The end of year Consulting Project is an opportunity for students to experience what it is like to face real business challenges and apply what they have learned during the year.

A group of six students were asked by Bupa UK to build a communications strategy and engagement blueprint to help enhance relationships with general surgery medical professional bodies.

The team acted as a management consulting group which exposed them to the working environment of a large healthcare company and provided an opportunity to enhance their data analysis, communication and project management skills.

It is a chance for them to work with a new group of people, learn different skills and play to each other’s strengths. 

“It was a fantastic opportunity to develop a solution that really added value to our client’s business,” – Dr Kiran Andradi, MSc International Health Management 2014-15

The project’s main objective was to help Bupa to further develop relationships with UK medical professional associations in the field of general surgery, with a specific focus on improving the quality of care for customers.

“The project was heavily clinically based and gave us the opportunity to propose a solution which would add real value to patients, consultants and Bupa,” – Pavani Kamalsurya, MSc International Health Management 2014-15

The students felt that they made a positive contribution and were able to provide a different perspective from outside the corporate structure. It was a great networking experience for the students and an opportunity for them to demonstrate their consulting skills to potential employers.

“The solution which the students presented to us was underpinned by research, clinical insights and thorough planning, and was very helpful” – Ayodele Kazeem, Bupa

The team remained focused on the task and outcomes to ensure they met the requirements of the initial brief. They carefully considered the strengths of each member in their group and understood what could realistically be achieved in the timeframe. They believed that teamwork was essential and contributed to the success of the project.

Meet the Team

Dr Kiran Andradi MBBS
Dr Andradi is from the UK and has a medical degree from Brighton & Sussex Medical School. He hopes to take up a job in healthcare management or consultancy, with a long-term goal of reaching a senior level in one of these fields.

Pavani Kamalsurya
Pavani is from India and has a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy (Honours) from Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences and has six years work experience in data analytics and consulting with IMS Health and Analytics Quotient.

Dr Nicola Lake BDS
Dr Lake is from the UK and gained her Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 2005. She has worked in both General Dental Practice, providing NHS and private treatment, and in the Community Dental Service, providing dental care to adults and children with special medical needs and disabilities.

Dr Myra Malik, BSc (Hons), MBBS, FRCA
Dr Malik is from London with Pakistani heritage. She is an ST7 in anaesthesia in the Imperial School of Anaesthesia. Her long term goal is to continue working in the public sector but in the interim wants to consider an overseas sabbatical.

Dr Vainius Rakauskas MBBS, MSc
Dr Rakauskas currently works at a management consultancy company in the City. He is interested in what makes clinical practice efficient, competitive and valuable to patients. At Imperial, he has found some of these answers and new ways of asking the questions.

Siti Salma Ramli
Siti has a BSc degree in Biomedical Science from King’s College London and wants to use her Master’s to help her understand the commercial side of the healthcare industry. One of the most rewarding aspects of the programme has be working and learning alongside a diverse range of people.

Is the MBA still relevant in a transforming world? Richard Haigh reflects on how the Executive MBA has impacted his leadership within the dynamic world of a career in the technology sector.

In 2015 I embarked on an Executive MBA with Imperial College Business School – a decision at least a decade in the making and for which the opportunity had finally crystallised.  For the previous 15 years, my career had been heading towards senior management and I had always considered an MBA as the ultimate prep to eventually either lead a business or create my own.  Now, two years after graduating, I reflect on how the Executive MBA has helped and equipped me to lead within the furiously dynamic world of the product-driven technology sector.

Learnings from the Executive MBA did not have to wait until graduation to emerge.  The programme was a true mix of the academic and the practical, with the latter being encouraged to be put to use as soon as possible.  And the results were stark.  The MBA equipped me with two immediate benefits.  This first was a high-level understanding of each of the areas of the business – finance, marketing, operations, etc. Whilst these departments had always been there, I had never found reason to understand them in any depth.

The second was an introduction to the ‘language’ used by each of these departments. With this I was able to join (and sound useful in) all sorts of conversations and engage in a way that no longer required operating at a layman’s level – I was ‘that techie that appears to understand the business’ – a revelation to all!

