From WBS to New York: How my Scholarship helped me achieve a Finance role

MSc Management alumna, Kemi Adetu shares her experience of receiving a WBS Scholarship and how this helped her CV stand out against other applicants when applying for jobs.

My time at WBS

Prior to starting at WBS, I had spent the last seven years in London and was very nervous about relocating to the Midlands. My brother had just graduated from the University of Warwick and really enjoyed his three-year journey as an undergraduate, so I had very positive expectations. WBS held a series of welcome events for incoming students so I had the privilege of meeting my course mates, and connecting with them long before we started our course.

I had a very rich experience as a Masters student at WBS through active involvement in business clubs and social activities, including the exhilarating WBS Christmas Party at the end of the first semester. We interacted with several professionals through themed networking events relevant to recent developments in business and technology. The faculty tutors were very professional and had a deep expertise that made the learning experience really interesting. They encouraged open discussion and creativity with problem-solving. The WBS CareersPlus team were very hands-on with career planning, CV building and interview preparation. I really enjoyed the experience of living on campus during my time at WBS as it helped me build relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Studying at WBS enabled me to develop my leadership potential, during and after my programme, as I was accepted onto the two-year WBS Mentorship Scheme which really helped me progress through my career with promotions and consistent positive performance reviews.

How my WBS Scholarship helped me

I chose to study MSc Management to understand how managers make strategic decisions to improve operational efficiency and profit sustainability, drawing on knowledge of business consultancy and organisational development. Working in several teams on real-life case studies and companies, on a weekly basis helped me refine and build on my communication, team working, and presentation skills. The course helped me develop good research and analytical skills, knowledge of marketing, strategy, micro and macroeconomic theories, and financial analysis. 

When applying for jobs the WBS Scholarship I received helped my CV stand out against other applicants from different institutions. I received several job offers and spent my summer working in the highly competitive role of Business Analyst at Google, whilst working on my final dissertation. I also transitioned into a full time Investment Banking role immediately after my placement at Google. During the MSc Management course, I learnt how to prioritise my workload and manage my time, against tight timelines. These project management skills proved extremely useful for meeting dissertation deadlines, whilst balancing a full-time job.

Life after WBS

I am currently working as an Associate within the Financial and Strategic Investors Group at Standard Chartered Bank (SC) in New York. I started out on an International Graduate programme rotating through Shanghai, China and the UK, before relocating to North America. Within this role, I work very closely with specialist industry bankers with specialist knowledge in different sectors including Real Estate, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Retail, Energy and Natural Resources. I joined SC because of its large geographical footprint in markets that I am passionate about. I have been given the opportunity to develop a truly international network.

I leverage my entrepreneurial thinking and knowledge of SC’s product capabilities, to provide innovative financing and investment solutions across different asset classes and sectors. I develop relationships with private equity firms and sovereign wealth funds headquartered in the U.S. that are acquiring assets across sectors in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. I feel that my current role has given me the opportunity to apply all the skills and knowledge that I learnt from my MSc Management course in a practical setting, which wouldn’t have been possible without receiving a WBS Scholarship.

Find out more about our WBS Scholarships