MBA Launch 24
Welcome to the School
‘The MBA experience at Oxford Saïd is transformational. You will benefit from excellent teaching and research at one of the best universities in the world. The Oxford MBA will help you to transform business and society for the better, and prepare you to lead with impact.’
Soumitra Dutta
Peter Moores Dean, Saïd Business School
Contents
04 Welcome: MBA Programme Director
05 Introduction
Schedule by day:
Monday 23 September
06 Welcome to the MBA
06. Keynote: Sergio Ermotti in conversation with Tatiana Fullick
09. Your MBA Programme Team
09 Student Wellbeing and Support at Saïd Business School
10 Drive your career journey
13 Your lifelong membership begins today: Oxford Saïd Alumni Network
Tuesday 24 September
14 Introduction to Lumina Spark
17 Using Lumina profiles to understand team dynamics
17 Meet the Careers team
19 General Info Fair & Food Market
Wednesday 25 September
20 Better Together: Designing Diverse, High Performance Teams
20 Business Finance
23 Strategic Problem Solving
24. The Debate
Thursday 26 September
27 Squiggly Careers - Five skills for success: Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
27 Introduction to Point of Contact (also featured on page 28)
28. Sector Introductions
28. Alumni Squiggly Careers and Close
Friday 27 September
30 Climate Bootcamp Introduction
34. Climate Science (Myles Allen)
34. Building a Sustainable Future: Crafting Effective Sustainability Strategies in Business
37 Energy transition: Demand-side transformation to achieve climate goals
37 Integrating nature-climate scenarios and analytics for financial decision-making
38 Does visualising climate change help us better manage it?
38. The Global Growth of Climate Litigation
41 Energy Storage in Energy Systems
42 Climate Bootcamp Biographies
Welcome to MBA Launch 2024
"This will be an incredible year, designed to provide you with a solid foundation in core business principles and the role business plays in society overall, equipping you to be the leaders that the world continues to need in this ever-changing landscape."
Amy Major MBA Programme Director
Introduction
Welcome to Launch 2024, our two-week induction designed to help you prepare for the MBA programme.
Over the coming days, you will attend a selection of specially curated events, lectures, activities, and workshops to equip you with enhanced personal and professional development skills It will be your chance to set expectations for the coming academic year, create a solid foundation for learning, and build strong relationships with your class.
Throughout Launch, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to start planning your career journey You will hear from experts in coaching, personal branding, psychometric analysis, networking and sector areas through interactive masterclasses, group work, and one-to-ones.
Our induction series will also see the Launch of our specially curated Climate Bootcamp providing essential climate literacy for your leadership journey at Oxford Saïd. It will also feature our co-curricular and service partners who will play a crucial role in your programme experience They will be on hand to answer any questions you may have in their respective areas.
Congratulations once again for starting the MBA programme. Your leadership journey with us starts here.
We hope you have an enjoyable Launch experience, and we look forward to connecting with you all at various points in time. Launch dress code: business attire
Monday 23 September
Welcome to the MBA
10:00-11:00 | NM Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Our first meeting of Launch will feature welcome remarks from Professor Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean, Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean, MBA and Executive Degrees, and Amy Major, MBA Programme Director.
Hear more about their vision, what to expect from your MBA experience, and how to make the most of the year from our senior leadership team
Keynote: Sergio Ermotti in conversation with Tatiana Fullick
11:30-12:30 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
This session will see our first Keynote featuring Sergio Ermotti, Group CEO of UBS Group AG in conversation with Oxford Saïd alumna, Tatiana Fullick, Executive Director at UBS.
Tatiana Fullick
Sergio Ermotti
Your MBA Programme Team
14:00-14:45 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Hear from leaders of the MBA Programme team on your programme experience from an academic and co-curricular point of view. Take this opportunity to discover more about the year ahead, the programme as a whole, and what to expect from your journey with us
S g nd Support at Saïd
Business School
14:45-15:15 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Eloise Attersley, our Head of Student Wellbeing, will be introducing her role at the School and will be talking through some of the support services and resources available to students at the University. She will touch on the community of the school, the different facets of wellbeing, and where to turn to if things don’t quite go to plan
Drive your career journey
15:45-16:45 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Join Joy Bussell, Director of Career Development and James Nugent, Head of Consulting Careers and a group of our valued alumni to discuss what to expect during your MBA career journey. This session will provide an overview of;
• Our unique programme of workshops, online resources, industry insights and personalised coaching
• How we empower you to take ongoing ownership of your career, make informed career decisions, and build the networks, confidence, and skills to implement those decisions
• Hear from our alumni Anastasiya Kizima (Finance), Abhinav Bansal (Consulting), Lindsay Strouse (Impact), and Katie Jackson (Renewable Energy) about how they used their MBA to boost their future careers in diverse leading sector organisations.
