Black at London Business School

Experience

About me: Desola earned her degree in chemical engineering from Covenant University in Nigeria. Upon graduating, she joined Procter & Gamble, where she worked across sales, commercial and product strategy roles. While at P&G, she worked over multiple regions, led P&G’s go-to-market expansion in Southern Africa and Central/East Africa expansion markets, and led product strategy for a $60 million dollar brand.

Desola decided to join LBS because of its international and diverse community, the strength and flexibility of the curriculum and the endless career opportunities. She was also motivated to advance her knowledge in business strategy and build networks with the exceptional cohort.

Desola is a recipient of Black in Business and LBS Merit Scholarships and is a BCG London Women’s MBA Fellow and Belong @ Bain MBA Fellow.

Desola is passionate about driving representation and inclusion, both from a gender and racial perspective. She served as women’s network leader at P&G, where she designed initiatives to create awareness and foster an inclusive culture, within and outside the workspace.

In her spare time, Desola enjoys mentoring young female professionals, volunteering on social impact initiatives, swimming, travelling, trying new restaurants and cuisines and spending time with family and friends.

Three topics I can be approached about: Application process; life at LBS and in London; Black in Business Club.

Email address: dajayi.mba2024@london.edu

Experience

About me: Bolutife was born and raised in Abuja, Nigeria, and moved to the UK in 2010. He graduated with a Civil Engineering degree from Loughborough University and went on to work in engineering for four and a half years, qualifying as a Chartered Engineer in 2021. As an engineer, Bolutife worked on various infrastructure projects around the UK, most notably the Elizabeth Line (Cross Rail) and High Speed 2.

Bolutife has always had a passion for infrastructure development in Africa. This passion led him to pursue his undergraduate degree and ultimately an MBA. After graduation, Bolutife hopes to work in an Africa focused private equity fund. Bolutife decided to study his MBA at LBS due to its focus on finance and the ability to tailor the second year of the programme to a focus area.

Outside of class and work, Bolutife loves music and football. He hosts a weekly football podcast and is a Dj and concert events manager. Bolutife is also an active member of the Black in Business Club and passionate about increasing the representation of ethnic minorities in the business world.

Three topics I can be approached about: Black in Business Club; applying with an engineering background; life in London.

Email address: bbabalola.mba2024@london.edu

Experience

About me: Fundiswa is a finance and accounting graduate from the University of Cape Town. She began her career at Nedbank (one of the big four banks in South Africa) on a rotational programme training as a Chartered Accountant across various divisions. She then worked as an investment analyst at Rothschild and later joined African Infrastructure Investment Managers as an investment associate in the transaction team. Her last role entailed investing in infrastructure to support the development needs of Africa, particularly in digital infrastructure, mid-stream energy and logistics in north, east, west and southern Africa.

Outside of work, she has pursued her interest in media and broadcasting as a presenter of finance and business content on radio stations, led educational mentorship programmes for students from underrepresented minority groups and followed her passion for law by engaging in further postgraduate studies.

Fundiswa chose to pursue the MBA at LBS to develop her leadership skills and explore new career opportunities. She is passionate about Africa and she looks to return to the continent to support international firms in pursuing organic and acquisition growth strategies across the continent.

In her spare time, Fundiswa volunteers on educational programmes, is an avid outdoor enthusiast, participates in various sports and enjoys travelling.

Three topics I can be approached about: Africa; studying away while married; private equity.

Email address: fnkuta.mba2024@london.edu

Experience

About me: Nhlanzeko is a Laidlaw Foundation Women in Leadership Scholar and a Forté Foundation Fellow. Prior to starting her MBA, Nhlanzeko worked in the financial services sector. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant who has experience in private equity, structured finance and corporate and institutional banking.

Nhlanzeko is passionate about the sustainable development of the African continent. She decided to pursue her MBA at LBS to develop an international network and to learn more about opportunities in development finance and impact investing.
As the cultural enthusiast that she is, Nhlanzeko enjoys travelling in her free time.

