“I’m facing challenges head on, preparing the company for the future and addressing our mission to feed the world safely and sustainably.”

Experience at the fore

“When I started thinking about post-graduate study, I had been at the same company for a long time, doing the same job, which I enjoyed. However, I was cognizant that the world around me was changing rapidly. I wanted to be part of that change and was open to new ideas. I really embraced the idea of taking a year to focus on my personal development."

“I loved the idea of a postgraduate degree surrounded by people with as much, if not more, experience than I had. I attended an information session for all of the Sloan programmes – LBS, MIT and Stanford – but chose LBS for the maturity and experience of the cohort. Having been in finance for my entire career, I also liked the fact that so many industries and specialties are represented in Sloan. Best of all, I got to stay in the city that I have lived in for 16 years, that I absolutely love."

“When people ask me about the impact of learning with the Sloan cohort, I always cite the same example. We were in Jessica Spungin’s Strategy core course, she had a guest lecturer in and they were jointly discussing an oil major’s strategic decisions post an environmental crisis. My colleagues were active in the discussion, representing various viewpoints, from the perspective of an investment banker (energy-focused), several engineers, a management consultant and an investor in energy stocks and energy commodities (me). Jessica stepped back and said, ‘You guys lead the discussion."

“Where else can you get that? The lecturer knew that our collective experience added so much to the course and was confident enough to step back. It’s the rich fabric of the other participants that provides so much value in Sloan."

“It’s that experience of the cohort that separates the Sloan Masters from other postgraduate business programmes. The lectures and lessons are enhanced by a collective experience that adds huge value. There’s a real breadth of different perspectives, too – the lawyer, the engineer, the entrepreneur – it’s not just finance and business concepts, but life lessons."

“The multinational nature of the class helped prepare me for my current role. I am American and have lived in England for nearly two decades. I thought I had an international perspective, but I had worked for American companies for my entire career. Now I work for a multinational and interact with Brazilians, Argentinians, French, Chinese, Indonesian, South Africans every single day. The Sloan prepared me for that.”

The long-term view

“The faculty respect the Sloans and vice versa. Often, they represented an academic perspective and the cohort brought a practical one. It’s the total package. I enjoyed the Strategy courses the most – electives such as ‘Strategies for Growth’, ‘Strategic Innovation’ and ‘Achieving Strategic Agility."

“I took most of the Entrepreneurship classes at LBS, including the Entrepreneurship Summer School. I realised that starting my own business was not right for me, right now, but I am now equipped with the right tools to evaluate start up businesses and entrepreneurs. On the strategy side, I focused on industries facing structural challenges and embraced the notion of ‘disrupt before you are disrupted. This is my modus operandi now."

“I use what I learned on Sloan every day and anticipate that I will continue to do so as I get more senior in my organisation. In my current role, I am head of food innovation at a 170-year old agricultural merchant. The industry is facing structural challenges as consumers focus more on what they eat, where it came from and the environmental footprint of producing that food. In the developing world, people continue to focus on getting enough to eat at a reasonable price point. I am facing challenges head on, preparing the company for the future and addressing our mission to feed the world safely and sustainably."

“I apply learnings from strategy and leadership courses every day. How do you convince people to accept change? To think long term and embrace a strategy that disrupts the manner in which they have always worked? The Sloan caused me to change my career trajectory completely. I have pivoted to a strategy role and realised that finding solutions for tough problems is one of my skills!

“I am very open to continuous learning now. One of our early lessons was ‘what got you here, won’t get you there.’ I think of that every day. Don’t continue to do what you are good at, or what feels comfortable. Continue to challenge yourself and to learn. It is the only way to grow.”