"Don't be afraid to take risks," MBA student advises fellow women in business

Women can achieve their career goals by taking risks and not being afraid of mistakes, according to a speaker at a Business School event this week.

Alumni, students and staff gathered to hear industry experts discuss the challenges facing women in business, at an event organised by the Imperial College Women In Business society as part of this year’s Women@Imperial week.

Keynote speaker Rana Lonnen, a molecular biologist and current Executive MBA student, shared highlights from her life, from growing up in Lebanon during the civil war, to her career journey from being a research scientist to becoming a business executive, as Director and Founder of RJ Life Sciences Consultancy Ltd. Lonnen discovered a molecule that is a potential therapy for pneumonia, after which she successfully raised funds from the Wellcome Trust and took steps towards forming a start-up.

Revealing her advice for women wanting to achieve their dreams she said: “We often believe that success in business is about getting ahead at other people’s expense, but this isn’t true. A successful leader nurtures and supports others on their mission, which leads to a more productive work environment.

“Don’t be afraid to take risks or make mistakes. Be tenacious, be humble and seek good mentors,” she added.

Stressing the important role of men in tackling the issue of gender balance she said: “Lots of men have helped and inspired me in my career. Sometimes it’s not the men who are the problem – women can also create obstacles to other women achieving their goals. So if we want to break down the barriers to gender inequality, we need to bring the men with us on our journey.”

Rana’s talk was followed by a panel discussion of industry experts, featuring Imperial alumni and moderated by Dana Denis-Smith, an entrepreneur, former lawyer and journalist. The panel discussed the challenges facing women at work, and issues such as the need to instil women with more confidence to speak up at meetings without being interrupted by their male colleagues. The panel also outlined the various measures being taken by their own companies to accommodate women’s needs such as apprenticeships, flexible working, opportunities to travel and return to work programmes.

Diane Morgan, Associate Dean of Programmes, Imperial College Business School said: “It was wonderful to see industry leaders coming together with alumni, students and staff to debate the key challenges and the opportunities for women in business. The lack of female role models - CEOs, leaders and mentors in business, is often discussed as having a significant impact on girls’ aspirations from a young age, so events of this kind are essential in inspiring early career professionals and MBAs to achieve their career ambitions.”