Three topics I can be approached about: Africa; Laidlaw; Black in Business.

Email address: nkhanyile.mba2024@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree: Financial Accounting

Finance sector pre-MiF: Investment Banking

Previous or current role: Debt Transactor, Investment Banking

Clubs: Finance club

About me: Thabang started his career at EY in South Africa in 2015 before joining Standard Bank in 2018 after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant to join their Investment Banking division within the Leveraged Finance team focusing on lending to South African corporates and private equity firms. In August 2022, he was transferred to Standard Bank's London division focusing on lending to Global multinationals across Europe, Asia and the USA. 

Thabang joined the Masters in Finance programme to enhance and deepen his finance knowledge across specialist areas of finance such as Corporate Finance and Investments and to also grow into a global finance professional who can adapt to working in different geographical markets and sectors. Through the MiF he also looking to build new relationships with classmates from different backgrounds and sectors. Thabang is aiming to grow both personally and professionally through the MiF after recently relocating to London from South Africa.
 
Thabang's interests include reading, watching sports and participating in long distance running races and training. His dream is to one day run all six of the Abbott World major marathons with only New York and Tokyo left on the list. 

Email: tletheo.mifpt2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree: Bsc. Economics

Finance sector pre-MiF: Auditing (Financial service focus)

Previous or current role: Assistant Manager

About me: Josephine Ayomidele is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 6 years of experience working as an external auditor - with a portfolio focus on financial services industry, for the Big 4 accounting firms. She is very passionate about volunteering and mental health. She is a certified Mental Health First Aider with an FAA level 2 certification. Her passion for understanding and analysing the risk assessment of a company and how best to mitigate the impact of risks within and outside the environment in which an entity operates is what led her to pursue the MiF programme at LBS.

Email: jayomidele.mifpt2025@london.edu

Experience

Finance sector pre-MiF: Banking, global markets

Previous or current role: Treasury Coverage, Sales and Structuring, Access Bank Plc

Clubs: Black in Business Club, Finance Club, Rugby Club, Africa Club

Scholarship: Merit Scholarship, TY Danjuma Scholarship

About me: Franklin started his career as a Corporate Client Relationship Officer at Access Bank, working closely with clients across various sectors to identify how they could grow their shareholder value from the Nigerian market and offering different funding solutions in the form of debt financing and trade lines. This experience allowed him to transition to the investment banking group of Access Bank, where he handled global market sales and structuring for the Bank’s strategic clients. Work included various derivative solutions for key clients to help hedge foreign exchange risk, funding solutions to meet CAPEX and OPEX needs, as well as ad-hoc roles for the Bank’s strategic goals.

Franklin is studying the Masters in Finance at LBS to expand his scope geographically and conceptually, leveraging the platform LBS offers to further his breadth of knowledge in investment banking.

His ultimate goal is to continue developing his expertise as a finance professional, leveraging his background in banking, relationship management and global markets. By combining these skills with the specialised knowledge and training offered by LBS, he is confident that he can make a more substantial and meaningful contribution to the financial markets and the broader community he serves.

Email: febomah.mifft2024@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, Rhodes University, South Africa; graduated in 2013

Pre-MBA industry: Finance

Pre-MBA role: Investment Associate, Kazi Capital

Clubs: Finance Club (Executive Committee), Black in Business Club (Executive Committee), Private Equity and Venture Capital Club, Running Club

Three topics I can be approached about: Private equity; Africa; Black in Business.

About me: Naledi is a Gary Lubner and Black in Business Scholar. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant with a postgraduate degree from Rhodes University. She began her career at Deloitte where she worked in the audit and financial advisory divisions. She then joined a women-owned and managed permanent capital investment firm as an associate.

Looking ahead, Naledi plans to leverage her MBA to deepen her experience in investment roles focused on emerging markets, believing in their untapped potential. In the long term, she aspires to play a pivotal role in attracting private capital into South Africa. She firmly believes that private capital has the potential to play a greater role in boosting economic growth than it is currently.

