Graduation speeches were made by alumni (l-r) Sarah Nelson, Benjamin Story, and Darrell Brookes-Coker

Motivational: Graduation speeches were made by alumni (l-r) Sarah Nelson, Benjamin Story, and Darrell Brookes-Coker

Warwick Business School’s newest graduates were urged to keep expanding their horizons as more than 1,000 students celebrated graduation. 

Addressing Undergraduate, Master’s, and MBA graduates, former Sainsbury’s Managing Director, Sarah Nelson, described how despite her humble beginnings in East London she has always strived to seek new challenges, believing that her continual questioning of what is possible has helped her reach new heights 

Sarah, whose mother moved to the UK from Nigeria at just 19, has not only excelled in her career but she established I AM ME, Sainsbury’s award-winning network championing ethnic diversity, which grew to support more than 5,000 employees.  

“When people expand their perspective, they begin to believe more is possible for themselves,” said Sarah, who recounted how a Sainsbury’s store manager came to her in tears one day. 

“She was the only ethnically diverse store manager. She kept thanking me and said, ‘yesterday was the first time I'd ever seen someone who looked like me leading at this level. Until yesterday, I didn't think it was possible for me to be anything other than what I am today’.” 

Sarah, whose career has taken her from a chemistry degree and a career in finance to becoming a senior leader at Sainsbury’s, said the conversation transformed her understanding of leadership. 

“It inspired me to create I AM ME,” said Sarah, who graduated with an MBA in 2018. “Its purpose was simple: to create greater leadership visibility, because when people expand their perspective, they begin to believe more is possible for themselves.” 

She added: “Looking back, Warwick wasn’t my finish line. It was where my perspective expanded and, with it, my view of what was possible.” 

The week of ceremonies also saw two other WBS alumni deliver speeches to graduates. 

Benjamin Story, a Board Chair, Director, and former investment banker, was recognised for a distinguished career spanning more than three decades across global finance, industrial technology, energy, and infrastructure. 

Having held senior roles at Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Citi, the BSc Management Sciences graduate later joined Rolls-Royce’s executive committee where he helped lead the engineering giant’s strategic transformation, including its £7 billion rescue fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Ben is currently Chair of Digital Catapult, which helps bridge the gap between Universities, start-ups, industry, Government, and investors to unlock commercial opportunities. He is also Interim Chair of Vertical Aerospace, the UK company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

WBS alum turns setback into social impact success

Darrell Brookes-Coker left WBS with a BSc Management in 2016 and is now Chief Executive and Co-founder of education technology company FLAIR. He has helped build a platform supporting more than 200 schools and trusts with equality, diversity and inclusion programmes.  

It has led to him being named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Impact winner and yet his entrepreneurial journey only began after a previous venture was derailed by the pandemic. 

Andy Lockett, Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship and Dean of WBS, congratulated graduates on their achievements and encouraged them to embrace the opportunities ahead. 

“Today marks a significant milestone in the lives of our graduates,” he said. “They should be immensely proud of everything they have achieved during their time at Warwick Business School.  

“We believe the world needs Change Makers. The challenges we face - climate change, rapid AI transformation, shifting industries - demand fresh thinking and bold action. That’s why we’re here: to empower students ready to lead that change. 

“We are delighted to celebrate their success and welcome them into our global alumni community. As they embark on the next stage of their careers, we wish them every success and look forward to seeing the impact they will make around the world.”

Discover Warwick Business School’s Change Makers.