Why did you apply to Oxford Saïd?
I was looking for a different, more mature take-on business school with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and impact. I also specifically wanted a network that had great access and experience across Africa. An amazing greater university culture was a bonus and value-add.
What made the biggest impact on you during your time on the Oxford MBA?
What didn’t? Conversations had at lunch, Africa OBN, global classes that had cross jurisdictional case studies etc. I was really seeking to learn about new ways in which people approached problems so to apply it to the work I do.
Where has your career taken you since graduating from the MBA?
I spent some time independently consulting private equity (PE) firms and became a founding member of the first hospitality focused African PE Fund.
Is there anything from your time on the MBA that still influences you or that you still refer to?
All the consulting frameworks! Jokes.
I surprisingly found a lot of value in some of the traditionally non-PE stuff: marketing, tech and ops etc, practical things which are extremely helpful when thinking about scaling businesses and products.
Finally, how would you sum up the overall impact that the MBA has had on you, and how has it enabled you to increase your own impact on your organisation and beyond?
I’ve garnered a really great network of professionals who are highly invested into the same industries and things I’m into, which in a strange way allows for life-long learning because I can always bounce ideas off them.
I also now have friends who do things across the board on other continents, making it extremely interesting as an investor because there’s always something applicable to something I’m looking at.
In general, I think it's allowed me, despite haven’t spent my professional and schooling career on three continents, to continue to broaden my horizon. Oxford having a great reputation and standing also goes a long way in impressing some of my counterparties.
