management with Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: BMG, Songwriter

What word best describes your classmates and give an example of why? Diverse! At WBS, I have been privileged to work in syndicate groups and be amongst a cohort of students from all parts of the globe. With a true diversity of thought and varied backgrounds, we have a truly inclusive and diverse cohort in which everyone is approachable, intellectual and interesting.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Warwick Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The ranking of the WBS MBA was a definite pull factor for my application to this programme. The staff at the business school, in particular Magda Brown and Karen Barker, went above and beyond to assist through the application process, and early career planning process. The support I received from WBS occurred even before arriving on campus, as I was immediately introduced to students currently enrolled on the MBA by Magda, which provided me with further confidence that my year in academia would be intellectually stimulating and rewarding. Funding my course was possible due to the extremely generous and supportive financial support in bursaries and scholarships from the school.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Warwick Business School? Currently, I am Vice-President of the Marketing Club. I have thoroughly enjoyed planning events as a member of the leadership team for this club, and it has been great to work collaboratively with the diverse team of five fellow marketers from a range industries. My role as Vice-President has been creatively rewarding. I have enjoyed being resourceful in planning the logistics of talks and being innovative in creating content for our presentations for fellow students. I have also enjoyed the entrepreneurial support at WBS. Early on in the programme, we had talks organised with angel investors and venture capitalists. As a woman of color,  I became able to understand early on the diverse array of early funding available to entrepreneurs which has been particularly exciting.

What has been your best memory at the Warwick Business School so far? Why? The induction week was phenomenal; having spent many years working in the music industry, I’m very difficult to impress. However, the dinner at Coombe Abbey was a wonderful way to begin the MBA programme and the talk by Warwick Business School Dean, Andy Lockett, was particularly inspirational.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It’s difficult to point to one specific achievement having already ticked many things off my bucket list. However, choosing to pursue the Full-time MBA has been a phenomenal leap of faith for me in taking the right steps to gain the necessary technical skills to pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions post-graduation.

What do you hope to do after graduation? My intention is to secure funding for the launch of an entrepreneurial venture. My ambition is to become a leader in the world of business. With the WBS MBA I will be equipped with the necessary technical knowledge to become a successful entrepreneur.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Warwick Business School’s MBA program? For me the personal statement and references were the most important part of the initial application process. I believe the creativity, honesty, and personability of my statement is what secured my acceptance onto this highly competitive programme. Every MBA candidate I have spoken to has something unique and interesting about them, including previous rugby players, experienced academics, and individuals from creative backgrounds.

DON’T MISS: MEET WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2022