Oxford Executive MBA 2019

So today marks a milestone, it's the official end of my Executive MBA journey at Oxford. 65,000 words, >100 case studies and 25 submissions later it is finally done.

Firstly, a big thank you to my family for all the help, support, patience and encouragement over the last 2 years; it would have been impossible to achieve this milestone without your support. 

It has been a pleasure working and learning from my fellow JEMBA18 colleagues. Thank you for everything. It has been an amazing journey over the last 21 months. I have been humbled by the opportunity to reflect, learn and grow by completing the course with such a diverse cohort from 45 different countries and industries. Sharing experiences and opportunities in Teamwork, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Conflict Management, Negotiation, Strategy, Innovation, Global Leadership, Inclusive Business and much more than I can mention. I wish you the best in your own journey.

A big thank you to all the lecturers and staff who have made the experience worthwhile; special mention to Marc Ventresca, Associate Professor of Strategy and Innovation and Aunnie Patton Power, Associate Fellow, Innovative Finance, only to mention a few. A big thank you to former and current colleagues and Oxford EMBA alumni who have continued to support me throughout the journey. 

A special thank you to all the companies and teams who supported us along this journey in Cape Town, Bangalore, Shanghai and Silicon Valley. The global landscape presents, both opportunities and threats with a constantly changing landscape.

I have recently been receiving a lot of questions about the program from budding future EMBAs, in different regions, so I thought to share some of my own lessons and reflections.

Oxford and Keble College

I have especially enjoyed the opportunity of being at Keble College. Famous Keblonians include Ed Balls and Imran Khan. This was in fact, my second attempt at studying at Oxford, having waited 20 years. Another lesson to never give-up; remain patient and persevere; it was well worth the wait.

History and traditions hold many lessons for us; helping us reflect on the past to prepare for the future. History is everywhere, at Oxford, from City itself, the numerous college dinners we attended, the ceremonies at the Sheldonian Theatre and the Ashmolean Museum. Oxford is one of the oldest universities with active teaching for the best part of 800 years. It has recently been voted the best university in the world.

It continues to attract some of the best talent, with an eclectic mix of highly motivated students and staff focused on solving some of the most complex problems.

Said Business School (SBS)

SBS affords you the opportunity of being at a pre-eminent global business school whilst being at the best university. There is certainly a place for you at Said, whether it’s in one of the full-time or executive programs. I have been fortunate to meet some former colleagues attending some of the Executive programme.

Some reflections on the SBS’s values;

Purpose – authentic leaders are self-aware, channeling this to lead with purpose.

 Excellence – The pursuit of improvement is never ending. We can always do better, learn, adjust and improve. As Six Sigma tells us, the process can always be improved.

 Respect – creating value by accepting and harnessing differences

 Entrepreneurial – regardless of track, career or entrepreneurship, we are reminded daily how our external environment is changing. Aligning strategy and innovation will help build future capabilities, an entrepreneurial spirit will go a long way.

Collaboration – It is better to create value by working with others than capturing value.

Innovation

Systems for innovation are fundamentally changing many business models, with platforms forcing incumbents to adapt and new entrants carving out niche parts of the market. Organizing for innovation has now become more systematic and structured than ever before.

A big thank you to Kathy Harvey, the Associate Dean, and the academic staff for your support and encouragement throughout the journey.

Final Thoughts

The course is a challenging one, and requires significant investment in time, finances, and effort. In addition there are significant opportunity costs associated with undertaking a programme of this nature, meaning, one must weigh carefully the decision, given the commitment required.

I would highly recommend it!

I came to Oxford to learn and reflect and to achieve a lifelong dream.

I leave emboldened by the challenge and opportunities that lie ahead.

The hard work is only just beginning.

Thank you.