Now that I was being involved and recognised as understanding the business, I was able to leverage another key takeaway from the MBA; the various tools and techniques plucked from the more academic side. I could now not only talk the language but I could articulate my views and reference various proven methods to make my point.

The final part that followed was the networking – both at work and back at Imperial.  One of the biggest rewards of the Executive MBA is the network of professionals that you end up calling friends.  The challenges at work, now wider and more interesting, could be supported by those from my network with years of experience in the relevant field. And quid pro quo: for every conversation helping me understand corporate finance, I repaid with my views on structuring technology teams.

So, in the short term the MBA has been massively beneficial. But what of the years to come? How do I think it will assist me as the world around me continues to transform and evolve?

In my career I have seen several significant shifts in how we use technology – the move to mobile as the point of consumption, the advances in data science leading to an acceleration in experimentation and personalisation of the product, the abstraction of infrastructure that we now call the cloud – to name but a few. It seems obvious that this constant transformation is not a phase, it will continue and its inertia will grow. Businesses will always be forced to adapt and to embrace the new, despite the disruption it causes.

And amongst this disruption and constant reinvention, I hope to continue to be the ‘techie that gets the business’. In my world the Executive MBA has not only equipped me to adapt alongside this constant transformation, but it allowed me to stand up and look outside of my immediate world to begin with. I still hope to lead a business one day, or create my own – and nothing else I have done has made me feel more comfortable in this endeavour.

It turns out that amongst an ever-changing and transformational world, having a solid understanding of the fundamentals, being able to speak the language of the business and knowing how to spot the tools and techniques that really help is key to dealing with the uncertainty of the future. That, and knowing which of your new friends knows more than you about it!

Richard Haigh works as the Director of Global Engineering at Just Eat and graduated from Imperial’s Executive MBA in 2017

The Dean’s Excellence Award is given to prospective Global Online MBA students who have demonstrated exceptional academic and professional accomplishments, and have displayed impactful leadership. The September 2018 scholarships were awarded to Matt Phillips and Cornelia Andersson.

To celebrate, they were invited to the Scholarship Winners reception hosted by the Dean, Professor Francisco Veloso, along with all recent scholarship winners. 

Matt Phillips
Policy Advisor and Commander, US Navy, Washington DC, U.S.

I live just outside of Washington DC in the U.S. In my previous role I was a Fellow and Advisor to the Vice President – it was an incredible experience. I’ve recently started a new position as Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Defence, Jim Mattis. I’m back to wearing the Navy uniform.

Why did you choose to study an MBA?

I have a very technical background. My undergraduate degree is in computer science and my post graduate degrees are in network security, computer science and nuclear engineering. The more senior you get in the Navy, the more parts of it start to look like a business – you have to make good decisions on programme acquisitions and finance constraints. So I’m studying an MBA to gain more business experience.

Why did you choose to study the Global Online MBA?

My current job doesn’t allow me to do an in residence course. So to stay on track for what I want to achieve in the Navy and still get that business experience, this was the best choice for me.

I wanted to study at a top-tier school that had global exposure and diversity, as well as being competitive. Looking at my cohort, there are 35 different countries represented, from different backgrounds, ranging from oil, finance and government service. There’s great diversity within the class.

Cornelia Andersson
Vice President, Head of Research & Market Data, Global Corporate Services, The Blackstone Group. London, United Kingdom

I’m currently the Vice President, Global Head of Research and Market Data, for Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager, based in London. I manage the firm’s Research team and oversee Market Data Services across all business units, globally, providing business intelligence and information services to deal teams, asset management teams and senior management.

Receiving the Dean’s Excellence Award is an honour and a privilege. I’m delighted to be selected as a recipient among such strong candidates.

What key skills are you looking to gain from studying an MBA?

Across MBA graduates, the common denominator is outstanding analytical thinking, business insight and the ability to think strategically. It’s not about traditional classroom learning, but about acquiring a new way of thinking and approaching business problems.

