By Elizabeth Taiwo, Student Recruitment Manager – MiM & GMiM
At London Business we aim to shape future leaders and throughout their time with us, students have access to a variety of leadership opportunities. This is no exception for our Graduate Masters students who secure leadership roles within the community year on year.
To give you an idea of the positions available to develop your leadership skills as a London Business Graduate Masters student, I sat down with Andrei Petrescu (MFA2023), Muhammad Da’wud (MiM2023), Nuhamin Mengiste (MFA2023) and Triumph Awa-Arua (MiM2023), to hear about the other roles they’ve taken on.
Which role(s) have you taken on and why?
Triumph: I’m Vice President for Careers within the Black in Business (BiB) Club. Career development is such an important part of the LBS experience, so I applied for this position to support members of the BiB club throughout their journey.
Muhammad: I’ve taken on a variety of leadership roles that allow me to develop my skills and make a positive impact on the LBS community. Alongside the student ambassador role, I am Vice President, Partnerships for the FLII club and Co-Lead of the Middle East Club’s Career Trek. I also co-founded the 93% Club at LBS.
Nuhamin: I’m Vice President, Partnerships for BiB – this club was one of the key reasons I wanted to join LBS. After speaking with the co-founder, Cole Agbede, I knew I would not only be a part of a diverse community but also be able to access professional networks that can relate to my background and aspirations.
Andrei: As a Career Student Representative of the MFA programme, I represent the voice of my cohort to drive the career development agenda. I wanted to give back to the community that continues to nurture my personal and professional development.
What has it been like so far?
Triumph: It’s been truly wonderful! It’s rewarding to be part of a team that seeks and harnesses opportunities for Black Heritage students at LBS, developing and executing initiatives for members across programmes to break into their desired jobs and industries. Working with the Executive Committee and the larger club membership from various LBS programmes, as well as interacting on a larger scale with external stakeholders, has taught me a lot. I’ve made so many new friends, developed new skills, and had so much fun in a short period of time. I’m certainly looking forward to the rest of the school year and all of the great work we will be doing.
Muhammad: I have played a key role in organising 93% Club events, recruiting members, and building relationships with organizations that share our mission. For the FLII club, I have been responsible for establishing and maintaining partnerships with a variety of organizations, including several employers and student societies. I have also organized the Middle East club’s trek to Dubai. Overall, these roles have allowed me to develop my communication, relationship building, negotiation, and team management skills. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had, and I look forward to continuing to develop my leadership skills in the future.
Nuhamin: I appreciate the moments where I’ve cultivated relationships at the club, like movie night outs, West African cuisines and African art exhibitions. During my time, I hope to keep the communal LBS culture alive in all my engagements with current and prospective students and continue strengthening the partner relationships that BiB has with several professional networks. I’m particularly excited to lead the Career Changer webinar that BiB will be piloting this year, which aims to encourage proactive career exploration and demystify corporate career paths for students and young professionals.
Andrei: So far in this role, I have supported the Career Centre with valuable feedback gathered from students that engaged with them through- networking events, 1-on-1 meetings with coaches and sector leaders, application materials for CVs, cover letters, and online tests, as well as our revamped Career Portal. It feels rewarding to actively listen to what students need and then implement the feedback to contribute to a better student experience at London Business School.
As you’ve heard, there are a variety of fulfilling leadership roles available. I would encourage you to look into the student clubs on offer, each with an Executive Committee you can apply to be part of as a Graduate Masters student.
To find out about the student ambassador role, connect with members of our current ambassador team.