MBA

Meet Imperial’s Executive MBA Class of 2027

Rebecca Pike — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:31:29 +0000

Meet Imperial’s Executive MBA Class of 2027

Rebecca Pike Tue, 04/03/2025 - 09:31

15 April 2026 Student blog

Developing as a strategic leader through Imperial’s Executive MBA Leadership Journey retreat

Valentina Amoroso and the Executive MBA Class of 2026 recently attended the Executive Leadership retreat, an immersive experience designed for reflection, coaching and applied leadership development.

1 April 2026 Features

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

Part-time MBA programmes have grown in popularity as more professionals look for flexible ways to develop their skills while continuing to work. At Imperial, options include the Weekend MBA, Global Online MBA and Executive MBA, each designed to fit around different schedules and career goals.

9 March 2026 Scholarship blog

Championing women in leadership with the Inspiring Women – Executive MBA Scholarship

Executive MBA student Pragya Joshi shares why she chose Imperial Business School, what receiving the Inspiring Women – Executive MBA Scholarship means to her, and how she hopes to champion greater female representation in senior leadership.

2 March 2026

Features

The business world is evolving at a rapid rate. As organisations navigate AI integration and systemic change, the Executive MBA Class of 2027 reflects the evolving needs of modern business leaders. With a comprehensive curriculum designed to tackle this evolving landscape, our Executive MBA is designed specifically to equip established senior professionals with the insight, expertise and confidence to continue making a meaningful difference in their field . Supported by expert faculty and a powerful peer network, the Class of 2027 will graduate uniquely positioned not just to navigate change, but to lead it.

Welcoming the Executive MBA Class of 2027: a global cohort of senior professionals

At the start of the year, we welcomed a new and dynamic cohort of executive professionals to Imperial Business School’s Executive MBA programme. The Class of 2027 brings together 31 experienced professionals – 42% of whom are female – from a wide range of industries, backgrounds and countries. With an average of 15 years’ work experience across healthcare, finance, consulting, technology, media, government and real estate, and 19 nationalities represented, this eclectic mix creates dynamic classroom conversations.

Over the next 23 months, our executive professionals will enhance their leadership capabilities through a rigorous and tailored curriculum. Through conversation and collaboration, the Executive MBA will interweave the most up-to-date knowledge of emerging technologies with fundamental business topics to further enhance their careers.

Why senior professionals choose Imperial’s Executive MBA

In our discussions, the new Executive MBA Class of 2027 chose our programme because they:

Are established in their careers and are ready to make a lasting impact as a leader.
Would benefit from a flexible, blended learning format that fits around an executive schedule and limits time away from the office.
Want to see the impact of learning in real-time, applying learning from Saturday into their business on Monday.
Are looking to strengthen self-awareness and strategic thinking skills.
Want exposure to global business settings and challenges through international residencies.
Are keen to explore the intersection of STEM, technology and business and how it is shaping organisations.
Want to advance their careers, supported by the most up-to-date business insights.
Value a diverse, multidisciplinary learning environment, learning alongside executive professionals from multiple industries.
Want access to a global network of experienced professionals.
Seek lifelong learning opportunities to stay up-to-date and create lasting impact.

We recently met with some of our business leaders from the Executive MBA Class of 2027 to discover the people behind the programme, from their career journeys to their motivations and why they ultimately chose to study with us.

Akin Akinyemi

Nationality: British
Company and job role: Bloomberg LP, Global Head of Quality Methods & Insights
Education: MEng Electronics & Electrical Engineering with Business Studies, University of Strathclyde; Engineering Doctorate System Level Integration, University of Edinburgh

How has your professional journey across industries prepared you for leadership?

My journey has been more diverse than I ever anticipated. I started at the intersection of healthcare and AI, researching machine learning for computer-aided medical diagnosis, before transitioning briefly into the energy sector as a software engineer.

For the last decade, however, I have worked in financial services in various data leadership roles. Today, I lead a function at Bloomberg where we are embedding industrial engineering techniques into our data manufacturing processes.

Why did you choose an Executive MBA at this stage of your career, and why Imperial?

I’ve reached a pivotal point where my role has shifted from managing specialists to driving large-scale organisational transformation. While my technical foundation is solid, leading a transformation function at a global firm like Bloomberg requires a broader, multi-dimensional toolkit. I see the Executive MBA as the bridge to the next decade of my career, providing the intellectual rigour and diverse perspectives necessary to move from functional leadership to high-impact business leadership.

Having hired several Imperial engineering alumni throughout my career, I was already well-acquainted with the calibre of the community and the strength of the brand. I wanted to be part of an ecosystem that does not just teach management in a vacuum but understands how to harness technical innovation to solve real-world business challenges.

What are the benefits of balancing an Executive MBA with full-time work?

I view my organisation as a laboratory for the frameworks I’m learning in the classroom. Beyond applying strategy and design thinking to my own projects, I see my role as a 'multiplier'; taking the tools and insights gained at Imperial and sharing them to develop the talent around me. For instance, I’m already viewing our philanthropic initiatives through the lens of the Corporate Sustainability module, allowing me to contribute more strategically to our firm's broader social impact.

Ella Dehghani

Nationality: Iranian
Company and role: EllaVates, Founder
Education: MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo; MSc Macromolecular Materials, KTH Royal Institute of Technology; Doctor of Science – Materials Science, ETH Zurich

Why pursue an Executive MBA at this stage of a senior healthcare career?

I’ve worked across pharmaceuticals, medtech, digital health and healthcare innovation, often at the intersection of science, business and policy. Today, my work focuses on strategic leadership in healthcare, alongside independent initiatives aimed at improving how health systems translate evidence into practice.

At this stage of my career, I am already operating at a senior level. My focus is increasingly on preventive healthcare and system-level change - moving upstream, where earlier intervention, better data use and smarter incentives can improve outcomes at scale.

What I need is not functional training, but space to sharpen judgment, challenge assumptions and strengthen how I lead across organisations and systems. The Executive MBA provides exactly that, without stepping away from practice.

Why is a STEM-focused Executive MBA advantageous for healthcare leaders?

Understanding technology and innovation is critical for leaders today, particularly in healthcare. Decisions increasingly shape not just organisations, but patient outcomes and population health. Imperial’s science-driven environment supports a more responsible and informed approach to innovation.

How will the Executive MBA strengthen your leadership and decision-making skills?

For me, leadership is about creating clarity where systems are complex, making informed decisions with incomplete information and enabling others to do their best work. It is as much about responsibility and judgment as it is about direction.

Through the Executive MBA, I want to further strengthen my systems thinking, strategic decision-making in uncertainty and executive communication – particularly where science, regulation and business priorities intersect.

Alongside the strategy, leadership and innovation-focused modules, learning alongside experienced peers adds depth and realism to every discussion. It surfaces blind spots and challenges comfortable thinking in ways that are difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Eloina Pesce

Nationality: Italian
Company and role: Darktrace, VP Channel Sales EMEA
Education: BA in Marketing, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca

What is your reason for pursuing an Executive MBA?

For the past six and a half years, I’ve been immersed in the cybersecurity industry at Darktrace. For that reason, pursuing an Executive MBA will serve a dual purpose. First, it’s about becoming a more well-rounded leader and ensuring that I can collaborate effectively across functions and speak the language of finance, operations, product and other critical areas of the organisation.

Second, it’s about preparation for the next chapter. As I look toward more senior leadership roles, I recognise that success at that level requires not just functional expertise but strategic thinking, financial acumen and the ability to lead holistically across the business. The Executive MBA is my investment in building that foundation now so that when the opportunity comes, I’m ready to step into it with confidence.

Which modules and leadership initiatives are you most looking forward to?