Monday 23 September
Joy Bussell Director of Career Development
James Nugent MBA Lead Head of Consulting Careers
Oxford
Saïd
Alumni Network:
Your lifelong membership begins today
16:45-17:15 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Zoe Baker, Associate Director of Alumni and Supporter
Engagement, will outline the impact of joining our thriving alumni community from day one of your MBA, the exclusive benefits you can access while you study, and more about our fantastic global Oxford alumni network
Tuesday 24 September
Introduction to Lumina Spark
09:00-10:30 | Nelson Mandela Lecture Theatre & ESLT overflow
Lumina Spark provides cutting-edge personality, emotional intelligence, and competency tools and qualification programmes through an integrated suite of digital psychometric resources. These resources develop self-awareness, teamwork, and leadership, and are at the heart of many successful selection and development solutions as part of organisational transformation In this session you will learn more about how to interpret your profile and explore all the cohort personality tests together to identify the different preferences, traits and behaviours of the class as a whole.
Learn more about the session
Tuesday 24 September
Using Lumina profiles to understand team dynamics
11:00-12.30 | Section A | Seminar Room A
11:00-12.30 | Section B | Founders Room
14:00-15.30 | Section C | Seminar Room A
14:00-15.30 | Section D | Founders Room
Having started to understand your own Lumina Profile, you will explore your study group profiles to understand how to work more effectively with others and leverage the diversity of personalities to create an inclusive team
Meet the Careers team
11:00-12:30 | Section D | Dining Hall
14:00-15:30 | Section A | Dining Hall
Connect in person with a Career Development coach to gain early advise on how to start your career journey. These 10-minute intros provide you the opportunity to get insights and tools to achieve your career goal. Whatever your path - explorer, transitioner or accelerator - take this early opportunity to understand how career coaching can help generate new ideas and reframe challenges, to provide an early way forward
Tuesday 24 September
James Neugent
Joy Bussle
Food Market and General Info Fair
12:30 – 14:00 | Courtyard Marquee and Entrance Hall
Our in-house catering team, BaxterStorey, will be hosting their annual signature Food Market, showcasing a selection of food they will be offering throughout the year as an introduction to their amazing flavours and suppliers Plus, this segment will also see our General Info Fair take place, featuring a selection of the school’s service partners and cocurricular offerings that play an integral part in your MBA experience. Join us to hear from:
Oxford Union. As an MBA student, you are entitled to a free membership at the Oxford Union In keeping with this, the team will be on hand to share what they offer their members including access to speakers, debates, socials, and facilities. They will also share what you should look out for during Michaelmas term, and how you can get involved in some of their unmissable activities.
Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre. Discover how they can help you with your entrepreneurial and innovative needs. The team will be on hand to discuss their network, Entrepreneurship Project, amongst other popular programmes and courses they run throughout the year.
EnSpire Oxford. Enspire Oxford is the University of Oxford's entrepreneurship hub, connecting all of the entrepreneurial initiatives and resources found within the University in one place
Skoll Centre - The Skoll Centre is an internationally renowned social impact centre, based at the Saïd Business School
We'll also be joined by some of our other service partners, Sainsbury Library, Oxford Saïd Events and Marketing Teams, and Student Wellbeing.
Better
Together: Designing Diverse, High-Performance Teams
09:00 – 10:30 / Section B | 11:00 – 12:30 / Section D
13:30 – 15:00 / Section C | 15:30 – 17:00 / Section A
In this session, you will meet and work with your study team for the first time. You will do a practical, hands-on teamwork exercise to break the ice, and get to know your teammates. We will then be drawing on the lessons from that exercise, and your own previous experience of working in teams, to understand the importance of teamwork as a crucial component of your journey throughout the MBA. Be it for socialising and mutual support, or joint learning and assessment.
Business Finance
09:00 – 11:45 / Sections A (ESLT) and section C (LT4)
13:30 – 16:45 / Sections B (RTLT) and section D (LT5)
Your first Business Finance Lecture. Be sure to have completed the Business Finance module on the pre-MBA online canvas site. You will find the slides you need for this lecture in the Business Finance canvas site
Strategic Problem Solving
09:00 – 10:30 / Section D | 11:00 – 12:30 / Section B 13:30 – 15:00 / Section A | 15:30 – 17:00 / Section C
What do you do when faced with a complex, ambiguous problem that requires fast decision-making? In this interactive session, we will introduce you to a series of concepts that, when mastered, provide a consistent and repeatable way to decompose complex problems and quickly find a way forward. We then discuss how case studies are an opportunity to hone the skill of structured problem solving for class, interviews or on the job. This session is delivered by alumni from the school.