While I have the drive and the mindset to allow me to be successful professionally, an Imperial MBA will provide me with additional skills to reach even further.

What are you most looking forward to when studying your MBA?

I’m most looking forward to getting to know and learn from my fellow class members. We had a lot of fun networking and building relationships in our first week. The level of experience and expertise in the group is astounding. Students are based all over the world, in sectors as diverse as Silicon Valley, African and Middle Eastern oil and gas and Chinese manufacturing.

About the Global Online MBA

The Global Online MBA programme has been ranked first in the UK in the 2018 QS Distance Online MBA rankings. The programme has also been named the third best distance online MBA in the world.

The two year, part-time programme is delivered in a flexible online format that focuses on innovative thinking and new technology to deliver a practical curriculum.

The next intake will commence in January 2019. Applications are being accepted and a number of scholarships are available. To be considered for a scholarship, please submit your application by the 26 October deadline.

Ashley Jones recently graduated from our Global Online MBA with flying colours, making it onto the prestigious Dean’s List, which comprises the top 10% of students from the programme.

The Global Online MBA allowed Ashley to study his MBA in Francistown in rural Botswana, about 400 kilometres from the country’s capital while continuing his career as Operations Manager at A-Cap Resources.

We are in conversation to find out how the programme helped Ashley grow and develop, as well as the most enjoyable and challenging parts of the Global Online MBA.

You have recently completed your Global Online MBA. What are the top skills you learnt on the programme that have been most useful to your role?

The MBA opened my eyes into the broader aspect of dealing with people and groups. It has definitely made me appreciate different people and how to get the best out of them. I understand group dynamics much better and how to get the most out of people by understanding what type-personality they are as well.

I come from a very technical background where I’d build the story and understand the details. We threw that on its head on the MBA and said go through to the outcome. I’ve really turned the way I present backwards which has improved communication. I think it’s a much better way to present, especially to board members and different communities.

Also, managing time and managing people, I’ve improved my relationship with my employees. I used to get a lot of requests because nobody wanted to make decisions. Now they come to me with solutions rather than questions.

What were your motivations for doing the programme?

To be a better manager. I did a gap analysis on myself and said why do people make mistakes? My motivation is to one day run a listed resource company. I felt I was lacking some skills in the management area that I had to address. I had the technical and financial skills but I wanted that broad perspective of actually running a company and people.

Which modules were useful to developing your managerial skills?

Organisational Behaviour and Strategic Consulting were insightful. These are things I probably didn’t think about. We learnt about case studies in Mergers & Acquisitions. By the time I started doing those case studies I was thinking about the type of person they were as well. Change Management helped me a lot too. The idea of trying to change management from a different point of view and coming in as a new manager is very interesting and useful.

How did you find doing a Global Online MBA in remote Francistown in rural Botswana?

Challenging! The internet connection was the most difficult part. There are a couple of good things about living out here, we have domestic staff so I had a little bit more time than other people and there aren’t a lot of distractions in Francistown. There isn’t even a movie theatre so there are not too many other things to do. However, online you do miss being on campus. I’m glad we had the induction and the Capstone Business Game on campus. There almost needs to be one more compulsory campus course!

Studying online, did you feel part of the Imperial MBA community?

I struggled at the start but the group work definitely helps, whether or not you get to meet everyone. I probably could have involved myself with a few more things. Everybody was keen at the start but it is hard. You really deal only with your group and you don’t look at the broader community when you’re online. What they did do well was in the Induction Week and the subsequent time we came on campus, they organised a lot of things to make you feel part of the MBA community.

While studying your Global Online MBA, how did you find using the online learning platform, the Hub?

I thought it worked well, however, it definitely improved by the time the two years were up. I’m glad they took people’s suggestions on board. I had to download videos because we don’t have fast internet where I am. For the first two modules I’d sit there and let the videos buffer. By the time the third module started, they made the content downloadable so I could set them to download overnight and watch them properly.

What did you enjoy most about the programme?