I’m particularly excited about the “Leveraging AI for Sustainable Business Value” module. Given the pace of AI adoption in my industry, this module feels incredibly timely, addressing how we move beyond experimentation to create genuine, sustainable value. Assessing AI initiatives through a holistic business lens – considering operational changes, ROI, risk and long-term viability – is a skill I want to develop further.

Beyond the classroom learning, I’m particularly excited about the leadership journey with our Executive Coaches. That kind of personalised development will directly influence how I show up as a leader: how I present to senior stakeholders, how I coach and develop my team and how I navigate complex interpersonal dynamics within the organisation.

How does learning with senior executive peers enhance the Executive MBA experience?

Learning alongside experienced executive peers is one of the most valuable aspects of the Executive MBA for me. The ability to discuss a complex business challenge with smart, accomplished professionals who come from completely different industries, opens perspectives I simply wouldn’t encounter in my day-to-day work in tech and cybersecurity.

Edmond Chan

Nationality: British
Company and role: Astellas, Global Medical Affairs Lead
Education: Doctorate of Medicine, Imperial; Master in Science, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery, University of Dundee

What has your career journey in healthcare looked like to date?

I was trained as a kidney medicine specialist and worked in clinical practice before joining the pharmaceutical industry, which is where I’ve been for the last 13 years. I’m currently one of the global leads for the medical affairs function in Astellas Pharmaceuticals. My role bridges science and strategy in healthcare organisations, ensuring that accurate, evidence-based information is generated, communicated and applied in the industry.

What does being part of the Imperial Business School community mean to you?

I am very excited to be a part of the Imperial Business School global family. This strong and extensive network is one that I hope to rely on to find guidance and support for any future ventures. From potential new business partners, to nurturing future leaders who share the same aspirations as me, the community here really does show you the value of Imperial.

Beyond career progression, what long-term impact do you think Imperial and the Executive MBA will have on you?

As a proud recipient of the Imperial LGBTQ+ Scholarship, I believe that studying at Imperial will ensure that inclusion is not merely talked about, but actively practised.

The Executive MBA will broaden my impact, strengthen my leadership within the pharmaceutical industry and allow me to drive meaningful change. Championing diversity and inclusion on top of this ensures that no one in our community feels that their identity is a barrier to success.

Pragya Joshi

Nationality: British
Company and role: Barclays Bank, VP – Communications & Engagement (Product Technology) (most recent)
Education: BA (Hon.) Journalism (Major), Economics and Political Science (Minor), Delhi University; MA International Relations as a Chevening Scholar from India, University of Leicester; MSc South Asian Studies, University of Oxford

How has your professional journey across strategy, technology and communications shaped your leadership perspective?

I have spent 17 years at the intersection of strategy, technology and communication across banking, consulting, fintech, research and media. In my most recent role, I served as VP of Communications & Engagement for the ProductTechnology division, partnering with CIOs on large-scale digital transformation.

What has shaped my perspective is navigating complexity - regulatory environments, cross-cultural stakeholder management and translating technical transformation into narratives that drive change. I have learned that the hardest problems are rarely technical; they are about alignment, clarity and bringing people along.

What made Imperial Business School stand out when researching Executive MBA

After evaluating other London-based programmes, Imperial consistently emerged as the strongest choice for me. It stood out because it is built for leaders who operate in environments where technology is not adjacent to strategy but embedded in it.

With expert faculty across AI, data science and engineering, the modular structure and its London location offered a compelling combination of academic depth and practical applicability. The Executive MBA felt designed for the world we are stepping into, not the one we are leaving behind.

Why was an Executive MBA the right choice at this stage of your career?

I’ve led communications, marketing and strategic initiatives across a wide range of industries. While I’m confident in the impact I can deliver today, I wanted to deepen my understanding of finance, data analytics and artificial intelligence - areas that now sit at the heart of strategic decision-making.

This stage of my career also demands strong judgment and balance. Managing senior leadership roles alongside raising a three-and-a-half-year-old has reinforced the value of focus, preparation and a sense of humour to make even the busiest weeks workable – if I can survive toddler negotiations, I can survive modular deadlines.

With this in mind, taking a purposeful career break to pursue an Executive MBA at Imperial felt like the right next step. The curriculum promises to accelerate my development and enable me to contribute confidently at board level and lead transformational programs with authority.

Abiy Solomon

Nationality: British
Company and role: UN Trade and Development, External Relations Officer
Education: BA (Hons) Politics with Business Management, Queen Mary University of London; MSc Development Studies, SOAS University of London; MSc Management of Intellectual Property, Queen Mary University of London

How has your employer supported your decision to pursue an Executive MBA at Imperial?

The response from my employer has been very positive. Throughout my career, I have worked across intergovernmental organisations – most notably the United Nations – where I have contributed to policy research and analysis, project implementation and international consensus building. More recently, I have stepped into a new position as External Relations Officer.

In my role, there is a strong appreciation for the importance of continuous learning and leadership development, particularly in the complex geopolitical and rapidly evolving technological landscape. The Executive MBA is seen not only as an individual investment, but one that will strengthen my ability to contribute more thoughtfully and strategically in my professional role.

What are the benefits of learning alongside executive professionals from diverse sectors?

Coming from an intergovernmental and multilateral background, I am currently the only participant in my cohort with this type of industry experience. This makes the opportunity for cross-sectoral learning particularly valuable. I am keen not only to learn from peers in the private sector, but also to contribute a different perspective shaped by policy, diplomacy and international cooperation. This exchange helps challenge perceptions on both sides and ultimately leads to more nuanced, well-rounded leadership thinking.

Why are immersive global experiences important for senior leaders?

For leaders at this level, immersive global experiences provide the opportunity to step outside familiar environments and engage directly with different innovation ecosystems, leadership cultures and ways of thinking – all of which are critical when operating in complex, global settings.

Having witnessed first-hand the level of advancement, innovation and dynamism across the Global South, I see them as the next frontier for economic growth and investment and am keen to explore global experiences in these markets.

Sepideh Shokrpour

Nationality: Iranian
Company and role: Bloomberg Media, Director of Coalitions and Community Innovation
Education: BSc Embryology and Physiology; Monash University

How has your professional journey across business, media and social impact evolved so far?

My career has evolved across business development, strategy and community-led initiatives at the intersection of media, healthcare, finance and social impact . Having worked across Australia, Hong Kong, the United States and the UK, I’ve developed a global perspective on how organisations operate within complex systems.

I currently serve as Director of Coalitions and Community Innovation at Bloomberg Media, where I collaborate with a global network of CEOs, policymakers, subject matter experts and entrepreneurs to develop actionable solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing business and society, particularly in climate and health.

How will you leverage Imperial’s global network and diverse Executive MBA community?

As organisations and industries continue to evolve at a record-breaking pace, staying intellectually agile requires exposure to perspectives beyond one’s immediate sector or role. Being part of a global network of ambitious, highly informed peers allows me to remain closely connected to how different sectors are adapting to change and how those insights can translate into immediate implementation in my work.

Over the long term, I see the Imperial community not just as a network, but as a living resource of people with whom I can exchange ideas, collaborate and continue learning well beyond the programme itself.

Tuncer Gulcicek

Nationality: Turkish
Company and role: BBVA London, Executive Director of Global Markets – Cross-Asset Sales & Coverage
Education: BSc Economics, Bilkent University; MSc Financial Engineering, Boğaziçi University

What has your professional background in global financial markets looked like?

My career spans two decades in global financial markets, with a strong focus on cross-asset solutions across FX, rates, credit and structured products.

I am currently an Executive Director at BBVA London in the Global Markets division, working as a cross-asset sales and coverage professional focused on Turkey, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. My role sits at the intersection of client coverage, structuring and strategic origination, helping financial institutions navigate balance-sheet, funding and risk-management challenges in complex and often volatile markets.

How does the Executive MBA enable immediate application of learning at work?

