Time to grow at the MBA London Symposium

How can we create a culture of agency and growth to revitalise the UK’s economy?

MBA students attended talks on revitalising the economy as part of the London MBA Symposium, the annual flagship elective designed to bring together students and industry experts to address pressing business issues.

The theme for the tenth anniversary of the elective was “Time to Grow”, with students visiting the London Transport Museum, the British Film Institute (BFI) and the British Museum as part of the four-day event.

Speakers included Ben Saunders, a polar explorer and Founder of Kintanna, a climate tech venture capital (VC) firm. Ben is the third person in history to ski solo to the North and South Poles and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.

MBA students also heard from Ines Gennip, Head of Amazon Shipping (Europe) who discussed how the company created a test-and-learn environment to develop its shipping division, moving from a startup unit to a profitable business growth engine.

Harvey Lewis, Honorary Senior Visiting Fellow at Bayes and Associate Partner at Ernst & Young, delivered a talk about the relationship between technology and growth, exploring whether artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation could stimulate growth and productivity in the workplace.

The annual showpiece was coordinated by Sally Taplin, a business consultant with expertise in client purpose, direction and growth strategy and Bayes alumna (Executive MBA, 2007).

“After a year of post-pandemic turmoil, the UK is focused on filling a ‘fiscal black hole’,” Sally said.

“But is that enough - what should the ambition for our economy be now? In the London Symposium 2023 we sought to address how we create the agency for growth.”

Neha Chauhan joined the Full-time MBA at Bayes having previously worked in financial services in a fashion exports company, and global professional services firm in her home city of New Delhi. After completing her studies, she plans to work as a management consultant in the UK. For Neha, the event presented an excellent opportunity to widen her network.

In particular, Neha’s highlight was an inspiring talk from Douglas Bell, founder of Frontier and London Innovators, on entrepreneurship.

“By attending the London Symposium, I gained valuable insights into the British economy, particularly in a post-Brexit era,” Neha said.

“Events like this are essential to the MBA journey as they bring together knowledge from well-renowned speakers from diverse industries and backgrounds,” Neha said.

The module concluded with a networking drinks at the Shard.

A full list of sessions and more information about the speakers can be found on the London MBA Symposium 2023 website.

Find out more about the Bayes MBA programmes.