From GP to CMO: How an MBA at The Shard shaped a clinical leader's career

In 2015 GP Imogen Staveley walked into The Shard as one of the first students to enrol in Warwick Business School’s Executive MBA programme.

And now as the School celebrates 10 years at The Shard, Imogen is Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the National Health Service's (NHS) Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board, overseeing healthcare strategy for more than one million people in England’s West Midlands.

Staveley’s journey from general practice to executive leadership is emblematic of a broader shift in healthcare - where clinical expertise increasingly intersects with strategic management. Her decision to pursue an MBA was driven by a desire to amplify her impact beyond the consulting room.

“I wanted to combine my clinical background with strategic leadership,” she says. “The MBA gave me the tools and confidence to do that.”

Before her MBA, Staveley had already built a strong clinical foundation. A graduate of the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (BMBCh) and Master’s, she also held postgraduate diplomas from Leeds and Cardiff.

She heard about the MBA from colleagues and hoped that it would allow her to combine her clinical expertise with strategic leadership skills.

Now 41, Imogen believes the MBA contributed to her growth, allowing her to lead with confidence and purpose.

“A seminal module I took was Leadership and the Art of Judgement,” says Imogen, of Rugby. “We were asked to read and act out scenes from Shakespeare plays, reflecting on decision-making in different ways.”

Imogen found particular value in the collaborative nature of the programme, especially the intensive case study work conducted in small groups. These sessions, she notes, sharpened her ability to absorb complex material quickly while honing essential teamwork skills.

And the Entrepreneurship module helped her gain a deeper understanding of corporate structures and boardroom dynamics - knowledge that would later prove instrumental as she transitioned into executive leadership roles.

“After completing the MBA, I set up my own app-based company for a short period of time, so this module was a really good learning curve to understand how venture capitalists and private equity firms worked, and how I could launch the business,” she says. “As I am now an executive on a board, the lessons on board work I acquired ultimately proved very useful.”

Another module that she found engaging was Managing Organisational Performance taught by Pietro Micheli, Professor of Business Performance and Innovation, who also supervised her dissertation. His classes taught her how to set a strategy for an organisation and ensure that all employees are working towards the same goal.

“My dissertation focused on a UK-based bakery chain,” says Imogen. “I worked in the company’s marketing department for six months, one day a week, and supported them in implementing their first ever customer survey.

“I also interviewed senior leaders to understand their processes for maintaining strategic alignment. At the time, I was working in a clinical commissioning group which oversaw many providers, including GP surgeries.

“My dissertation helped me to understand the difference between a young business in the private sector and an older business operating in the public sector, which tackled similar issues in very different ways. I found this eye opening and the dynamism I learned from this experience has been really helpful taking me forward in the NHS.”

Imogen’s promotion in March to CMO marks the culmination of a decade-long ascent through the ranks of clinical leadership, underpinned by a strategic pivot following her Executive MBA.

Since completing the programme, Imogen has held a succession of influential roles. Between 2017 and 2021, she served as Clinical Lead at both Warwickshire North Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and the Healthy London Partnership.

She later became Deputy Chair of Warwickshire North CCG and a Governing Body Member of NHS Coventry and Warwickshire CCG. Her leadership credentials were cemented through national roles at NHS England, including Associate Medical Director and Interim Medical Director for System Improvement and Professional Standards. Most recently, she served as Interim Chief Medical Officer at Integrated Care Northamptonshire.

“I believe my MBA at Warwick enabled me to assume more substantial management roles,” she reflects. “My career shifted more into the clinical leadership and management sphere, where I could make more of an impact.

“I continue to work as a GP, as this keeps my feet on the ground, yet the MBA undoubtedly helped me to consolidate my leadership skills to take on more significant, senior roles.”

Imogen’s impact has been tangible. In 2024, she led a team that received a high commendation at the Healthcare Service Journal Digital Awards for their work in digital transformation of healthcare services.

“I also created a social movement called #TacklingHarmTogether, with the mission of helping clinicians understand the harms caused by poor flow in acute hospital trusts, equipping them with tools and techniques to mitigate this poor flow,” she says. “In 2020, I led on the Acute Respiratory Infection Hub work across the Midlands, which established hubs to cover a population of 12 million people.”

A decade later, the strategic insights acquired on the MBA continue to inform Imogen’s approach to leadership. For instance, the lessons she learned during the Negotiations module still guide her efforts to improve NHS services.

“We often encounter barriers when working at the NHS, as we have limited funds available for specific initiatives or there are historical limitations we need to overcome,” she says. “The negotiation skills I acquired help me to work in the grey areas, collaborating with other people to get things done, even when it does not initially seem possible.”

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of her time at The Shard is a renewed sense of confidence.

She adds: “Working with people from different industries and being able to take a wider perspective on the world of business helped me go back to the NHS and execute what I do more effectively and with greater confidence.”

Imogen has since returned to Warwick Business School as a guest lecturer, co-teaching a session on strategic alignment with her former dissertation supervisor Professor Micheli. She remains closely connected to the network she built during her MBA - relationships that continue to inform and inspire her leadership journey.

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