Liverpool MBA features distinguished industry speakers as part of ‘Future Leaders’ series
Central to the Liverpool MBA is a commitment to connecting the city with our classroom, and a key part of that is the Liverpool MBA Future Leaders Guest Speaker Series delivered in the first semester.
The Series connects MBA delegates with senior leaders with a strong presence in, or links to Liverpool, and invites them to share their insights and career journeys to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Our 2024 Series offered MBA delegates insights into career development strategies and a deeper understanding of leadership in practice. Our speakers are all volunteers, from Alumni and local leadership community across public, private and third sectors and are always generous in offering our MBA candidates the chance to network, build up their contacts and cultivate their professional skills.
We really appreciate our guests, and this Semester it was our privilege to welcome (in order of appearance):
- Rekha Karna, Executive Director, JP Morgan and MBA Alumna
- Mark McClennon MBE, Global CIO, Burberry and University of Liverpool Alumnus
- Norman Molyneux, Executive Chairman, KPMG Acceleris and ULMS Advisory Board Member
- Faye Dyer, CEO, ACC Liverpool
Liverpool MBA delegate Ajay Gupta shared: ‘activities weren't just about ticking boxes; they were about developing the confidence, competence and equipping MBAs with a well-rounded skill set that goes beyond academic knowledge, crucial for leaving a lasting, positive impression on potential employers.’
Rekha Karna, JP Morgan, Liverpool MBA alumna
Rekha Karna joined virtually from New York where she shared unique insights into her career journey and highlighted the value of building relationships through networking.
Rekha is a 2009 alumna of the Management School’s MBA Business Finance and Management course and emphasised how the university was “instrumental in shaping her journey”. She emphasised the value of always taking any of the opportunities that come your way, you never know where they might lead.
Liverpool MBA Rachit Sharma shared how Rekha’s ‘story of transitioning from a comfortable position to new challenges, and subsequently navigating different departments were genuinely inspiring. Rekha’s candidness about the challenges she faced resonated with most of us and her willingness to step out of your comfort zone to embrace the challenges was motivating.’
Mark McClennon MBE, Global Chief Information Officer at Burberry, University of Liverpool alumnus
Mark McClennon MBE – Alumnus, Chief Information Officer of Burberry, and volunteer MBA Mentor, shared unique insights into the cutting-edge technology of luxury global fashion and offered personal reflections on his own leadership trajectory.
Mark emphasised the importance of being aware of and utilising emerging trends in technologies, and underlined that successful leadership needs strong Emotional Intelligence, with people at its core.
Mark stressed: “It is a complex process to develop a successful career and a privilege to have an opportunity to craft something special that makes a difference – but it isn’t plain sailing.”
Mark is a passionate lifelong learner and encouraged MBA candidates to keep learning, and to seek out coaches, mentors and supporters to help their career journey.
Norman Molyneux, Executive Chairman, KPMG Acceleris
Norman Molyneux, Executive Chairman of KPMG Acceleris and Advisory Board Member of the Management School, outlined his own personal career trajectory and highlighted how rapid technological and educational advances have opened opportunities for career progression in the world of work and how these opportunities should be capitalised on.
Norman outlined tools to develop, grow and protect an innovative business in a rapidly evolving market. His expertise in investing in innovative, entrepreneurial businesses was particularly illuminating for MBA candidates, many of whom have aspirations to entrepreneurship and to convert their innovations into reality – hopefully here in Liverpool!
Faye Dyer, Chief Executive Officer, ACC Liverpool
Faye shared her professional and leadership journey to CEO, and the impact of the pandemic on an organisation relying on people getting together for events. She described how she converted challenge to an opportunity to reshape company culture and the challenges that presented. A key to her success was to take on roles and challenges she had no experience of which took her out of her comfort zone and leveraged her professional journey.
Faye was open about what tools and skills that her experiences have developed, and highlighted personal resilience, and putting people at the heart of the organisation, something Faye credits for an engaged workforce, record levels of revenue and profit, and to winning and delivering major events for the city such as Eurovision 2023.
Click here to learn more about our Liverpool MBA