It was probably the people and the content. The people made the content achievable with the different ideas people brought to the table. A lot of people hated the group work and it was pretty challenging, but you really did end up with different ideas and approaches. That made it for me, I learnt a lot from other people and how they approach topics and coursework. It broadened my mindset. 

What was the most challenging aspect?

The group work – it was the most enjoyable aspect but also the most challenging. Not all of the group assignments were positive experiences, but I learnt from all of them.

What you did for your final project and what impact has it had?

I’m a pro-African person so I wanted to see the financial centres develop and see more funding come from inside the countries. Being in the mineral industry, we always see funding come from the UK, Canada, Australia and US, and all the profits disappear as well. I looked at the Sub-Saharan African exchanges and asked why would you invest ton them?

I interviewed two CEOs and asked them what their motivation was for listing on these small exchanges. I looked at the exchanges as a whole and I found out they didn’t correlate with the main exchanges. There could be a diversification strategy, when the NASDAQ falls everything around it falls, whereas these ones don’t. They don’t really behave in the same way.

Added to this, I looked at strategies the governments could take to make the exchanges stronger. There’s a big African Union push to get regional synergies and platforms and not make them the same as the London Exchange because they can’t compete. I looked at all the things governments could do – can they offer tax incentives to build their financial sectors and a whole range of things. I’d love to list a company here but there are big challenges and there would be a lot of lobbying to do. I got a Distinction which was great, and also received the comment that it was quite a unique topic.

I’d love to find a project here, and list it on the relevant exchange for that country, wherever it is. I think I’m very mindful of the challenges that it would take but there are avenues in which you could do it. You get a lot of mileage from within the country as well. There’s a lot of words about empowerment in Southern Africa; if you listed and tried to get investment from inside the country, being listed is actually part of being empowered. You’re empowering the people into the project as well. I haven’t got there yet but I’m definitely trying to go down that path and list in Sub-Saharan Africa.

You travelled many hours to Botswana, followed by an 11 hour flight to make it London for 48 hours for the Dean’s Graduation Reception and your Graduation ceremony. Can you tell me about this story?

It is a long way, but I had flown to Nairobi four days earlier so I flew from Nairobi this time. I missed my graduation when I did my undergraduate honours so I thought – why not? I made some great contacts on my Global Online MBA and I was really chuffed with getting on the Dean’s List so there was more than one reason to go.

Graduation was about cementing some of the relationships with people I have met on the Global Online MBA. I can see myself asking them for advice or doing something with some of those people in the future. At graduation, I was able to meet my cohort in person and make sure those relationships carry on in the future.  

What advice would you give to someone who was thinking about applying for the Global Online MBA?

If you’re thinking about it, you just have to do it. There’s never a right time in your life. I’ve got another 25 years of my working career. Even as one of the older people in my cohort, you still have a long time in your career and you can always change, make a difference and learn something new. You’ll enjoy it. It does come with hard work but just don’t get behind and you’ll do fine.

Why did you choose Imperial and more importantly, did it live up to your expectations?

It did. I’ve never done an MBA before but I believe the coursework was pretty similar to other MBAs. I really enjoyed some of the case studies in the lectures and we also had some very high profile lecturers.

I learnt a lot. Whether I can apply that and be a good investment in the future, the next 20 years will tell. Just having the Global Online MBA on your CV means a lot. The programme is number one in the UK now. It will get you in the door over somebody else. Whether it be a job or to a financier, people have confidence in Imperial and it will help you along the line.

Full-Time MBA alumna Devika Sarin graduated in 2015. Since then, she’s gone on to be awarded a  Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa  from Imperial and set up her social enterprise, Art of Kindness, which launches this week. In this interview, we caught up with Devika who tells us how she came up with Art of Kindness, where she sees it going in five years, and how the Full-Time MBA gave her the confidence to set up the social enterprise.

What is Art of Kindness?

Art of Kindness is a platform for artists and collectors to utilise the value of their art for social good. We enable artists and collectors to exhibit and raise funds from their art to give to social impact partner organizations. Our aim is to curate a new story for everyone involved: one that includes the artist or collector, the art work, the community that benefits, and the art-loving crowd.