Outside of work, Naledi is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys running, hiking and travelling.

Email: ndichabe.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): BSc in Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; graduated in 2018

Pre-MBA industry: Energy

Pre-MBA role: Petroleum Engineer, Shell Petroleum Development Company

Clubs: Energy and Environment Club (Executive Committee), Africa Business Club, Black in Business Club

Three topics I can be approached about: Engineering to MBA; African in business; application process.

About me: Phoebe has a Petroleum Engineering degree from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, after which she spent a year exploring different careers across the education, eCommerce and professional services sectors. She then worked as a petroleum engineer at Shell Petroleum Development Company, Nigeria. Her work involved building representative oil and gas reservoir models for production forecasts and optimisation.

Phoebe is passionate about the energy industry. She chose to pursue an MBA to pivot into corporate strategy and to work on business development and growth. To her, an MBA from LBS gives her access to a diverse network and the growing European energy industry. She also wants to leverage the programme flexibility to explore different career pathways.

Outside of work, she is passionate about human capital development and has worked with people on career, education and personal development. She loves writing and spending time with family and friends.

Email: pjoel.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): BA in Economics and Studio Art, Dartmouth College, US; graduated in 2013

Pre-MBA industry: Social impact

Pre-MBA role: Founder and Consultant, Bantu Vegan

Clubs: Social Impact Club (Executive Committee – Signature Conference and MIINT Competition), Impact Consulting Club (ICC Fall Project), Out in Business Club, Black in Business Club, Women in Business Club

Three topics I can be approached about: Impact consulting; DE&I; agri-business (sub-Saharan Africa).

About me: Sabrina hails from Tanzania, embodying the spirit of Ujamaa, a community-centric ideology advocating collective agency. Her venture, Bantu Vegan, was birthed from a personal encounter with malnutrition and aims to promote ethical, plant-based and sustainable living. With a diverse pre-MBA portfolio, Sabrina navigated through Tanzania’s socio-economic challenges, which fuelled her aspiration for impactful entrepreneurship.

She chose LBS for her MBA, valuing its academic excellence and the vibrant, inclusive community it nurtures. At LBS, Sabrina is actively engaged in various clubs, honing her strategic thinking and leadership skills amid a global humanitarian crossroads. Embracing a ‘do it scared’ ethos, she navigates through complex business landscapes with a keen eye on mastering core business fundamentals and nurturing meaningful connections.

Post-MBA, Sabrina envisions applying her enriched knowledge in a London-based consulting firm to further her practical understanding. In the long term, she aspires to scale Bantu Vegan, expanding its positive footprint across local and global communities, embodying her continuous quest for social impact and sustainable business practices.

Outside class, Sabrina’s commitment to social impact extends to engaging in dialogues concerning diversity, equity and inclusion, community development, art and literature. Her journey epitomises a blend of cultural reverence, entrepreneurial grit and an unyielding commitment to societal betterment.

Email: syegela.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): BA in Communications, University of Pennsylvania, US; graduated in 2017

Pre-MBA industry: Consumer technology

Pre-MBA role: Marketing Manager, Google

Clubs: Student Association (Executive Committee), Music Club (Executive Committee), Black in Business Club, Football Club, Retail and Luxury Goods Club, Career Representative

Three topics I can be approached about: Marketing; MBA applications; media technology.

About me: Blue is an MBA and Mark Le Goy Memorial Scholar. He holds a degree in Communications from the University of Pennsylvania, with a minor in French. Prior to starting his MBA journey, he spent five years in the consumer technology sector. His marketing experience spans across retail media, streaming and social media. A native New Yorker, Blue is also an Adcolor Future Award recipient and Harvard Business School SVMP Fellow.

Blue chose to study his MBA at LBS because of the diverse and international student body, the opportunity to expand his professional network in Europe’s dynamic startup landscape and corporate sector and the renowned LBS faculty.

Throughout his MBA journey, Blue aspires to tap into the wealth of experiences that London has to offer, create enduring memories with his fellow classmates and teammates and equip himself with a formal business training to lead high-performing teams throughout his career.