I view the programme as an integrated part of my professional development rather than a parallel activity. At this stage of my career, learning must be practical, immediately applicable and intellectually demanding. The Executive MBA allows me to build on experience rather than pause it, while providing structured reflection on leadership, strategy and transformation.

I expect to apply the learning directly to strategic client coverage, cross-border decision-making and team leadership. Whether it is framing complex problems more clearly, managing risk under uncertainty, or leading diverse teams, the programme offers tools that can be implemented immediately.

Over the next 23 months, ��ý can expect an Executive MBA programme shaped by Imperial’s focus on technology, innovation and leadership. They can look forward to:

Global Immersions: study experiences in Zurich, London and Boston, examining fintech, medtech, and deep tech ecosystems.
Executive Leadership Journey: a structured module that aims to develop self-awareness, influence and responsible leadership at senior and board level.
Capstone: a five-day intensive project in a European technology hub, where teams develop and test a viable business case for an emerging technology.
STEM ecosystem: engagement with Imperial’s science and engineering ecosystem, including access to the Enterprise Lab to support entrepreneurship pursuits.
Executive peer network: learning alongside an international cohort of senior executives.
Personalised career advice: the ability to apply learnings directly to the workplace and tailored guidance from a dedicated Career Consultant.

Discover our programme

Executive MBA

Off

Programme

Executive MBA

Discover the ��ý behind the programme, from their career journeys to their motivations to pursue Imperial’s Executive MBA

14 minute read

Alumni profile: From pharma to Fay&Mamie

Francesca Hoare — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:31:29 +0000

Alumni profile: From pharma to Fay&Mamie

Francesca Hoare Tue, 04/03/2025 - 09:31

4 March 2026 Alumni

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

After beginning his career at Finance Think, Besnik Mustafa went on to advise Members of Parliament in North Macedonia. He later joined Salience Consulting, gaining experience across multiple international markets.

27 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Imposter syndrome is something our careers consultants encounter frequently when supporting professionals through moments of growth, transition, and increased responsibility.

13 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

As the world of work continues to shift through the rise of remote working and rapid advances in AI, our careers consultants are increasingly supporting professionals who want to stay visible, valued, and strategically positioned.

9 November 2021

Alumni

After nearly 9 years in the world of pharma in both account management and marketing roles, Sidsel Bockhahn-Tylecote (Full-Time MBA 2011) decided it was time for a change. With a passion for arts and crafts, Sidsel took inspiration from childhood memories, her Scandinavian heritage, and drew on her marketing skills to release her inner creative entrepreneur!

Despite the challenges of lockdown, in January 2021 Fay&Mamie was launched selling sustainable table decoration kits, alongside creative blogs and videos on how to create your own beautiful lunch and dinner tables.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

My memories are full of wonderful festive family gatherings and dinner parties where my grandmothers would whiz around the house setting gorgeous dinner tables with things they found in nature or bits and bobs from around the house. When I started hosting myself, I quickly found that tableware and table decorations were missing something. Everything I saw was too pricey or too boring and trust me, I’ve been looking!

I decided to change that. Through Fay&Mamie I sell cool, affordable table linens which you don’t need to iron, and easy-to-assemble table decoration. Most Fay&Mamie products have a crafty element because I believe in the value of making something your own.

I also took inspiration for the company name from my childhood and family: Fay - or fairy, as my hope is to add a bit of magic to the everyday and make a meal more than just a meal! And Mamie - a nickname for grandmother, to honour my two grandmothers.

Why did you decide the time was right to set up your own business?

My plan was to launch in 2020. I had the idea and I’d been working towards reducing the hours of my full time job for over a year. I’ve heard of lots of people taking the opportunity during lockdown to kick off their entrepreneurial dreams as they suddenly had all this time on their hands, for me however, 2020 was a big challenge professionally speaking. I had a small child, who wasn’t able to go to nursery for half the year, so there wasn’t really any time for a side gig. I officially launched in January 2021, but that was after a lot of behind-the-scenes work during evenings and my daughter’s nap time!

I also took inspiration for the company name from my childhood and family: Fay - or fairy, as my hope is to add a bit of magic to the everyday and make a meal more than just a meal! And Mamie - a nickname for grandmother, to honour my two grandmothers.

How did you feel leaving the corporate world to become self-employed?

I thoroughly enjoyed working for Johnson&Johnson; it’s an amazing company where you really get to see ‘best practice’ in action in a lot of areas of business. While there, I was in marketing, account management and sales and I was lucky enough to work in several different countries. Leaving the corporate world behind was not an easy decision, but I simply had to give my business idea a go. I must say, I love being self-employed! It comes with a lot of responsibility and uncertainty but I love the freedom that it also gives me.

What lessons have you learned so far?

I’ve learnt so much but let me stick to three points:

Make sure to share your idea. Whenever I have a conversation with someone about Fay&Mamie, whether it’s someone who could be a potential customer or a fellow entrepreneur, I almost always leave having learnt something that influences how I go about building my business.
Structure your week. It can be quite overwhelming the number of tasks you need to do when you run your own business and though you may work really long days it can still feel as if you get nowhere. A friend of mine, who is also self-employed, suggested planning the whole week keeping the tasks specific (e.g. find fabric for new placemat kit), instead of broad and vague (e.g. built 2022 strategy) and make sure to be realistic about time needed. This way of working has helped me feel a lot more satisfied as I can see exactly how much I’ve accomplished after a working day.
Get into PR & SEO. No matter how great your product or service is, no customers will ‘automatically’ find you. You need to drive the traffic, and if your marketing budget is zero then you need to get into PR to generate it. Consider local papers, online magazines, blogs open to guest posts, influencers and more. There are a lot of options out there. If you’re an e-commerce business then SEO (search engine optimization) is equally important and online PR related mentions can help here; but SEO is much more than that of course.

As a startup, how do you go about sourcing products and suppliers and setting price points?

As Fay&Mamie is still at a ‘proof of concept’ stage, I’ve decided to invest in a broad range of products with limited stock to test as many options as possible, rather than build up a large warehouse of stock. I use local suppliers who are happy to sell very limited quantities at any given time; in several cases, I make the products myself. This is all intentionally done to keep cost low while ensuring a quality product. For startups that do not have such an opportunity, for example, because their product cannot be made by hand, I would start by visiting relevant trade shows for contacts and reach out to supply chain agents specializing in the category.

Pricing is a really interesting area and something I love working on! I firstly started by taking a jumping off point in the consumer, rather than what made more sense from a profits point of view. The former is of course crucial but should come at a later stage, I believe. I asked myself: What would they be willing to pay? What commercial and non-commercial competitive solutions are available to them? And at what price points? I have intentionally priced my products rather affordably considering most are handmade, as this is where I see an opportunity. Example: In the UK, to set a table with quality fabric napkins and a tablecloth or a table runner, you can easily spend £100s! In other words, tableware becomes something you have very little of and typically not something you buy for yourself on a regular basis. It’s a classic wedding present and something most people only use for Christmas and similar major annual events. I’m hoping Fay&Mamie can make setting a gorgeous table a more everyday activity requiring a series of different linens and decorative items you can pick and choose from - and acquire yourself without breaking the bank. At the end of the day, food does taste better served at a gorgeous table and in lovely company!

What has been the highlight so far?

Managing the development a whole portfolio of very cool products despite of the fact that I’m not a designer! My background as an innovation consultant and marketer certainly helped me structure the process but I’m still pretty proud of pulling it off!

Entrepreneurship

MBA

Programme

Full-Time MBA

5 minute read

Alumni profile: David Poole (MBA 1998)

Francesca Hoare — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:31:29 +0000

Alumni profile: David Poole (MBA 1998)

Francesca Hoare Tue, 04/03/2025 - 09:31

4 March 2026 Alumni

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

27 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Imposter syndrome is something our careers consultants encounter frequently when supporting professionals through moments of growth, transition, and increased responsibility.