How did you come up with Art of Kindness?

I have a background in finance, and a passion for social impact and finding ways to bring people together so everyone can benefit. My family loves art and my father works in the space. There is so much value in art (both tangible and intangible) that is not being utilised. Art of Kindness was born as a way to connect artists and art owners with social programs which are creating impact around the world. Right now, our social impact partners are Acumen, Project Pressure, Elephant Family, charity: water and Micrograam.

On top of that, Art of Kindness is a way for artists to share their art and tell a new art story for everyone involved. We believe art can be more than something beautiful that hangs on your wall. It can be a way to build your legacy of doing good and inviting others to experience this with you.

What’s next for Art of Kindness?

We have just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund our first exhibition in London this autumn. We are going to showcase an exciting group of contemporary artists, patrons, and partner non-profit organizations and how they are all coming together to exhibit kindness. A lot of what we are working on is under wraps and we look forward to unveiling more at the event. You can find out more on our Indiegogo crowdfunding page.

What’s your proudest achievement with Art of Kindness so far?

There have been so many amazing moments and I’ve worked with so many inspiring people and partners that it’s hard to pick just one. Receiving the  Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) Visa  from Imperial College is definitely one that sticks out! Taking Art of Kindness from an idea to a business has been a difficult but rewarding journey and I look forward to the next milestone.

What do you hope to achieve with Art of Kindness in 5 years?

The vision is for Art of Kindness to be a marketplace for people to get involved in a space that celebrates art, storytelling, and doing good together. We are a business, underpinned by technology, so I want it to be a sustainable platform that impacts the lives of many and enables us to experience art in a completely different way. If we can use the history of art to tell a story about human possibility and future impact, then we have a chance to change the way we perceive art and how we value it.

Art of Kindness is a new marketplace that utilises the value of art to impact the lives of millions of people in need.

How did studying the Full-Time MBA at Imperial help you to set up your own business?

The Full-Time MBA programme gave me the confidence to set up Art of Kindness. We had the time to work on our own strengths and weaknesses as leaders and managers, and the electives gave me additional opportunities to explore entrepreneurship and innovation. For example, on the Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design Project we worked in teams to bring a concept to market, build a business plan and pitch it to investors. On the Individual Project (Perspectives in Practice), I tested the business case of Art of Kindness and explored ways to bring the idea to fruition.

What were the highlights of the Full-Time MBA programme at Imperial?

The highlight for me was being part of such a diverse group of people. You really learn about yourself and how to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and points of view. Diversity of thought is critical to approach solutions to problems in work and life.

Before the start of the programme, we had the 360 Business Challenge where we came up with a product to sell on campus. It was a great crash course in business development, marketing and sales. In addition, we went abroad for Global Experience Week where we spent time in different cultural settings learning about different business practices and local business trends.

What do you miss most about studying at Imperial?

The camaraderie of being involved in this journey with others and knowing that we all were working towards similar goals, personal and professional.

What were the benefits of living in London whilst studying your Full-Time MBA?

London is an amazing city that gives you access to a unique network of friends, colleagues, and supporters. Being in the centre of the city, we were able to attend conferences, visit companies and hear from business leaders to get an inside view of how things work in different industries. London is a cultural hub as well as a growing centre for entrepreneurship and financial technology. There is always an interesting event to engage with something you are passionate about. I was able to build a London network, in addition to my Imperial network, to expand my knowledge base in art, philanthropy and technology, which played an important part in setting up Art of Kindness.

You can learn more about Art of Kindness on their Indiegogo fundraising page.

“Being the President of Consulting Club played a major role in getting my job,” says Vineet Harsh, Full-Time MBA Class of 2017-18 and former President of the Business School Consulting Club.

“The Consulting club provided me with the opportunity to network and connect with people working in consulting. It was helpful to know about their projects, company culture and career progression. Working for the club also gave me the chance to meet students interested in consulting. Consulting is all about solving problems, and it was a pleasure to meet students wanting to create an impact by advising companies on their issues and suggest strategies.”