Email: bbookhard.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): BA in Biology, Dartmouth College, US; graduated in 2018

Pre-MBA industry: Non-profit health tech

Pre-MBA role: Strategic Programme Lead, Maisha Meds

Clubs: Healthcare Club (Executive Committee), Social Impact Club (Executive Committee)

Three topics I can be approached about: Social impact and non-profit; working in sub-Saharan Africa; studying with a partner.

About me: Precious earned a Bachelors degree in Biology from Dartmouth College in the US, where she received the James O. Freedman Presidential Scholarship and was a Global Health Fellow. After graduation, she completed a year-long fellowship at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For the past four years, Precious has been working at Maisha Meds in Kenya. She helped to transform the non-profit health tech organisation from a small team of 15 staff members with a budget of US$300,000 to a large team of 85 members with a yearly budget of US$12 million. Beginning as an analyst for the executive team, she expanded her role to include business development and funder relationships, eventually becoming the organisation’s lead strategist.

Precious is pursuing an MBA at LBS as a Mo Ibrahim Foundation Scholar. She aims to acquire essential business skills that will enable her to transition into a career in healthcare investing. Precious intends to leverage the immersive nature of the MBA programme, including internships and global experiences, to gain valuable real-world exposure to business fundamentals. As an aspiring investment professional, she aims to use her business and strategy skills to invest in organisations that maximise healthcare impact in sub-Saharan Africa.

With a solid commitment to healthcare equity, Precious enjoys cooking, outdoor adventures and karaoke.

Email: pkilimo.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Previous degree(s): BSc in Economics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; graduated in 2014

Pre-MBA industry: Climate finance and renewable energy

Pre-MBA role: Commercial Director, UpEnergy Group

Clubs: Chief of Staff, Africa Business Clubs

Three topics I can be approached about: Africa; sustainability and climate finance; sports business.

About me: Pantaleon, with a BSc in Economics, has navigated pivotal roles in Africa’s energy, beverage, agriculture and financial sectors. Notably, at UpEnergy Group, a climate-focused entity, he assisted in expanding operations across seven African countries and diversifying product lines to combat carbon emissions.

Pantaleon’s pursuit of an MBA stems from a vision to seamlessly transition into the sports business sector, placing emphasis on the untapped potentials within the African continent. He sees an Africa where sports become a cornerstone for socio-economic advancement and character moulding. With a keen interest in the proliferation of sports IPs, Pantaleon hopes to be very active in this transformation.

Beyond his professional and academic endeavours, Pantaleon is a seasoned traveller. His journey has seen him traverse 20 African countries, soaking in diverse cultures and experiences. A notable stint was his four-year residency in Uganda. Through these experiences, he has garnered invaluable insights and a unique perspective and is always eager to celebrate the differences within the continent.

With plans to explore 10 more African countries before turning 30 and setting his sights on Asia thereafter, Pantaleon’s journey is as much about discovering the world as it is about self-discovery.

Email: panani.mba2025@london.edu

Experience

Education: Bachelors, King's College London, UK; 2023

Subject: Management, Finance

Sector(s) of interest: Private Equity, Consulting

My greatest challenge when I applied to business school was: Dealing with business school applications as well as job applications whilst trying to maintain a social life!

About me: Hi! I am Cadelie, I was born and raised in Paris and decided to move to London for my studies (best decision of my life!). With an Ivorian background, I was pleased to discover the diversity London offers in both the social and professional settings. During my undergraduate at King's College, I was able to take part in varied internships from Consulting to Private Equity Real Estate, and Debt. These experiences have helped me refine my preferences in terms of career options. Being the Vice President of King's Banking and Finance society also provided me with a great understanding of the industry and fantastic networking opportunities. Actually, if I had one recommendation to give it would be network, network, network!! At LBS, I feel empowered and can connect with like-minded students from all over the globe! I am a BiB Scholar, part of the PE&VC and Women Football clubs. When I am not around campus, you can find me tutoring- if you ever want to learn French or Spanish, feel free to reach out! On a personal note, I love travelling, fitness and discovering new venues in London with my friends!