13 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

8 June 2021

Alumni

Describing himself as ‘theoretically retired’ David Poole (MBA 1998) has never been so busy. And that must be saying something given he has an Imperial MBA, a PhD from SOAS, University of London and managed an incredibly successful marketing consulting firm; “famous for our creativity and strategic insights, winning every major domestic and international award for our work.”

He has just published his first book entitled ‘Entrepreneurs and SMEs in Rwanda’ influenced by his experiences of providing support to businesses in Rwanda. This sparked his interest in the country's efforts to kick start economic development through entrepreneurship and SME sector creation. He chose to write a book to share his key insights as he felt the findings had “serious implications for other developing economies”.

Tell us about your book

The book deconstructs myths around entrepreneurship and SMEs, and explores how a more free-market capitalist approach to the economy has failed to address the economic challenges facing countries like Rwanda. I researched many accomplished and aspiring entrepreneurs, to identify the factors associated with successful entrepreneurship, which uncovered the unintended consequences of the entrepreneurship and SME development prescription.

What is the background as to how your book came about?

After selling my business to a US listed group I went back to university and completed an MSc in Development Studies at SOAS. By an odd twist of fate, I subsequently found myself leading a team of volunteers teaching business skills to handicrafts enterprises in Rwanda. This led me to explore the government’s ambitious economic development plan, Vision 2020, which in turn led to a PhD at SOAS that sought to explain the reasons for the mismatch between the government’s economic plan and real enterprise landscape that had emerged.

What lessons from Rwanda’s entrepreneurial journey can be applied to the wider world?

I think there are implications for both developing and developed economies. The book exposes the policy myths around entrepreneurs and SME development in Africa and reveals the counterproductive consequences of the policy. Based on false premises, the Rwandan enterprise paradox is an unsurprising outcome and the lessons learned have implications that go way beyond Rwanda.

Although the narrative journeys explored in the book are located in a low-income economy, they expose the mythology surrounding entrepreneurship more generally and resonate completely with the behaviour and attitudes of entrepreneurs in developed economy contexts.

“The majority of people, who have never tried to start a business, have absolutely no concept of what really drives an entrepreneur or the characteristics associated with success. The book thoroughly debunks a whole range of myths about entrepreneurship.”

Looking back at your time at Imperial, how did it influence your career?

I launched my business, DP&A, on April Fool’s Day 1991 – an ironic nod to the fact that it was probably the most foolish thing I had ever contemplated. Four years later it was proving to be reasonably successful but I was concerned that my primary skills were in marketing. I was increasingly asking myself whether I had a broad enough set of business skills, or whether I would ultimately have to hand over the reins to someone else. Following advice, I embarked on the Imperial MBA.

Throughout the programme I acquired a wide range of highly relevant skills that helped me to drive the business forward.

One particular insight had a dramatic effect. In the early stages I knew every client and was intimately involved in developing strategies for their businesses. As the client base expanded, this became increasingly difficult. I found I was trying to be involved in everything and consequently spreading myself too thinly across both my business and the client base. The MBA helped me to realise that there was no one best way to run a business and that creating hierarchical management structures merely gave the illusion of control.

There was one particular light bulb moment when exploring organisation theories and metaphors. I realised that my business and my own role could also be seen metaphorically and I came to use the idea of a circus (please don’t laugh!). Instead of trying to be at the centre of each and every act, my evolving role had to be that of circus ringmaster. I had already recruited immensely talented people and my job was now to create a supportive context in which they could perform to the maximum of their ability. My function was to guide and support their personal development and challenge them to go to even greater heights. It was a turning point for the business. We were soon the largest and most respected independent business in our sector. Without Imperial this would not have been the case. We were famous for our creativity and strategic insights and were known throughout the industry as the best place to work, renowned for training and developing people.

Do you have a favourite memory from your time at the Business School?

I was surrounded by an outstanding cohort of fellow ��ý and initially felt quite apprehensive about whether I was up to the intellectual challenges the MBA would present. The gradual dawning that I could not only cope but was in many ways already on the right track was incredibly motivating.

One memory really sticks out. During the entrepreneurship modules we were analysing a case study on why one business didn’t go to plan. The overall class feedback was that it was due to poor planning, but I disagreed. I remember getting really agitated about the idea that you could plan, in absolute detail, for every eventuality - what I now know is the need to act contingently. You can never forecast and plan for everything you will encounter when starting a business. At some stage you have to stop planning and just ‘get on with it’. The problems will present themselves soon enough, and when they do you can take remedial action to fix them. I remember using the analogy of building a boat. You can spend all your time trying to figure out where the boat might leak, but you will never find them all. At some point you just have to put the boat in the water. The leaks will then show themselves and you can plug them.

Above all this helped me realise and confirm the fact that an entrepreneurial journey was the right thing for me.

Entrepreneurship

MBA

Programme

Full-Time MBA

5 minute read

Alumni profile: Alberta Asafo-Asamoah

Francesca Hoare — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:31:29 +0000

Alumni profile: Alberta Asafo-Asamoah

Francesca Hoare Tue, 04/03/2025 - 09:31

4 March 2026 Alumni

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

27 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Imposter syndrome is something our careers consultants encounter frequently when supporting professionals through moments of growth, transition, and increased responsibility.

13 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

4 November 2021

Alumni

Alberta Asafo-Asamoah (Full-Time MBA 2021): inspiring entrepreneur, aspiring social impact investor and Women of the Future Awards MBA Star joint winner!

As an outgoing MBA student from the Business School, Alberta has already demonstrated outstanding leadership skills with her hard work earning her the Dean’s Impact Scholarship Award, as well as the Edie Hunt Inspiration Award, the best business pitch idea at Imperial’s Pitch ‘n’ Mix and also admission into the Black Valley accelerator programme.

We spoke to Alberta about her time at the Business School, her creative initiatives to tackling social problems and her commitment to helping SMEs achieve scale.

My time at Imperial

During my time at the Business School, I was an active volunteer, holding various leadership positions such as the Vice President of ImperialMBAWomen, a student-led club that seeks to bring together women across all Imperial’s MBA programmes and to celebrate their initiatives.

I was honoured to be the first European co-award recipient of the Edie Hunt Inspiration Award - a global award organised by the Forté Foundation celebrating the contribution that an individual has made to her school or community to advance women into business leadership positions.

I was also the Employer Relations’ Director for Africa Business Club and my goal was to help facilitate the club’s mission to connect Imperial talent to Africa-based opportunities, promote BAME talent within Imperial and beyond, and create industry specific content to bring BAME businesses and professionals into mainstream focus. I was able to form relationships with businesses and represent the Club on panels such as Imperial’s Employer forum to discuss how companies can build stronger relationships with Imperial student clubs.

By supporting emerging social impact enterprises and young entrepreneurs, I hope to open up opportunities for them and empower them to achieve their potential.

My current role and responsibility

I have spent a majority of my career in corporate banking, building relationships with businesses with turnover of ￡50m+ in the UK and providing debt finance to aid in their growth. After over four years in banking, I decided to combine my passion for social development and finance by pursuing a career in entrepreneurship and impact investing.

During this transitional phase, I founded AlgebraInTheCity (“AITC”) in 2018, an educational tuition and consulting business, to help bridge the educational attainment gap. I realised that there was a disparity in the curriculum used in selective schools, which encouraged problem-solving, in comparison to lower-income districts, which took a linear approach.

Since inception, I have developed my own method of teaching for young ��ý between the ages of 9 and 16, many who have successfully secured entrance into competitive schools and obtained excellent results.

My hope is to develop AITC by creating free educational content online, with free maths instructional videos for ��ý aged between 11 and 16, which focus on the KS3 and KS4 GCSE curriculum in the United Kingdom, the WAEC syllabus across the West African countries and SAT/SSAT/ACT for schools that use the U.S curriculum. I also want to further explore my entrepreneurial goals by digitising AITC and making 11+ and selective exam resources available on the platform which I hope to launch shortly.

