Executive MBA (EMBA) student Roland Horne, founder and CEO of award-winning upscale coffee brand, WatchHouse, has praised the programme's transformative effect.
WatchHouse began life in 2014 when a former 19th century shelter for watchmen guarding the graveyard of nearby St Mary Magdalen’s Church in Bermondsey Street, London, was transformed into its first speciality coffeehouse.
Since then, Roland, who began the programme in September 2021, has grown the business to nine sites in London, with another six scheduled to launch this year, including the first outside the capital, in Bath, Somerset.
Roland, who has extensive experience running small to medium sized businesses in the design, retail and hospitality industries, said the EMBA was proving fundamental to the firm’s ongoing growth, and building his leadership and development.
He said: 'The EMBA is challenging and rewarding in equal measure. It pushes you outside of your comfort zone to challenge thinking and equips you with the tools for success. In doing so, it has sharpened my entrepreneurial outlook and acted as catalyst for several key positive developments at WatchHouse. Studying at Oxford gives the opportunity to expand your network with industry leaders, creating unparalleled opportunity. Where else are you going to be put in a room with over 70 people from all walks of life, all of whom are trailblazers in their respective industries? The entrepreneurial talent is incredible and it's amazing to build that strong peer network.'
Roland has extensive experience running small to medium sized businesses in the design, retail, and hospitality industries.
Entrepreneurial from an early age, he established his first business, Aquarium Architecture, which specialised in international luxury aquarium design and installation, while studying economics and politics at university.
The business quickly went from strength to strength and after graduating, Roland decided to concentrate his efforts on growing it full-time, before selling to a trade buyer in 2016 to focus on WatchHouse and the directorships he holds at property development funds Verum Domus and Coutts & Partners.
Roland’s involvement with WatchHouse came about from a mix of luck and good fortune in 2014 after being presented with a unique opportunity to take over a former 19th century shelter for watchmen guarding the graveyard of nearby St Mary Magdalen’s Church.
Following the completion of a Series B funding round with institutional investors, Edition Capital, which gave a pre-money valuation of the company at £12.5 million, international expansion is underway, with extensive plans to expand into the Nordic region and further afield.
Find out more about the Executive MBA.