Changing my perspective with a WBS Masters

Our alumni share their thoughts on how their MSc course from Warwick Business School changed their perspective and prepared them to step into their future roles.

A great way to get out of your comfort zone

Alexandre Jornod - Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting
MSc Management (2015 – 2016)

I work at Futuresource Consulting, a UK-based market research and consulting firm specialised in the technology and media industries. One of Futuresource’s core expertise is in the audio business and all things audio. We track markets and key developments across devices, content and technology and we work with many different companies, including audio manufacturers, content providers and tech companies.

The MSc Management provided me with the tools and mind-set to quickly identify the key factors that could impact a given market. My current job shares many similarities with some of the case studies we did during the course. In that sense, it gave me the right skills to properly analyse markets and businesses. In addition, I also regularly provide advice to clients to help them achieve their business objectives. My MSc has been particularly useful in allowing to pinpoint a firm’s competitive advantages and how it can build a winning strategy by capitalising on its strengths.

The MSc Management at WBS is really a once in a lifetime experience, a great way to get out of your comfort zone. Meeting people from different backgrounds and learning from a class-leading academic team is particularly rewarding. The great variety of elective modules also allows you to tailor the learning experience to individual career objectives. In only one year, this course helps to get a solid basis to approach a successful career and build an extensive network of future business connections. I can only recommend it.

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My course at WBS taught me that attitude can make a huge difference

Luke Jeeves - Quantitative Finance Analyst, Bank of America
MSc Financial Mathematics (2018 – 2019)

I’m now working for the Bank of America, the second largest bank in the United States and one of the largest globally, with a presence in all regions across the world. They offer banking and finance solutions to consumers, small businesses, corporations and global institution around the globe.

In my role as a quantitative finance analyst, I work in the Corporate Audit division, specifically in the model audit team. Our role is to independently audit the models used by the Bank across all business lines and functions to manage the risk we expose ourselves to as a firm, and to ensure compliance with global regulations and standards. This requires a lot of technical knowledge about the financial and mathematical underpinning of these models, which include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning methods, in order to critically assess their performance. We need to be diligent, with a healthy amount of scepticism, to look for potential areas of weakness or improvement.

A strong understanding of financial mathematics and quantitative modelling is fundamental in the role, so the course set me up perfectly for this role, offering a broad range of mathematical and statistical theory, economic background, as well as technical skills such as coding which are massively useful.

My course really prepared me for the working world in a variety of ways. Firstly, it taught me how to work on multiple projects simultaneously, often needing to process information from many sources in different ways i.e. lectures, online resources, books. This is similar to life in my role now, as important information and work can come from anywhere, so you always have to be ready for it. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, my course at WBS taught me that attitude can make a huge difference. I learnt quickly to approach my studies with a healthy desire to learn and this has carried over into my working role, where I’m always looking for opportunities to absorb new information.

The value of the course I took at WBS was immense in helping me gear up for the challenges of the practical world

Sahila Chandihok - Senior Brand Manager, Johnson & Johnson
MSc Marketing & Strategy (2015 – 2016)

Working in brand management I am working with a vibrant, diverse and cross-functional team. As part of my job I analyse the market environment and the macro and microeconomic changes to build a strong brand strategy for the future. Brands need to evolve with time in order to meet the consumers’ needs. The great thing about this role is that you are involved in the full marketing mix: Working on new product developments as well as the go-to market strategy, while collaborating with agencies to deliver the success of the brands in the future.

The value of the course I took at WBS was immense in helping me gear up for the challenges of the practical world. The interaction with the esteemed faculty provided me with important insights into what the marketing world entails, which pitfalls and which hurdles exist, and how to best tackle those. Strategic thinking was one of the key assets gained during my learning journey at WBS. I apply this skill on a daily basis in the professional world and I experience regularly how it gives me an upper edge in identifying compelling solutions. 

Fostering change drives me. I consider it both an opportunity as well as an obligation to facilitate improvements and change where I can. It is extremely important for me to navigate this process. WBS has given me the opportunities and the tools to do so.

Are you ready to equip yourself with the knowledge, experience and confidence to achieve your goals and improve the world for the better?

Download our MSc brochure to find out more about the Postgraduate courses on offer at Warwick Business School.