Shaping my career with an MBA entrepreneurship Specialism

While pursuing an Executive MBA (London) at Warwick Business School, Tom Burley chose to specialise in entrepreneurship to deepen his understanding of innovation, growth, and value creation within the life sciences sector. Tom's experience has strengthened his commercial and strategic thinking, supporting his ambition to drive greater impact in healthcare.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?

I wanted to strengthen my commercial, strategic and leadership skills so I could operate more effectively at a senior level and broaden my long-term career options.

Why did you choose Warwick Business School?

WBS has an excellent reputation, a strong and diverse network, and a practical, high-quality Executive MBA in London that felt well-aligned with my ambitions in business and leadership in pharma and life sciences. I was particularly keen to connect with individuals from a wide range of industries to broaden my perspective and bring fresh thinking into my own sector.

Why did you choose your particular specialism, and how did it align with your career goals?

I chose the entrepreneurship specialism because it aligned closely with my interests in innovation and growth, and ultimately in leading businesses in the life sciences sector. The MBA and specialism have directly supported my goal of increasing my impact in healthcare, enabling me to drive the adoption of precision medicine approaches, particularly through advanced proteomics, in my current role.

What key skills or insights did you develop through your specialism? What were the highlights?

It gave me a much stronger understanding of venture capital, fundraising, investor thinking, and how to evaluate growth opportunities. A major highlight was the Venture Capital module hosted in San Francisco.

Did your specialism help you progress professionally and/or change the way you approach real-world business challenges?

Yes. It made me more commercially minded and more strategic in how I assess opportunities, partnerships and long-term value creation. It also gave me greater confidence in thinking like a biotech leader and innovator.

What advice would you give to someone considering both an MBA and a specialism at WBS?

The WBS MBA is an investment in yourself, your career, your capabilities, and the impact you can make.

Choose a specialism that genuinely connects to where you want to go in your career. The MBA gives you breadth, and the specialism gives you extra depth in an area that can directly support your professional goals.