Visionaries at Work: Rethinking Leadership in an unpredictable World

MBA students from Bayes Business School and further afield came together for the annual London Symposium at the end of May.

Each year, the four-day event centres on a contemporary theme and includes expert industry guest speakers, workshops, networking and immersive site visits.

The theme of this year’s event was ‘Visionaries at Work: Rethinking Leadership in an unpredictable World’, exploring how leaders and firms are responding to rapid technological change, global mobility and cultural flux by reinventing strategy, skills and innovation.

Technological transformation

The first two days of the symposium shone a light on how organisations and leaders are embedding artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies into operations and analysis. Speakers included Soraya Selinger, Founder of Attention Culture on why creativity, patience and discipline mark out the best entrepreneurs, and Mark Sherwin, Managing Director of Accenture on creating impact with AI.

Students also visited Microsoft Offices for the first site visit, where digital transformation experts spoke about strategic AI implementation for customers.

The second day saw visits to the British Museum and the iconic Fabric Nightclub in Farringdon to explore leadership in practice ‘beyond the spreadsheets’, with speakers including Cameron Leslie, Owner of Fabric and Nigel Dawson, Co-founder and CEO of easyStorage. This was followed by a visit to UBS offices and a panel discussion with investment bank bosses focussed on the importance of being a human leader in an age of automation.

Navigating global challenges

Day three took place at The Law Society and CBRE, with sessions exploring resilience in the face of adverse conditions. Ben Saunders, Co-founder and CEO of Arctic Research and Development and third person in history to ski solo to both North and South poles, gave fascinating insights into his endurance and fight to survival. Kathryn Needham, CEO at StudioCanal UK outlined her biggest lessons as a CEO in the last 12 months and the threats facing the creative industries.

Leadership in sport

Sports fans were treated to stadium and arena visits on the final day of the symposium, with trips to the Aston Martin Formula One team in Northamptonshire, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Kia Oval, home of Surrey County Cricket Club.

Half of the cohort spent a day with Aston Martin, hearing from leads in sustainability, marketing, strategy and commercial partnerships, as well as receiving a tour of the facility.

Other students went to Tottenham, where speakers included Stuart Pearce MBE, former captain and Under-21 manager of the England men’s football team on teambuilding and motivation, Rehanne Skinner, former Head Coach of West Ham United Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women on creating a strong and diverse culture, and Mark Palmer, football advisor and director on investing in sport. This was followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the dressing rooms, warm-up areas and pitch side.

In the afternoon, students visited the Oval for a tour of the members’ club and museum, and a talk from Emily Iveson-Pritchard, Head of Sustainability, who highlighted the importance of eco-friendly operations in sport.

Professor Costas Andriopoulos, London Symposium Module Leader and Director of MBA Programmes at Bayes, said:

"The MBA London Symposium immerses students in diverse industries and connects them with leaders and investors at the top of their fields.

“London offers unparalleled opportunities across finance, technology, culture, and innovation, and at Bayes we provide direct access to global leaders and role models for aspiring professionals.

“Whether you’re looking to take the next step in your leadership journey in finance, entertainment, sports or technology, a Bayes MBA opens doors for first-hand experience coupled with the latest theoretical insights from world-leading faculty in their fields.

“The symposium is just one highlight of a calendar that includes an international consulting week and numerous networking and business club membership opportunities, as well as a dedicated careers service from an award-winning team of expert advisers.

“The feedback from this year’s symposium has been extremely positive, and speakers were highly impressed with the levels of engagement on show.”

Students can choose from a Full-time MBA, an Executive MBA in London or our Global MBA which is taught online. Modules are fully transferrable from one to another to suit changing priorities. Find out more about MBA programmes at Bayes Business School.