Through AITC’s community outreach programme, I have been involved in managing the operations of two charities called ‘Little Cherubs Kids Club’ and ‘Fantastic Learning’. It has been a privilege to support their tremendous growth, as well as develop the programme syllabi and lead on sourcing funding for the business.

The future

My vision is to lead social impact projects in London and across Africa. To this end, I have successfully secured a role as a Senior Investment Analyst for a new gender equity fund managed by a global venture capital fund. I will be a consultant for the firm, working to support over 100 women-led enterprises in Africa on their mission to create social, environmental and economic impact by sourcing and evaluating investments for their business.

Separately, over the past year, I have also been working on developing a tech-focused fashion e-commerce platform for the African market. After recognising the gaps in the fashion ecosystem, namely lack of access to variety and quality brands across the continent, the limited financial support for emerging brands to grow and other infrastructure problems, I saw a need for a fashion and beauty platform tailored to the needs of local consumers.

My ultimate goal is to support local brands, promote sustainable shopping habits and in the long term, expand the business model to incorporate grant and microfinance products for designers. By supporting emerging social impact enterprises and young entrepreneurs, I hope to open up opportunities for them and empower them to achieve their potential.

Programme

3 minute read

Discover boat swapping, for a better way to travel Boataffair

Francesca Hoare — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:31:29 +0000

Discover boat swapping, for a better way to travel Boataffair

Francesca Hoare Tue, 04/03/2025 - 09:31

4 March 2026 Alumni

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

27 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Imposter syndrome is something our careers consultants encounter frequently when supporting professionals through moments of growth, transition, and increased responsibility.

13 February 2026 Alumni

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

19 March 2019

Alumni

Written by Adrian and Natalya Walker (both Full-time MBA 2014), this husband and wife team tell the story of how they came to set up Boataffair.

A first for the sailing community

Boat swapping is a first for the sailing world as a true sharing option for private boat owners. The yachting industry in general is still catching up with modern technology and trends. Many myths still exist in the market. Let us debunk some of them and explain how our Boat Sharing Community enables a new way to travel.

We both have 20 years of sailing and boating experience and a vast network of friends in the yachting world – we understand boat owners, their values and pain points.

After speaking with fellow boat owners and boating enthusiasts, we realised that among all boating platforms available out there, there was none that really catered for the needs of private boat owners. New platforms are very fast to shout how they’re the new ‘Airbnb’ for boats – there are numerous of them. But while many boat platforms aim at enabling boat owners to rent out their vessel in order to make more money Airbnb-style, we realised two things:

In most countries renting out your private vessel is next to illegal or very paperwork-heavy. These boating platforms mislead the public somewhat therefore.
Secondly, over 70% of private boat owners we talked to privately and through surveys do not want to rent out their boat. They tell us they would prefer to use their vessel to make new friends and simply share theirs with others. They were looking for a tool that connects them with other owners.

The idea for boat swapping was born: Boat swap is not a commercial transaction and the barriers to entry are a lot lower than with a boat rental scheme therefore.

What is Boat Swapping?

Boataffair is the first boating platform to truly cater for the needs and wishes of private boat owners. Within the boat swapping community, boat owners get the chance to share or swap their boat with other boat owners globally, liberating them from the need to charter a boat if you want to experience boating in a new location. We are well connected: to date, boat owners from over 30 countries, among them Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, USA, Greece, Italy, France or Spain, have joined the community. It is a unique opportunity to make like-minded friends and have the very best and joyous experience possible, and because you are hosted locals, you will have access to all the secret spots, not found in any guide book.

The benefits of boat swapping, or our boat sharing club, are manifold. Boat owners experience new boats in new countries and get to know new people. Make like-minded friends and discover new amazing boating locations through the eyes of the locals. Authentic experiences which you will not find in any guide book.

We have just arranged a boat swap between owners of sailing yachts in Australia and Montenegro and look forward to helping many more in the future.

Find out more about us here boataffair.com or write to us any time at welcome@boataffair.com.

MBA

Programme

Full-Time MBA

2 minute read

Alumni Q&A: Irfan Khan (MBA 2000)

Francesca Hoare — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 09:26:19 +0000

Alumni Q&A: Irfan Khan (MBA 2000)

Francesca Hoare Thu, 27/02/2025 - 09:26

4 March 2026 Alumni

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

6 November 2025 Alumni

Joanne Linder, Full-Time MBA 1996

Joanne Linder, Full-Time MBA 1996, is one of the Business School’s most dedicated alumni volunteers. She joined the Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) 13 years ago and was appointed Chair just a year later, providing steady leadership through a period of significant change.

22 October 2025 Alumni

Black History Month: Lola Aworanti-Ekugo, Weekend MBA 2018

Lola Aworanti-Ekugo, Weekend MBA 2018, is the founder of AfriBorder, a company which is revolutionising financial services and international trade across Africa through technology.

21 March 2025

Alumni

Irfan Khan completed his MSC in Engineering & Physical Science in Medicine at Imperial before going on to study for his MBA at Imperial Business School in 2000. Irfan is a visionary leader with over 25 years of experience dedicated to transforming healthcare in emerging markets, particularly in South Asia and Africa. As the Group CEO of Evercare Healthcare Group, he oversees a network of hospitals and clinics, pioneering patient-centered, sustainable healthcare systems. Renowned for his strategic foresight and empathy-driven leadership, Irfan has championed initiatives that enhance healthcare accessibility, affordability, and quality. His legacy includes fostering talent development, advancing digital health innovations, and building resilient systems to serve underserved communities. Irfan's work exemplifies a lifelong commitment to ethical, impactful healthcare leadership.

How did your studies at Imperial help inform your career in the healthcare sector?

Having come from an engineering background, my MSc in Engineering & Physical Science in Medicine at Imperial was my first experience of working in healthcare. We had the opportunity to work with clinicians and doctors, and it helped me to gain a much deeper understanding of medicine. I did my MBA at Imperial a few years later, which brought together the two pieces of the puzzle, business and medicine, to give me a holistic understanding of the healthcare industry.

My specialisation during my MBA was customer-focused strategy, which has been key to my work in hospitals. Healthcare is an emotional industry—you are dealing with people who are unwell, often someone’s friend or family member—so understanding a patient-centric approach was incredibly important.

Imperial's strength lies in its diverse student body and wide range of courses. Pursuing my MBA at a STEM-focused university was highly beneficial, as it naturally integrated science, technology, and medicine concepts.

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

For me, the standout achievement is about the people I work with. I think one of the major mandates of leadership is to build other leaders, not to just have followers, and I’m very proud of the talent I’ve helped to nurture in the countries we work in.

At Evercare, we operate in the emerging markets such as Kenya, Nigeria and Pakistan. It can be the case that future leaders in these markets end up leaving the country and taking their skills elsewhere. I have taken a personal interest in identifying, developing, and retaining future leaders within the countries where we operate.

There is no single formula for identifying aspiring leaders. The most important quality is a strong desire to learn. We can then get them the opportunities and qualifications they need to move forwards.

What do you think are the most important qualities for someone in a leadership position?

When you are in a leadership position, being a good communicator and an empathetic leader is very important.

I’d also say integrity for leaders is key. This is especially the case in a sector like healthcare where quality, ethics and patient safety must be paramount. In healthcare, we are responsible for people's lives, so there can be no compromise.

I work across lots of different cultures and countries, and there is one basic principle which applies everywhere, which is respect. You must be humble and willing to learn from each other.

What drew you to study in the UK and Imperial?

I chose Imperial for its reputation. Whenever I watched science or technology news, many of the experts featured were from Imperial. I think London is an amazing city to be a student in – it’s diverse, accepting and so well connected. It was a no-brainer really!