Christina Schmidhuber is an Associate Partner in McKinsey’s Strategy & Corporate Finance practice in Munich. She mainly supports corporate clients in the Automotive and Energy industry in complex M&A situations across all stages of the deal process. Christina graduated from her MBA at Said Business School in 2021 (College: New College). During her time in Oxford she was strongly involved in the Student Council and enjoyed the wide range of courses the MBA offered, e g Leadership Perspectives from the Humanities or Reputation & Leadership. Gloria Fehst is an Engagement Manager in McKinsey’s Zurich Office; she helps Life Sciences and Tech clients on Strategy and Innovation related topics. Gloria graduated from the Oxford MBA at Said Business School in 2023 While at Oxford she was part of the Christ Church Rowing team and debated at the Oxford Union
Wednesday 25 September
The Debate
18:00 – 20:00 | Oxford Union Debating Chamber, Frewin Court, Oxford, OX1 3JB
Join us at the Oxford Union for a lively debate between professors and our newly minted alumni from the MBA class of 2023-24. Two teams will address one motion, filled with passion, character, and excitement.
Agenda:
18:00 | Doors open for guests
18:30 | The Debate commences
20:00 | Debate concludes Refreshments available at the bar Results announced
21:00 | Carriages
Further details about how you can in redeem your free Oxford Union membership will be disclosed within our MBA weekly newsletter in due course.
Squiggly Careers - Five skills for success:
Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
Session 1: 09.00-10.00 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Session 2 16.00-17.00 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Careers today are full of possibilities and change, with no one-sizefits-all path. Everyone’s career is now "squiggly," and we’re here to help you navigate it with confidence, clarity, and control. In this keynote, Helen and Sarah will focus on the five key squiggly skills: strengths, values, confidence, networks, and possibilities
We’ll reflect in the second session on how the five key squiggly skills can shape your professional path this year and how you can connect them to your career journey. We’ll also outline the career support available to you throughout your MBA and beyond, giving you the tools and confidence to navigate your evolving career with purpose
Introduction to Careers Point of Contact
10:00 – 10:30 sessions | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Meet with your dedicated Point of Contact, who will help you navigate our Careers Resources throughout the year Please access the events section of your OSCAR account to establish who this will be:
Deb Findlay - RTLT | Caroline Gel - ESLT | James Henton - LT4
Madeleine Paler - SRA | Sean Thomey - NMLT | Ben LeslieFounders Room
Thursday 26 September
Sector Introductions
Hear from our Consulting, Finance, Global Industry and Technology teams to hear more about how you will work with them through this year. Understand the landscape, the opportunities and the the tools that you will need to take hold of your career journey
Careers in finance
11:00 – 11:45 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Careers in consulting 11:45 – 12:30 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Careers in technology and e-commerce
13:30 – 14:15 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Careers in global industry 14:15 – 15:00 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Introduction to Point of Contact: Careers
15:30-16:00 sessions. Visit OSCAR to establish who it will be:
Susanna Hofmann - RTLT
Ben Garner ESLT
John Madgwick - Founders
Fida Larbi - SRA
Dan Kiernan - NMLT
Becki Morris - LT4
James Nugent - Courtyard Marquee
Climate B
A two-day intensive progra incoming MBA students literacy, setting the stage f at Oxford Saïd B
Bootcamp
amme designed to provide s with essential climate for your leadership journey Business School.
The MBA Climate Bootcamp is structured to provide a short but thorough introduction the climate crisis and its relevance to business leadership. Day 1 focuses on climate science, offering insights from leading experts into the realities of climate change and policy, its causes, and its impacts on our planet This foundational knowledge sets the stage for Day 2, which shifts the focus to the application of this science in the business world. You will explore how businesses can respond to the climate challenge, with discussions on sustainable strategy, entrepreneurship, decision-making, climate finance and the role of leadership in driving meaningful change
Starting your MBA with this Climate Bootcamp underscores the importance of understanding and addressing the climate crisis as a central challenge for today’s business leaders. This bootcamp is not just an introduction to the subject; it’s an invitation to think deeply about the kind of impact you want to make.
Convened by Juliane Reinecke, Professor of Management
Studies
and Faculty
Director for
Sustainability, this boot-camp brings together some of the most respected voices in climate science, policy, and business leadership
Participants will learn from renowned experts from across Oxford university, including our three keynote speakers:
Professor Myles Allen
A leading climate scientist at Oxford University, known for his groundbreaking work on attributing human influence to climate change and his role in shaping global climate policy, including the term “net zero”.
