My Warwick Journey: Reinventing My Career

Full-time MBA participant Ahmed details his journey to the 2022-23 cohort – from realising he needed to make a career change in order to achieve his aim of building an innovation platform start-up, to deciding that WBS was the School to help him reach his goal.

On a grey morning in November 2021, I returned from an outdoor run. I sat alone at my home office in Yorkshire, thinking about my career, aspirations and impact on society. The worst days of the coronavirus were gone and I, like many people, started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It seemed clear that I needed to make a change, specifically a career change. The decisions I made seven years ago to pursue academic and research careers were probably right at the time, but I feel I can do so much more. I want to play a bigger role in society and give back to the people in the UK who have helped me achieve outstanding things and grow professionally and personally.

I know that change is difficult. It comes at a greater risk and brings uncertainty. Throughout my academic career, I always told my colleagues, students and managers, that sometimes you have to take a leap of faith into uncertainty. As an aspiring Change Maker, I know I have to walk the talk. It is the highest ideal of leadership - I have to embody it in every act.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, there was rising anxiety and dissatisfaction - I needed the challenge to help me realise my potential and unlock bigger, exciting opportunities. I firmly believe my ability to dream big and pursue my dreams has allowed me to drive life-changing innovations. I have always been fascinated by the game of business. Growing up in a business family, I started several businesses as a young boy. As an employee - acting as an intrapreneur- I exploited my entrepreneurial skills to help organisations create and capture value by introducing new technologies, businesses and ventures. I thrive on the risk and challenge of doing my things.

Having spent a decade in Research and Development - I witnessed that most companies’ R&D efforts fell short of their goals. I also noticed that companies innovate in silos! Then I started thinking of developing a product that helps companies accelerate product-to-market, innovate and maximise return on investment, and use the latest technologies - such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Creative approaches to problem-solving result in innovation. Creativity is all about ideas and connecting things. Ideas come from thoughts that, in turn, come from experience and knowledge. Using artificial intelligence will help close the experience gap and unlock opportunities.

I have turned to Warwick Business School to help me move to the next stage of my career; to hone my management skills and leadership abilities and pursue my dream of building a meaningful venture. Secondary reasons also include credibility, business acumen and thinking strategically. The School offers many programmes, but the Master in Business Administration programme is well-positioned to help me achieve my objective. The MBA requires significant time and effort, and choosing a Full-time MBA allows me to shorten the time. Besides, the School provides additional incentives for Full-time MBAs in terms of career coaching and extra post-MBA support. The Full-time MBA will help me focus. Ultimately, success is the product of focus, determination and dedication.

My experience at the University of Warwick has been enjoyable. The University is committed to its Business School; this can be noticed by the investment in teaching and learning facilities, buildings and student experience. I also noticed that the School uses up-to-date management tools and integrates students’ feedback into everything it does. My advice to those who want to pursue MBA is to start with an end in mind – an MBA is a significant time and financial investment. You should never fly blind. If you want to obtain a good MBA and access to the UK and global job markets, then the School will perfectly suit you too.

Discover more about our transformational Full-time MBA programme.