What does it mean for you to be an alumnus of Imperial?

Studying at Imperial is one of the best decisions I made in my life! When you tell people where you did your degree, it automatically brings a level of respect to the table. I have spent a good 25 years building my career and I think a lot can be attributed to the solid foundation I got from Imperial.

It’s important for me to give back—whether by giving talks or providing opportunities for Imperial ��ý to gain work experience in our hospitals.

The world is increasingly complex, with many career options available. I want to help ��ý navigate these opportunities. Many people may not consider a career in healthcare unless they are doctors or nurses. However, it is an incredibly rewarding field with diverse opportunities.

Programme

3 minute read

The MBA application events roadmap with Imperial Business School

Rebecca Pike — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:13:30 +0000

The MBA application events roadmap with Imperial Business School

Rebecca Pike Tue, 18/02/2025 - 09:13

1 April 2026 Features

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

26 February 2026 Careers

Do you feel like an imposter? Insights from Sophie Scott's Masterclass

MBA ��ý are taking leaps into the unknown all time, networking, relocating, career changing and plenty of self-doubt can creep in.

6 February 2026 Student blog

From Bilaspur, India to London: building my global business outlook at Imperial Business School

For Full-Time MBA student Shivangi Tiwari, the move from Bilaspur, India to London has opened doors to a diverse international network, practical business education and exposure to the UK’s thriving innovation ecosystem.

9 September 2024

Features

When considering going to Business School, it is important to do your research and get a good understanding of your chosen programme and institution. The more information you have, the more of an informed decision you can make. At Imperial Business School, we host a carefully curated set of events and sessions, both online and in person, that are designed to support applicants from the initial stages of research through to enrolment.

In this blog, we outline an events roadmap, covering the numerous touchpoints on your journey to completing an application for an MBA programme at Imperial Business School. We will outline the ideal events journey, demonstrating the importance of each event and what you will gain by attending.

Research

Step 1: Imperial's Open Day

An Open Day is your first opportunity to get a feel for the Business School. They are half-day weekend events held in-person at our South Kensington campus and give you the chance to determine if the Business School is the right fit for you and the experience you are looking for. At an Open Day, you can expect to attend:

An overview of our MBA programmes
A faculty masterclass - a chance to experience a sample lecture from our academics
An introduction to our Careers and Student Life teams
A chance to network with, hear from and meet ��ý, alumni and staff
Campus and facilities tours

Step 2: Information Session

Following the interest sparked by an Open Day, an Information Session can help to clarify whether the programme fits the style of MBA that you’re seeking, and offers an outline of what we, as a Business School, look for from you during the admissions process.

These deep-dive webinars are the best way to get an overview of your chosen programme. They include information about programme content and structure, class profiles, employment outcomes and initial information on the admissions process. The session ends with a Q&A section, offering a chance to get any initial questions answered.

"Open Days and Information Sessions are incredibly insightful. They not only showcase what Imperial has to offer but also provide an opportunity to interact with current ��ý to see if it's the right fit. I highly recommend these events to anyone considering joining the programmes!" - Eva Look, Full-Time MBA

MBA quiz

Which MBA is right for me

Imperial portal

Check your application status

Admissions blogs

Receive bespoke advice

Step 3: profile review or one-to-one

Having done your research through our events, and deciding that you would like to apply, a profile review is a great way to get questions answered on a one-to-one basis. Whether this be about the programme, life at the Business School or the admissions process, the Recruitment & Admissions team will be able to support whilst also providing bespoke advice on how to craft a competitive application for your chosen programme.

If you would prefer to attend in-person, the team also host a similar style of meeting through our one-to-ones which take place at our South Kensington campus or across the globe when the team are travel to different locations.

Step 4: 'MBA Information Session' webinar

Before submitting your application, one final recommended step is to tune into one of our 'MBA Information Session' webinars. These sessions are delivered directly by the Recruitment & Admissions team, and provide an overview of our programmes as well as a step-by-step guide on navigating the application process from initial application to interview.

These webinars are a great way to review your drafted application and check that you have gathered all the relevant details and supporting documents.

Applying

Step 5: submit your application

After completing the events journey, you should now be ready to submit your application. Using our online application portal, you will navigate through the system, completing the fields to provide the Recruitment & Admissions team with the required information. Once complete, you will upload your supporting documents before submitting to the team for assessment.

The round deadlines for each of our MBA programmes are available on the Admissions page for each programme, so if you would like to inform us of your application intentions and get any final support, we would love to hear from you.  

Though this final step marks the end of your application journey, it is potentially the start of an exciting new journey towards starting your MBA programme.

Throughout each step, the Recruitment team are here to support you. If you miss an event or want additional support, don’t hesitate to reach out. Email us

We wish you all the best with your application journey and hope to see you at one of our events soon!

Explore our programmes

Study at a global top-10 ranked university. Discover our suite of four Imperial MBAs, Masters' in finance, management, and specialised areas, PhD programme, and undergraduate courses.

Download a brochure

Our brochures contain information about the Business School, our unique position as part of ��ý, and details about our programmes, graduates, Careers team and alumni network.

Attend an event

Join us at an upcoming event to find out more about Imperial Business School.

MBA

Open Days

Recruitment Events

Off

Programme

4 minute read

What I've learned studying Imperial's Full-Time MBA

Helen Richardson — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:13:30 +0000

What I've learned studying Imperial's Full-Time MBA

Helen Richardson Tue, 18/02/2025 - 09:13

1 April 2026 Features

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

26 February 2026 Careers

Do you feel like an imposter? Insights from Sophie Scott's Masterclass

MBA ��ý are taking leaps into the unknown all time, networking, relocating, career changing and plenty of self-doubt can creep in.

6 February 2026 Student blog

From Bilaspur, India to London: building my global business outlook at Imperial Business School

23 April 2023

Student blog

Eva Look, a Full-Time MBA student, offers insights into her learning journey thus far. She delves into her module selections, explaining the rationale behind each choice and highlighting the significant lessons and takeaways from each module. Through her reflections, she provides a glimpse into the classroom experience integral to this programme.

About me

Prior to joining the programme, I worked in advertising agencies for six years in Hong Kong, providing marketing consultations and executing advertising campaigns.

My goal after graduation is to work in social impact and sustainability consulting roles, where I can utilise my expertise in a more impactful sector. I chose to study at Imperial Business School because of its reputation and its comprehensive and up-to-date programmes. For example, I am able to learn more about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in different modules, which may not be available at other schools yet. Let me share insights into the modules I've chosen for this term at Imperial!

My first impressions of Imperial Business School

In terms of the MBA ��ý and alumni I have encountered so far, my first impression was overwhelmingly positive.

The MBA cohort is not only culturally diverse but also incredibly friendly. We bonded closely during the two weeks before the start of the school year, engaging in team-building activities and treating each other as family members.

The support and love from the alumni community are also remarkable. Many alumni return to the business school to share their MBA journey and work experiences, and my mentor went the extra mile to welcome me to Imperial and give me a tour of the campus, which was heart-warming.

The modules I’ve chosen and why

This term, I've enrolled in six modules, including two compulsory ones: Marketing Management and Business Problem Solving. Additionally, I've opted for Design Thinking, Sustainability and Competitive Advantage, Data Analytics and Visualisation for Business, and Managing Negotiations as my elective modules. Let's dive deeper into a couple of these courses to provide a glimpse of my learning experience:

Data Analytics and Visualisation for Business

In this module, Professor Xiaocheng Li provided us an overview of various methods for handling, analysing, and visualising data. We acquired basic knowledge of tools such as Python, SQL, and Tableau. We also explored the application of AI tools in data analysis and gained an understanding of their strengths and limitations. An interesting fact we discovered was that if we ask GPT4 to perform calculations without using Python code, it fails to provide accurate answers. Throughout the programme, we had the opportunity to work on assignments using real-life data, where we tried building predictive models to solve business problems.

