Pro-Deans Ross Ritchie and Jacky Swan in front of a giant birthday cake and surrounded by staff, alumni and academics

Towering legacy: Pro-Deans Ross Ritchie and Jacky Swan (centre) led the celebrations marking 10 years at The Shard

Staff, academics, alumni, industry leaders and students have gathered on the 17th floor of The Shard to celebrate Warwick Business School’s 10-year anniversary at the iconic London building.

As well as highlighting a decade of academic excellence, professional development, and strategic influence in the heart of one of the world’s leading financial districts, the School announced it will be launching the Warwick Enterprise Start-up programme at WBS London at The Shard.

Jacky Swan, Pro-Dean (Teaching and Learning), said: “When we opened in 2015, we saw The Shard as more than just a base in the capital. It was a chance to bring WBS into the heart of London’s thriving business community. A place where we could offer something different - teaching that feels more like the executive suite than a traditional classroom.

“We’ve launched courses like the Executive MBA and Global Online MBA, hosted events, and created new opportunities for professionals and leaders to grow. We’ve also partnered with organisations like the Bank of England and the NHS, helping to shape thinking in finance, healthcare, sustainability and beyond.

“We support Change Makers that don’t just want to learn about the future, they want to create and lead it themselves. And just like them, we don’t plan on standing still - our next chapter is already taking shape.”

Since 2015 WBS London has welcomed thousands of students from across the globe, with 110 nations represented on the various MBA programmes held at The Shard alone. The Executive MBA and Global Online MBA were recently joined by the Accelerator MBA, a two-year part-time course that blends face-to-face teaching with online modules to fit around aspiring leaders’ careers.

Business elevated: Jacky Swan, Pro-Dean (Teaching and Learning) says The Shard feels more like an executive suite than a classroom

Alongside the School’s highly-ranked MBA programmes, WBS London offers a world-class Executive Education programme, with short courses for individuals and customised programmes tailored to the needs of any organisation.

With individual courses ranging from Finance for Non-Finance Leaders to Leadership for a Complex World, WBS was recently ranked among the UK’s top three providers of Executive Education for open courses and 19th globally, with all these programmes taught at The Shard.

The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), a PhD-level programme for senior executives, is also run from The Shard, while WBS London also offers top-quality workspaces, inspirational speakers, thought leadership events, cutting-edge research showcases, personal development activities, and networking opportunities from the heart of the City.

And students and alumni will now be able to apply for the Warwick Enterprise Start-up programme at WBS London, where founders will benefit from one-to-one coaching sessions, workshops on the likes of brand building, financial planning, legal and compliance and a host of other support measures in a 12-month package.

Ross Ritchie, Associate Dean (Postgraduate Business and Management Programmes), said: “This is a time to look ahead as well, and the next 10 years will see us continue to focus on being practical and impactful, with teaching that makes a difference for students from day one. We will continue to enhance, extend, and adapt our programmes to reflect the ongoing evolution and disruption our students and partners are facing.

“We’re excited to be launching the Warwick Enterprise Start-up programme at The Shard. It’s a hands-on initiative that helps graduates turn strong ideas into scalable ventures. Being based at The Shard puts those founders right at the centre of London’s innovation and finance eco-system. It aims to connect them with the people, insight and capital they need to take their next step.

“We will be building a community of enterprises right here in the heart of London.”

Further reading:

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

Paras Joshi: Reflecting on The Shard and the MBA that transformed my career

How an MBA helped transform a former soldier into a wealth management professional

 

Discover Warwick Business School's Change Makers.