Three topics I can be approached about: Scholarships, application from non-finance degrees, diversity at LBS 

Contact: cseho.mfa2024@london.edu

Experience

Education: Bachelors, University of Manchester, UK; 2022

Subject: Philosophy, Politics, Economics

Sector(s) of interest: Private Equity and Growth Equity

My greatest challenge when I applied to business school was: Balancing the GMAT with a full-time job.

About me: I was born and raised in London but studied in Manchester, where half of my family is from. During my bachelors, I co-founded an electric scooter start-up and took a keen interest in trading, which ultimately led me to embark on a career in finance. Upon returning to London, I completed a 5 month internship at a Real Estate Investment Trust, between the Investment and Strategy teams. I then worked at Bloomberg for 2 months as a Data Analyst, where I was mostly programming data acquisition software in Python. To round out my gap year, I worked in Industrials M&A at Deutsche Bank and rotated between Real Estate Financing Group and TMT M&A at Goldman Sachs. Outside of work and study, I like to keep up with developments in Tech & Media and Formula 1. I also love to play football and poker as regularly as possible.

Three topics I can be approached about: PE&VC Club, IB/PE applications, and great restaurants in London. 

Contact: jdowney.mfa2024@london.edu

Experience

Education: Bachelors, London School of Economics, UK; 2022

Subject: Finance, Economics

Sector(s) of interest Private Equity, Investment Banking, Consulting

My greatest challenge when I applied to business school was: Keeping up with application deadlines and GMAT prep while working in a full-time job

About me: Unlike many international students at London Business School, I'm a true Londoner, born and bred. Before joining LBS, I managed to gain diverse experiences interning in Investment Banking, Consulting and VC. These internships helped narrow down my interests prior to starting on the MFA. Having only studied a few Finance modules during my undergraduate degree, LBS' broad Finance curriculum really appealed to me. Outside of academics, I'm passionate about football, make time for the gym and learnt how to DJ as a hobby.

During my time at LBS, I've been a part of the PE/VC club's Exec Committee which has helped deepen my understanding of the sector. Additionally, inspired by the impact previous ambassadors had on my own application journey, I joined the Student Ambassador programme this year. I can't stress enough the value of connecting with LBS alumni if you're considering applying. Their insights into life at LBS are invaluable!

Three topics I can be approached about: Application advice, London life, PE/VC Club 

Contact: mnkontchou.mfa2024@london.edu

Experience

Education: Bachelors, University of Nottingham, UK; 2021

Subject: Finance, Accounting and Management

Sector(s) of interest: Investment Management, Commodities

My greatest challenge when I applied to business school was: Balancing time between GRE preparation, the application process, and a full-time job

About me: I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana, where I spent most years in an international school. This exposure to diversity led me to pursue my undergraduate studies in the UK at the University of Nottingham studying Finance, Accounting and Management. During my undergraduate years, I gained valuable experience as an intern at Ernst & Young. After completing my degree, I returned to Ghana with the aim of applying the skills I had acquired on a global scale. I worked for a year at the national oil company of Ghana (GNPC) in the project finance department, where I further expanded my network and deepened my understanding of the upstream oil sector in Ghana. Additionally, I completed an Equity research internship at IC Securities Group.

My desire to specialise my undergraduate degree and bridge the gap between my skills and my career aspiration motivated me to pursue the Masters in Financial Analysis degree at LBS. So far, I have enjoyed the challenging and welcoming environment at LBS.

As a Women's Merit scholar and a minority in the financial services sector, I am passionate about bridging the gender gap and showcasing black talent. My goal is to contribute to inclusion and diversity in the workplace in any way possible.

On a personal level, I enjoy volunteering, baking, and discovering new restaurants with diverse culinary experiences.

Three topics I can be approached about: Moving to London, LBS application tips, Black in Business club

Contact: siliasu.mfa2024@london.edu