As a startup co-founder, I worried that the Executive MBA time commitment would be too great, the course content ‘too corporate’ and the material too abstract to offer me any real value. Having now been on the programme for 12 months, I recommend the Oxford Executive MBA to any founder who is serious about scaling their organisation.
A 360-degree business programme for leaders
As the saying goes ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’ The Oxford Executive MBA is a great ‘leveller’ in terms of getting up to speed with the essentials of what it takes to run a growing business. The material is technical enough to give you sufficient command of a subject area, while also focusing on the ‘why’ and what it means from a leadership perspective.
Whether you’re levelling up your knowledge of accounting from an ex-Lehman Brothers lecturer or learning strategy from an ex-McKinsey M&A expert, the programme covers a huge amount of ground. You’ll learn to critically analyse the work of specialists both in and outside your own organisation and be able to have informed conversations about wider business issues.
As a founder operating a global retail fintech business, I often took the basics for granted. I assumed that operating at the cutting edge of technology automatically translated into operating at the forefront of business operations. After starting the programme, I realised that various areas of my business had grown beyond my skill level without me realising it. The programme plugged the gaps in my knowledge and enabled me to challenge the experts in my business to ensure that all areas of our operations constantly strived to be best-in-class. An added bonus is that, on the Executive MBA, there is always a specialist in the cohort to translate the more abstract theories into how things work in the real world.
The programme plugged the gaps in my knowledge and enabled me to challenge the experts in my business to ensure that all areas of our operations constantly strived to be best-in-class.
Impact from day one
An Executive MBA is a huge investment, both in terms of financial commitment and time. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge, then you will have to make sacrifices at work and in your personal life. But the rewards are well worth it.
At Oxford, the return on investment begins from day one. As a founder, I often feel that I’ve made practically every possible mistake when it comes to running a startup, so it was encouraging to be able to seek advice and immediately apply classroom learning:
Q: ‘Why do we seem to be overrunning on projects?’
A: ‘No problem, there’s a set of organisational diagnostic tools for that.’
Q: ‘How do we compete in an industry that changes at lightning speed on an almost daily basis?’
A: ‘No problem, there is a framework for that.’
Once you have time to reflect, either in the classroom or while completing assignments, you’ll realise that the Executive MBA is already under the skin of your organisation.
Shared problem-solving and different perspectives
Stepping outside your bubble can yield a completely different perspective. Often, when you’re in the trenches, you have a network of trusted compatriots, but that can also lead to group-think and stagnation.
Countless times I’d be chatting with members of my cohort, worrying about my latest startup problem of the day, only to find someone who was also grappling with a similar issue. Fellow cohort members always offered helpful insights and suggestions. They would often make an unprompted referral to a trusted member of their own network for additional support and advice. You might even meet your future startup founder on the programme.
Why choose the Oxford Executive MBA?
There were several reasons why I picked Oxford for my Executive MBA and, now that I am 12 months into the programme, the same reasons ring even more true today.
Saïd Business School prides itself on welcoming a mixed cohort from a diverse range of backgrounds. You won’t be sitting in a room full of ex-city finance professionals – you’ll be mixing with an international cohort who are all incredibly well-accomplished in many different fields. In my cohort, we have people leading listed companies, growing nonprofits, running government departments in Africa, pivoting startups, blitz-scaling scale-ups, and writing books on AI. You don’t see that sort of diversity and pedigree at any other institution.
The Oxford brand is the gold standard for educational quality. Potential future employers and colleagues will know that you’ve had the best teaching available. If you’re investing in an Executive MBA then you’ll want to be sure that it will challenge you to grow and have a lasting impact on your career long after your final day at the School.
The Oxford brand is the gold standard for educational quality. Potential future employers and colleagues will know that you’ve had the best teaching available.
The programme structure is smartly designed to maximise your opportunities to learn, reflect and network away from your organisation, while recognising you still have a business to run. Spending one week at the School every five weeks means that you have to be fully present and explicitly make time for the programme. A full week’s tuition at a time allows you to fully tune in to the programme. It forces you to step away from your organisation – a golden growth opportunity in itself.
Personally, I would not have been able to study remotely at weekends or over Zoom as the temptation to get distracted by my day job would have been too great. Being on-site at the School for a week at a time means I have the opportunity to become immersed in the full ‘Oxford experience’ – maximising study, networking, college life, and opportunities to explore the city.
If you'd like to learn more about my experiences on the Executive MBA or share thoughts on business innovation and fintech, you can connect with me on LinkedIn.