This year the Business School has 14 student-led Career Clubs, of which the Consulting Club is one. The clubs bring together MBA and MSc students with shared aspirations and are divided into major industries or geographic locations. They are always keen to work with employers and alumni in their related sector or region.

Great career opportunities for students

All of our clubs are led by students and organise or signpost events throughout the year which give opportunities which include:

• Meeting other Business School students with similar interests
• Learning from and network with alumni and other professionals
• Building links with relevant employers in the sector
• Learning more about roles available and the skills needed in the industry

President of the Finance Careers Club, Aidan Sloan, Full-Time MBA 2018-19 and Vice President Presiyana Karastoyanova, MSc Finance 2018-19, explain the main benefit of joining their club:

Student members can gain invaluable insight from employers to aid their professional development, whilst employers can use Career Club events to supplement their recruitment activity by raising brand awareness, showcasing company culture, providing thought leadership or direction on industry hot topics.

For example, Vineet says, “Our best event was the Women in Consulting panel. We invited female consultants from top-tier firms. They spoke about their projects, work experience, company culture and work-life balance. They also gave helpful tips on breaking into consulting. Increasingly many women are interested in careers in consulting but are hesitant for various reasons. Our panellists provided useful tips to survive and thrive. We received a very positive feedback from the audience and they suggested to organize more events like this.”

What’s in it for employers?

Our clubs can also provide a route into the Business School for companies that are not always able to come on to campus. For example, a number of luxury brands or boutique consultancies with which Careers now work very closely had their first interactions on campus as small-scale events with Career Clubs.

they suggested to organize more events like this.”

What’s in it for employers?

Our clubs can also provide a route into the Business School for companies that are not always able to come on to campus. For example, a number of luxury brands or boutique consultancies with which Careers now work very closely had their first interactions on campus as small-scale events with Career Clubs.

Sarah Ranchev Hale, Assistant Director of Careers, Employer Relations, says:

Career Clubs provide an avenue for employers to connect directly with students, raising their brand awareness and talent-spotting in the process. It’s a win-win for the employer and the students.

The Career Clubs

The Career Clubs are the student-led extension of Imperial College Business School Careers – they are:

• Africa Business Club
• Asia Business Club
• Consulting Careers Club
• Energy & Sustainability Careers Club
• FMCG, Luxury Goods and Retail Careers Club
• Finance Careers Club (includes Fintech and PE/VC)
• Healthcare Careers Club (includes Pharma)
• India Business Club
• Innovation & Entrepreneurship Club (includes Family Business)
• Latin America Business Club
• LGBTQ+ Business Club
• North America Business Club
• Social Impact & Responsible Business Club
• Technology, Media and Telecoms Careers Club (includes Digital Marketing)

The most recent club to be created was the LGBTQ+ Business Club and you can read all about how it started.

If you are an employer or alumnus and you are interested in partnering with a club or speaking at an event, please contact ibemployers@imperial.ac.uk

Throughout the year, our world-class Imperial College Business School Careers service are on hand to help students land their dream job – from CV reviews to job applications, mock interviews and connecting them to employers through Career Club events, fairs and more.

Now that you’ve submitted your MBA application you can start preparing for the next stage. If you’re invited to meet us for an interview it’s important that you are ready to tell us about yourself and how the MBA fits with your personal and professional ambitions.

The interview is a chance for you to add an extra dimension to your written application and allows us to hear directly from you about your motivations and goals. We also want to learn more about your career aspirations, wider interests and how the MBA fits with these. What is it about the MBA programme that fits with your professional ambitions? Are there particular modules or Professors that specialise in areas you’re interested in?

We've put together an in-depth guide on how to succeed in your MBA interview.

Before your interview

You only get one chance to make a great impression, so be prepared!