Design Thinking: Solving Complex Problems Through a Disruptive Mindset

In this module, we embarked on a 2.5-month journey exploring the design thinking methodology and process with Professor Ileana Stigliani. We began by defining the problem and conducting user research, followed by collecting and clustering inputs to gain key insights. Using these insights, we engaged in an idea generation process to generate numerous ideas, and then selected a few for testing and feedback. At the end of the module, we were required to present our process and final product to a panel consisting of professionals from creative agency. Throughout the journey, we were provided with tools and frameworks to guide us at every step. Our team focused on the challenge of helping ��ý land jobs more effectively, which involved interviewing ��ý, career consultants, and recruiters to understand their pain points. We then developed prototypes to test and refine our ideas, and finally proposing a AI-powered platform that consolidate various tools and platform together as a final product. It was a comprehensive and enriching experience that allowed us to apply design thinking principles in a practical context.

Business Problem Solving

In this module, Dr. Ian Mackenzie provided us with valuable insights into business problem solving and consulting. With his extensive practical experience, he presented us with various real-life business cases, guiding us on how to break down and address complex problems. These cases included topics such as organisational restructuring, innovation transformation, and even effective interview techniques. The sessions were highly interactive with active participation from our cohort, allowing us to learn from one another and gain different perspectives on how to approach the cases. To conclude the module, we will be working in groups to write a proposal based on a case study, applying the knowledge and skills we acquired throughout the sessions.

My favourite memory of the programme so far

While working with my classmates on various school projects and perfecting our group presentations has been a rewarding experience, my best memory as an MBA student thus far is the getaway we had with my cohort in October. We embarked on a hike to Sevens Sisters Cliff, and it was an incredible bonding experience. The hike presented its challenges, but we supported and encouraged each other throughout the journey, allowing us to enjoy the breathtaking views of the cliffs along the way.

My advice to candidates considering applying to Imperial Business School

Be authentic both to yourself and to the admissions panel. Take the time to deeply understand yourself and your long-term career aspirations. This self-reflection will help you craft a compelling narrative that genuinely conveys your story to the admissions panel.

Additionally, reach out to current ��ý at the Business School to gain insights into what Imperial Business School offers and determine if it aligns with your goals. Student ambassadors are available to answer your questions and provide guidance to fine-tune your application to the programme.

How to apply for our Full-Time MBA

Find out everything you need to prepare for and apply to Imperial's Full-Time MBA in London, including entry requirements and the admissions process.

Request an MBA brochure

Download an MBA brochure.

Discover our Full-Time MBA

Shape your future with a leading MBA UK programme. With Imperial’s Master of Business Administration, explore core and elective modules, leadership training, and international business exposure.

Programme

5 minute read

Developing as a strategic leader through Imperial’s Executive MBA Leadership Journey retreat

Rebecca Pike — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:13:30 +0000

Developing as a strategic leader through Imperial’s Executive MBA Leadership Journey retreat

Rebecca Pike Tue, 18/02/2025 - 09:13

15 April 2026 Student blog

Developing as a strategic leader through Imperial’s Executive MBA Leadership Journey retreat

Valentina Amoroso and the Executive MBA Class of 2026 recently attended the Executive Leadership retreat, an immersive experience designed for reflection, coaching and applied leadership development.

1 April 2026 Features

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

18 March 2026 Features

Imperial’s Global Online MBA programme ranked second in the world by Financial Times

Imperial Business School is delighted to announce that our Global Online MBA programme has been named second in the world in today’s Financial Times ranking of online MBAs.

15 April 2026

Student blog

As our ��ý highlight in the above video, leadership development is central to the Executive MBA at Imperial Business School, helping experienced professionals accelerate into senior and C-suite roles.

What happens when technical expertise is no longer enough to lead? The Executive MBA tackles that question in the core module Executive Leadership Journey, a programme-wide module focused on building a personal leadership style, from self-awareness and communication to coaching and navigating executive transitions.

Valentina Amoroso, now in her second year, recently attended the Executive Leadership Journey retreat at Windsor Great Park - an immersive experience designed for reflection, coaching and applied leadership development. Here, she shares how the experience has shaped her leadership approach and professional growth.

Choosing the Executive MBA at Imperial Business School

My path to Imperial Business School hasn’t been linear. It’s taken me from aerospace engineering and construction into consulting, and now into strategic leadership within the built environment. As Associate Director at Eckersley O’Callaghan, I lead complex multidisciplinary projects while driving key growth initiatives for the firm.

As an engineer – and a self-confessed geek – I’ve always been drawn to how things come together to solve problems. To me, running a business is no different from tackling an engineering challenge. As the SME I work for has grown, I saw an opportunity to build the capabilities needed to help lead its next phase.

The Executive MBA felt like a natural next step: combining rigorous learning with real-world application, all alongside other experienced professionals. Studying at a leading tech university during the AI revolution has given me a front-row seat to change, not as theory, but as something actively reshaping how we lead, innovate and create value.

This intersection of practical leadership development and cutting-edge thinking marked a turning point for me, making it clear that this is the direction I need to take to step into more strategic leadership roles.

The Executive Leadership Journey retreat

The retreat – a weekend away with my cohort – is the culmination of the Executive Leadership Journey module. It brings together everything we’ve learnt and creates space to step back and reflect on how it applies to our development. It also integrates another key module from the programme: Responsible Leadership for Corporate Success. Whilst the corporate responsibility module gave us frameworks for understanding our role in creating sustainable value for modern work environments, the leadership journey helped us understand ourselves as leaders and how we show up in complex, changing environments.

The retreat brought these threads together in a practical, experiential way, structured across two intensive days.

Day one focused on leading and developing the self, including a workshop with former Olympic champion Greg Searle, followed by group coaching and a sporting activity with the cohort.

Day two focused on executive career development, with sessions from executive search professionals and further group coaching.

Throughout the weekend, we also had the opportunity to interact with alumni from the programme and exchange our experiences, which was incredibly valuable.

A personal highlight from the weekend

The highlight for me was Greg Searle’s workshop and his story of moving from Olympic rowing to professional sailing for the America’s Cup. His journey really resonated with me - it mirrored my own transition from aerospace, where I was an expert, to construction and then consultancy, where I had to rebuild my expertise.

Two lessons from his session stood out:

First, his visual metaphor of rowing versus sailing. In rowing, you face backwards; in sailing, everyone faces forwards. It perfectly captured what I’ve been learning about strategic leadership: the importance of looking ahead, asking the right questions about where we’re going, rather than staying comfortable looking back at what worked before. Leading strategic growth initiatives in a fast-changing environment means keeping my focus forward and on why we do what we do.
Second, his philosophy on balancing belief with a learning mindset. Belief gives you the foundation - the conviction that a goal is possible - but unchallenged, it can turn into rigidity. A learning mindset allows you to stay curious, ask questions, and ‘unlearn’ what no longer works. Coming from someone who had lived it, who had to shed an expert mindset at the peak of success and adapt to entirely new realities, this lesson felt both credible and inspiring.

Lessons on leadership from the retreat

The Executive Leadership Journey retreat reinforced how essential resilience and a growth mindset are, not just for professional success, but for personal fulfilment.

Throughout the Executive MBA, I’ve learned to see volatility and ambiguity as the constant environment we navigate, shifting my focus from control to building adaptive capacity in myself and my teams.

The group coaching sessions were particularly powerful: each person worked on their own development while the rest of us supported them, offering new perspectives and reminding me that leadership growth is both personal and collective.

Experiencing an intense year of coursework alongside senior professionals from diverse backgrounds, supporting each other through transitions and moments of vulnerability, has been a masterclass in the kind of environment I hope to create as a leader.

