Current president of the Out in Business Club (OiB), Meg Mathile, MBA 2025, shares her insightful knowledge and the positive impact the Out in Business Club has. Please read further to find out more about the Club here at LBS.
What motivated you to pursue an MBA at London Business School?
Having sat on both analytical and creative teams throughout my career, and wanted the chance to not only strengthen some of my hard skills in the data and insights space but also create opportunities to develop my leadership style and understand culture building. For me, LBS has an amazing group of global-minded, curious and passionate individual. I knew that I would find not only a strong foundation but also the flexibility to tailor my experience to my personal and professional development goals. Also, having London as the backdrop adds so much value-from arts and culture to professional networks, there’s so much to tap into.
What inspired you to take on the role of President of the Out in Business Club?
As a relatively newly out queer woman, I had no idea coming into LBS how big a role (if at all) the Out in Business Club would play in my life. Seeing other lesbian/bi/queer women show up without justifying their presence or identity really inspired me to be active and visible. Having a solid support system and community to lean on during these two years is so critical and OiB was transformative my first year in empowering me to grow both as a person and as a leader. Max Buck (my co-president) and I had a strong idea of what the culture of the club could be and both wanted to be part of bringing that to life-essentially, our entire vision stemmed from creating as many moments of queer joy as possible.
What are the club’s main goals, and how do you see them impacting students at London Business School?
Out in Business aims to provide a space for LGBTQ folks and allies to find community, access resources and ultimately get the space and support they need to thrive. At LBS, students are constantly balancing priorities across every aspect of their lives-OiB is meant to exist as a supportive community first and foremost.
Can you share any key initiatives or events the club has organised that you are particularly proud of?
EUROUT – The club runs the UK/Europe’s largest LGBTQ + business student conference; what I’m most proud of is that this conference is not only full of engaging speakers and important conversations, but also a growing global community of future and current leaders in the business world. This year the team worked really hard to not only increase the scale and production, but also the representation we had on stage.
Mentorship – We provide peer mentorship to incoming students as well as professional mentorship for all club members through our OiB Accelerate program. Both of these really showcase some of the best aspects of the culture of the club and how it can help students throughout their LBS journey.
Tea with OiB -This year the DEI team spearheaded a new speaker series to highlight LGBTQ+ leaders, focusing on both professional and personal journeys as well as key topics during this particular climate in diversity and inclusion. Our first one with Pedro Pena was really inspiring and a great space for allies to engage with the club as well.
Tattoo- Visibility and space matter, so was amazing to see the broader community engage with the club at Tattoo this year through our booth.
How has the club fostered a sense of community and empowerment among LGBTQ+ students?
While our formal initiatives are all really wonderful accomplishments, I think our biggest impact comes from simply showing up and creating space – a sense of belonging and community is what stays with people beyond their time at LBS and makes the biggest difference. Having the peer mentorship programme for incoming students made a big difference this year in setting the tone and connecting people early on.
What does Pride Month mean to you personally?
This will be my first London Pride out so it’s really meaningful that I get to celebrate that. For me it’s not about ticking a box and showing up just one day a year or one month a year-it’s about coming together and examining what we can do better to improve the lives of those around us. This year I’m focusing on intersectionality and how I can be a better advocate for that within the community both at LBS and beyond.
How has the LBS experience shaped your perspective on business and leadership?
My time at LBS has really taught me to lean into intuition as another form of data. That, in addition to a really clear vision, has really shaped my approach. A lot of leadership can feel lonely at times so the people you surround yourself it so important, and having a strong culture helps especially when making tough decisions.
What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ professionals considering an MBA or alternative programme at London Business School?
Do it! I fully underestimated the personal impact of having this time to re-focus on things that give me purpose and it provided me with the most rewarding life lessons and friendships.
What message would you like to share with aspiring LGBTQ+ business leaders?
My biggest takeaways from the past year leading the club are:
-9 times out of 10 you will be the only “you” in the room, strive to be the example you wish you had.
-How you align in your personal journey can profoundly impact your professional one.
-Remember that the work you’ve done to exist authentically has made you uniquely qualified to show up with purpose and confidence.
How do you hope to leave a lasting impact on the Out in Business Club?
My friends are probably sick of hearing me say this but-community first, club second. How you show up for yourself and those around you is what leaves a lasting impact. While the club has accomplished so many things I’m proud to be part of-I think what matters most is making sure there’s a space where people feel an implicit sense of belonging.
To find out more about the Out In Business Club, please view here.