• Ask yourself the tough questions first. Applying for an MBA is an introspective process so we expect you to have really thought about your motivation for an MBA and studying at Imperial – and what you have to offer the programme. The questions that we ask shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if you’ve taken the time to reflect on your experience and goals.
• Re-read your application. We will ask you about things you covered in your application, so don’t worry if you feel like you’re covering some of the same ground. We like to hear about your experience and objectives directly from you. Make sure you’ve re-read your application, as we might discuss specific points from it.
• Practice ‘out loud’. You may be a seasoned interviewee. But if not, or you are modest when talking about your strengths, it can be very helpful to practice this out loud with a friend or colleague. However, whilst practice is important, don’t try to script your answers as we want you to convey your personality to us and natural answers are the best way to do this.
• Make space for your interview. On the day of the interview, make sure you have a quiet, appropriate space for your interview – and if you’re using your phone, place it on a proper stand and keep it still. Walking home, or sitting in the back of a cab or in a noisy café isn’t professional – and disrupts your opportunity to build rapport with your interviewer.

During your interview

We hold interviews because we want to find out more about the real you, so be yourself and be specific!

• Tell your story. We want to hear about you. Who are you and how do you fit with the MBA? This is the key question you need to focus on in your MBA interview. We know the Business School in detail, but we want to get to know you. Use the interview to showcase your personality and display an honest perception of yourself so that we can see what you would bring to the Imperial community. We want you to be a good fit for the MBA programme, but we also want the MBA programme to be a good fit for you.
• Keep it professional. We are not trying to catch you out or put you through an unpleasant grilling. We want to bring out the best in you. But this friendly approach should not be mistaken for encouragement to lower your guard or be casual. Treat it professionally. Although ‘one size doesn’t fit all’, and the interview will not be probing for a specific description match as a job interview would, there is no reason to treat it in a less professional manner.
• Listening skills are important too! Make sure you listen to and answer the question you’ve been asked – you may have some examples or achievements that you’d like to talk about, but make sure that they address the actual question you’ve been asked.
• And finally… Dress appropriately for an interview and be polite and courteous – with absolutely no swearing. These should be obvious points, but we’re mentioning them for a reason!

Finishing up…

Don’t forget that the interview is a two-way process: it’s a great opportunity for you to get our ‘take’ on studying an Imperial MBA. Here are a few of our suggested dos and don’ts:

• Do prepare a couple of questions in advance – an intelligent question or two at the end of the interview can add to the overall impression you make.
• Don’t ask basic questions that you can easily find the answers to on our website – we won’t mind answering them, but it’s a shame to waste the opportunity to ask something more meaningful.
• Do feel free to ask something specific to your interviewer – we all have different backgrounds and experiences, so it’s absolutely fine to ask for our personal point of view on the programme or Imperial in general.
• Don’t ask for feedback on your interview or how likely it is that you’ll get in to the programme – it will make your interviewer feel really awkward, and that’s not the way you want them to remember you! All decisions are made at our Admissions Committee meetings, based on a review of your full application and in the context of that admissions round as a whole.

After your interview

We know that the time between the end of the interview and receiving a decision on your application can be stressful, but try not to worry!

• Sometimes it can be tempting to play the interview back in your mind – particularly if you wish you’d given a stronger answer or better example – but we understand that interviewees can feel quite pressured and nerves are normal. The interview is one of several components that feeds into the overall decision, so a minor slip-up won’t ruin your chances.
• We work very hard to stick to the decision deadlines that we publish on our website, but when we say “week commencing…”, it may very well be that you hear from us at the end of the week. Not having heard from us until the Friday shouldn’t be seen as a bad sign.
• We’re looking for fit with our programme objectives and School values – and you should be too! If you are unsuccessful, don’t take it personally – it just means that we don’t think that the programme-candidate fit is right, and that goes both ways. Imperial may not be the best place for you to do your MBA – but there will be a School that’s a good fit for you.

Best of luck with your interview – the Admissions Committee look forward to getting to know you better!

Maulik Sailor, an MBA graduate from 2011, is the CEO and Founder of Innovify, a company that helps entrepreneurs, businesses and startups to create innovative products and services in the digital sector. He started working with fellow alumnus Jeffrey Sinick in 2014 after he invited Jeffery to write a business plan for Innovify as part of his final MBA project. They spoke to us about their journey from students to startup supporters.