Kate Raworth
An economist and author of Doughnut Economics, who offers a transformative approach to thinking about economic development in the context of environmental and social sustainability
Paul Polman
Chair of the SBS Board and former CEO of Unilever, recognised globally for his leadership in corporate sustainability and his efforts to drive business practices that contribute to a better world
Friday 27 September
Climate Science (Myles Allen)
09.00-10.30 | NMLT & ESLT overflow
Building a Sustainable Future: Crafting Effective Sustainability Strategies in Business (Mary Johnstone-Louis)
11:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 15:00 | Rhodes Trust Lecture Theatre
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability has shifted from a corporate buzzword to a strategic imperative. This interactive session is designed to support your thinking as you integrate sustainability into core business strategy Participants will explore the intersection of environmental, social, and governance factors with business performance, and learn how to create value through sustainable practices.
Energy transition: Demand-side transformation to achieve climate goals
(Sam Hampton)
11:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 15:00 | Edmond Safra Lecture Theatre
Reducing energy demand is a top priority for climate action, as it offers the cheapest and most accessible mitigation options, with potential to cut emissions by up to 40-70% across sectors by 2050. This session will explore the vast opportunities for demand-side transformation, including strategies like improving energy efficiency, shifting consumption patterns, and adopting low-carbon technologies We'll also discuss the challenges in implementing these changes, such as policy barriers, high-carbon norms, and the need for coordinated action across multiple stakeholders to achieve ambitious climate goals.
Integrating nature-climate scenarios and analytics for financial decision-making (Jimena Alvarez)
11:00 – 12:30 | Lecture Theatre 4
15:30 - 17:00 | Edmond Safra Lecture Theatre
The session will focus on the need to incorporate the interlinkages between climate and nature to safeguard the resilience of the financial system, including recent developments on nature-climate scenarios and analytics for financial decision-making.
Does
visualising climate change help us better manage it? (Daniel Armanios)
11:00 – 12:30, 13:30 – 15:00, 15:30 - 17:00 | Seminar Room A
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability has shifted from a corporate buzzword to a strategic imperative. This interactive session is designed to support your thinking as you integrate sustainability into core business strategy Participants will explore the intersection of environmental, social, and governance factors with business performance, and learn how to create value through sustainable practices.
The Global Growth of Climate Litigation (Benjamin Franta)
13:30 – 15:00 and 15:30 – 17:00 | Lecture Theatre 4
As climate change worsens and action becomes increasingly urgent, people are turning to courts. Here, we'll examine the global growth of climate change litigation, discuss the various types of cases developing today, look at developing trends, and evaluate the potential impact of litigation on businesses, governments, and other stakeholders
Energy Storage in Energy Systems (Paul Shearing)
15:30 - 17:00 | Rhodes Trust Lecture Theatre
A brief introduction to the ZERO Institute; The Role of Energy Storage; Li-ion Battery Operation and Applications; Critical Materials Supply and Demand; Case Studies; Giga Factory Production
Climate Bootcamp: Day Two Schedule
Monday 30 September
Climate Bootcamp Keynote ‘Doughnut Economics’ (Kate Raworth)
09:00 - 10:30 | NMLT
Climate Entrepreneurship (Aoife Brophy)
11.00 - 12.30 | ESLT
Climate Policy (Kaya Axelsson)
11.00 - 12.30 | RTLT
Financing climate action (Abrar Choudhury)
11.00 - 12.30 | LT5
Leading with Time: Corporate Decision-Making in a CarbonConstrained World (Juliane Reinecke & Jimmy Jia)
11 00 - 12 30 | LT4
NMLT| Climate Bootcamp Keynote (Paul Polman)
14.00 - 15.00
Climate Bootcamp Biographies
Abrar Chaudhury
Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Saïd
Abrar conducts research on topics of global environmental change, climate finance and corporate purpose He is affiliated with Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI) and is a Fellow of Green Templeton College
Abrar is currently on a prestigious three-year British Academy Fellowship at Oxford, investigating the ways in which dedicated climate funding, such as the Green Climate Fund, and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers, shape implementation and diffusion of climate action in Pakistan and emerging economies
Read more
Aoife Brophy
Departmental Research Lecturer in Innovation and Enterprise, Oxford Saïd
Aoife’s research focuses on understanding what systemic environmental challenges such as the climate crisis, and associated system transitions, mean for business She holds a joint appointment between the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and Saïd Business School, and is Co-Investigator of Oxford Net Zero, where she works closely with the engagement team developing a range of action research projects to drive ambitious climate action Aoife also leads the business model workstream of CO2RE - an Oxford-led interdisciplinary consortium
Read more
Benjamin Franta
Associate Professor of Climate Litigation, Oxford Sustainable Law Programme