Applying my learnings to my organisation

The great thing about studying part-time is I can take what I learn at the Executive Leadership Journey retreat straight back to the office. One immediate change I’m introducing is more space in our project reviews and strategy sessions for ‘forward-looking reflection.’

Practically, this means adding a short learning review to our monthly leadership meetings to discuss surprises, what we’ve had to unlearn, and what we’re experimenting with next. The aim is to create psychological safety, so the team feels confident taking calculated risks, challenging old methods, and bringing fresh perspectives. Building this culture of curiosity and adaptive learning will help us navigate the complexity and ambiguity of driving real business transformation.

The importance of immersive experiences on the Executive MBA

For an experienced professional, the immersive retreat format offers something that’s almost impossible to create in the normal flow of work: dedicated space for strategic reflection on how your learning applies to you as a leader - not just intellectually, but practically and emotionally.

This is what transforms the Executive MBA from an academic programme into a genuine developmental experience. The coursework provides the frameworks; the immersive elements create the space to integrate that learning on a deeper, more personal level. They also strengthen relationships within the cohort in a meaningful way. For those of us who can often feel isolated in leadership roles, it’s an opportunity to build a network of peers who become trusted advisors and accountability partners well beyond the programme.

At this stage in my career, as I transition from technical expertise into more senior roles, this kind of focused, intensive experience is exactly what I need to develop the broader perspective and adaptability that senior leadership demands.

Discover our Executive MBA

Executive MBA programme

Off

Programme

Executive MBA

Valentina Amoroso reflects on her leadership learnings from the recent Executive MBA retreat

6 minute read

What achieving the Sainsbury Management Fellowship means to me

Rebecca Pike — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:58:28 +0000

What achieving the Sainsbury Management Fellowship means to me

Rebecca Pike Tue, 11/02/2025 - 15:58

9 March 2026 Scholarship blog

Championing women in leadership with the Inspiring Women – Executive MBA Scholarship

24 March 2025 Scholarship blog

What the Forté Fellowship means to me

Hear from our exceptionally talented Full-Time MBA Forté Fellows on what receiving this scholarship means to them.

27 February 2025 Scholarship blog

Receiving the Dean’s Impact Scholarship

Aidan Fourie, Principal Consultant at CHISL Group and Global Online MBA student at Imperial Business School, shares his experience of receiving the Dean’s Impact Scholarship and his advice for future applicants.

16 January 2024

Scholarship blog

The Sainsbury Management Fellowship scheme, funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, supports engineers of high career potential to undertake full-time MBA courses at one of fourteen approved international business schools. The core aim of this prestigious scheme is to improve the economic performance of UK businesses, by providing a resource of highly motivated engineers with business skills.

Giovanni Sobrero, a Full-Time MBA student shares his experience achieving the scholarship, what it means to him and his advice for prospective ��ý.

Name: Giovanni Sobrero

Programme: Full-Time MBA

Nationality: Italian

Company: Senior Program Manager, Amazon

Scholarship received: Sainsbury Management Fellowship (SMF)

My First impressions of Imperial Business School

The Imperial Alumni community is astonishing. The calibre of the people I met is incredibly with a lot of Imperial Business School alumni in senior positions across multiple companies. So far, my best Imperial story was to meet with Nick Strange, an Imperial Business School alumnus based in Dubai working for Arthur D. Little. The level of support and mentorship I got surpassed my expectations. Based on my experience, I can say that all the alumni around the globe will always make the time to help no matter how busy or senior they are!

How did it feel when you found out you’d secured this scholarship?

I feel very grateful to have been awarded one of the ten Sainsbury Management Fellowship scholarships. This scholarship will greatly support me to attend a Full-Time MBA at a world class institution like Imperial Business School that may have not been possible without. The network of the SMF is something I aspire to leverage to help nurture my curiosity and development for years to come. The SMF alumni network spans across multiple industries and specialisms and having access to this breadth of knowledge and experiences will, overall, make me a more experienced professional and a more complete individual.

This scholarship will greatly support me to attend a Full-Time MBA at a world class institution like Imperial Business School that may have not been possible without.

How did you go about finding financial support for your MBA?

I leveraged Imperial Business School’s website . A lot of information was present about all the different scholarships, including the Sainsbury Management Fellowship. Also, I decided to engage with Imperial Business School Alumni to gather insight about where to look for additional financial support to make sure I exhausted my options.

What do you hope to achieve through your MBA experience?

At this point in my MBA, my focus is to land a job in a boutique consultancy in London or as a strategy manager in a technology firm that I can help grow. However, I must say that it’s difficult to resist the temptation to explore all the different opportunities that are offered and I am quite sure my mind will change significantly in the few months as I explore more and more the curriculum offered by the program.

How to apply for the Fellowship

Apply to be a Sainsbury Management Fellow and undertake a full time MBA at a major business school.

Find out more about our scholarships

Find out more about Full-Time MBA tuition fees, what they cover, funding options and payment options.

Explore Full-time MBA Programme

Shape your future with a leading MBA UK programme. With Imperial’s Master of Business Administration, explore core and elective modules, leadership training, and international business exposure. Apply today!

MBA

Scholarship

Student Journey

3 minute read

MBA

Meet Imperial’s Executive MBA Class of 2027

Meet Imperial’s Executive MBA Class of 2027

Developing as a strategic leader through Imperial’s Executive MBA Leadership Journey retreat

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

Championing women in leadership with the Inspiring Women – Executive MBA Scholarship

Welcoming the Executive MBA Class of 2027: a global cohort of senior professionals

Why senior professionals choose Imperial’s Executive MBA

Akin Akinyemi

Ella Dehghani

Eloina Pesce

Edmond Chan

Pragya Joshi

Abiy Solomon

Sepideh Shokrpour

Tuncer Gulcicek

Discover our programme

Share

Discover the ������ý behind the programme, from their career journeys to their motivations to pursue Imperial’s Executive MBA

Alumni profile: From pharma to Fay&Mamie

Alumni profile: From pharma to Fay&Mamie

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

Share

Alumni profile: David Poole (MBA 1998)

Alumni profile: David Poole (MBA 1998)

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

Share

Alumni profile: Alberta Asafo-Asamoah

Alumni profile: Alberta Asafo-Asamoah

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

My time at Imperial

My current role and responsibility

The future

Share

Discover boat swapping, for a better way to travel Boataffair

Discover boat swapping, for a better way to travel Boataffair

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

Alumni Careers: Understanding imposter syndrome and career growth

Alumni Careers: Helping Alumni Stay Visible and Valuable in the Age of Remote Work and AI

A first for the sailing community

What is Boat Swapping?

Share

Alumni Q&A: Irfan Khan (MBA 2000)

Alumni Q&A: Irfan Khan (MBA 2000)

Besnik Mustafa (Weekend MBA 2025)

Joanne Linder, Full-Time MBA 1996

Black History Month: Lola Aworanti-Ekugo, Weekend MBA 2018

Share

The MBA application events roadmap with Imperial Business School

The MBA application events roadmap with Imperial Business School

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

Do you feel like an imposter? Insights from Sophie Scott's Masterclass

From Bilaspur, India to London: building my global business outlook at Imperial Business School

Research

Step 1: Imperial's Open Day

Step 2: Information Session

MBA quiz

Imperial portal

Admissions blogs

Receive bespoke advice

Step 3: profile review or one-to-one

Step 4: 'MBA Information Session' webinar

Applying

Step 5: submit your application

Explore our programmes

Download a brochure

Attend an event

Share

What I've learned studying Imperial's Full-Time MBA

What I've learned studying Imperial's Full-Time MBA

The ultimate guide to choosing a part-time MBA at Imperial

Do you feel like an imposter? Insights from Sophie Scott's Masterclass

From Bilaspur, India to London: building my global business outlook at Imperial Business School

About me

Discover the ��ý behind the programme, from their career journeys to their motivations to pursue Imperial’s Executive MBA