Maulik, how did Innovify come about?
My main aim for doing the MBA at Imperial was to

create my own startup. However, during the year I learned a lot about the venture creation process and used this knowledge, together with some newly found connections to find a niche in the market. I’m also passionate about helping others achieve their business dreams, so the idea of creating an incubator business that nurtures businesses and startups was the ideal career move.

How did your collaboration with Jeffrey first come about?
Maulik: I first took Jeffrey on to do a specific piece of work which would form part of his MBA consulting project. We structured this project in a way that it could be practically applied to Innovify. After he finished his MBA, he continued to work on this project and he now plays a leading role within the business and really makes his mark with executive decision making.

Jeffrey: Maulik needed someone to write a business plan for the incubation side of Innovify. He gave me the opportunity to do this for my final MBA project. I never expected to be offered an actual job, so I was delighted when he offered me a permanent position as a product partner after I graduated. Maulik is very ambitious and has great ideas which makes Innovify such a dynamic place to work. Our shared experience of doing the Imperial MBA has strengthened our relationship and impacts on the way we conduct business.

Describe your experience of studying at Imperial.
Jeffrey: Imperial has a thriving entrepreneurship community across the College which gave me lots of inspiration and opportunities to gain practical experience through the various student projects taking place on campus. These projects included a competition for forming an accelerator with the Create Lab, run by the Faculty of Engineering. The MBA programme also provided great opportunities for networking with outside speakers and forging connections with like-minded people. I also loved being in a class full of people from all over the world and from different industries. The experience, insights and friendships were the best part of my experience.

Maulik: I was the President of the Entrepreneurs’ Interactive Society, through which I networked a lot to identify new contacts. The MBA gave me the confidence and knowledge to found Innovify. Since starting the business, I’ve found that the degree makes a difference in enabling potential clients to place faith in me and my team to deliver results.

What advice would you give to other students looking to set up their own business?
Jeffrey: I’d advise students to proactively seize the unique opportunities offered at Imperial, including external talks at the Business School, Tech City and entrepreneurship events taking place on campus. You won’t get these opportunities anywhere else!

Maulik: Focus on developing a small but carefully selected founding team of people who can help you develop your unique selling point. Believe in yourself no matter what people say. There are a lot of unknowns on your journey and the best way to overcome those is by ‘Failing fast and learning quickly’. Being an entrepreneur can be difficult and lonely so you need to have a strong support network of people who will stay with you if you don’t succeed.

Claire Cockerton (Full-Time MBA 2010) talks about her MBA journey from running her own business in Canada to setting up her own companies driving innovation in FinTech in the heart of London’s financial centre.

Today, Claire is a serial entrepreneur and an industry leader in financial services and smart cities. She is the Founder, CEO and Chairwoman of Entiq, a global innovation and economy enabler, and a leader in innovation delivery, new venture development and ecosystem creation.

She was also the founding CEO of Innovate Finance, a City of London and Canary Wharf Group backed movement for a more balanced, resilient, and accessible financial services sector. Launched by Entiq, 54 fintech founders and the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, IF’s vision was to radically transform every aspect of banking to deliver more choice to consumers and benefit to society.

Claire set the strategy and co-led the implementation of Level39, Europe’s largest technology accelerator dedicated to fintech, retail and smart cities technologies, and continues as Special Advisor to Canary Wharf Group on developing a Financial Services and Smart Cities tech cluster.

During her MBA at Imperial, Claire specialised in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Design, and helped establish the business model for Virgin’s ‘Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship’. She advised the Guardian Media Group on their ‘Digital First’ transformation strategy and helped implement their company-wide change programme. Claire founded, grew and sold (2009) ‘Aesthetic Earthworks’, a multi-million dollar sustainable architecture firm based in Toronto, Canada before moving to the UK.

Claire is an active member for Women in Tech, Tech London Advocates, Women Shift Digital, and is a member of Boris Johnson’s London Tech Ambassador Group.