Dr Benjamin Franta is a Senior Research Fellow in Climate Litigation at the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme and the founding head of the Climate Litigation Lab
His research focuses on applying rigorous methods to practical challenges presented by climate litigation worldwide and has been published in Nature Climate Change, Global Environmental Change, The Guardian, and more, translated into 10 languages, and cited in the US Congressional Record
Read more
Juliane Reinecke
Professor of Management Studies, Oxford Saïd
Juliane's research draws on insights from organisation theory, political philosophy and process studies to explore, broadly speaking, how transnational governance institutions emerge and evolve as a result of the interactions of multiple stakeholders to promote more just and sustainable forms of globalisation in global supply chains, but also organisations in general
Her work has been acclaimed by many professional bodies including the Journal of Management Studies' Best Paper Award, the Best International paper award and Best Environmental and Social Practices paper award, Academy of Management (OMT Division)
Read more
Kate Raworth
Senior Associate, Oxford University
KateRaworth is an ecological economist focused on making economics fit for 21st century realities She is the creator of the Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries Her international best-selling book, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st Century Economist, has been translated into more than 20 languages
Read more
Kaya Axelsson
Net Zero Policy Engagement Fellow, Oxford Net Zero
Kaya Axelsson is a research fellow and Head of Policy and Partnerships at Oxford Net Zero where she leads a team to translate research into resources, policy, and standards for defining and achieving net zero Her current research and engagement focus is on the emerging net zero governance and regulatory landscape Kaya has served as a strategic advisor to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign and as lead technical author on the International Standard Organisation’s Net Zero Guidelines With 15 years of experience in social and environmental sustainability, she convenes and works regularly with organisations and policy leaders on their net zero strategies
Read more
Mary Johnstone-Louis
Senior Fellow in Management Practice, Oxford Saïd
Mary is Senior Fellow in Management Practice at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford where she designs research-based education for board members and senior leaders in many of the largest companies across the globe She is interested in how strategy, leadership and governance enable companies to deliver on long-term commitments, and in the emerging field of corporates moving from sustainability to ‘regenerative’ business practices
Mary is Co-Director of the online Oxford Leading Sustainable Corporations and on-campus Oxford Sustainable Business programmes
Read more
Myles Allen
Professor of Geosystem Science, University of Oxford
Myles’s research focuses on how human and natural influences on climate contribute to climate change and risks of extreme weather In 2005, Allen introduced the notion of a finite carbon budget, implying net zero emissions of carbon dioxide are necessary to halt global warming He has been working on the implications ever since, most recently on the case for Geological Net Zero, or a balance between ongoing production of carbon dioxide from geological sources with carbon dioxide capture and geological storage
Read more
Dr Nicola Ranger
Leader, Resilience and International Development Programme, Environmental Change Institute; Executive Director, Oxford Martin Systemic Resilience Programme
Dr Nicola Ranger helps financial institutions, public and private, factor climate and environmental risks into their decision making, and aims to speed up investment in green finance
She works at the intersection of science, risk analytics, finance, economics and policy She works extensively in emerging and developing economies, particularly in Southeast Asia and Africa
Dr Ranger joined Oxford from the World Bank, where she worked with Ministries of Finance, Central Banks and regional institutions to strengthen financial resilience to climate and other crises
Read more
Paul Polman
Chair of the SBS Board and former CEO of Unilever, Oxford Saïd
Paul is the Chair of the SBS Board and former CEO of Unilever, recognised globally for his leadership in corporate sustainability and his efforts to drive business practices that contribute to a better world He works across a range of organisations to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which he helped develop This includes his work to drive systems change with Systemiq and bold new industry coalitions, including in fashion and food He leads the UN Global Compact, is an Ambassador for the Race to Zero, and works to develop our next generation of leaders, through the Oxford University Saïd Business School, INSEAD, One Young World and others
Read more
Paul Shearing
Statutory Professor in Sustainable Energy Engineering, Director of The ZERO Institute, Oxford University
Paul Shearing is Professor of Sustainable Energy Engineering at the Department of Engineering Science and Director of the ZERO Institute at Oxford University He holds the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Battery Technologies As Director of The ZERO Institute, he will help to shape ZERO’s ethos, strategy, networks, research and teaching programmes
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2024
Developing our next generation of thought-leaders