How the AMBS Full-time MBA student council are shaping the MBA experience

About:

Mayur is from London, England. Before joining the MBA, he was the Founder and CEO of Career Accelerator, a national social enterprise supporting young people.

Council role:

As President of the AMBS MBA Student Council, Mayur leads a team of eight Vice Presidents, coordinating council initiatives and working closely with faculty to enhance the student experience. Mayur also develops new programmes that strengthen community, learning and engagement within the MBA, as well as externally at donor and school events.

Why he ran for President:

Mayur quickly felt a strong sense of community and opportunity at AMBS. Having received the Joseph Wright and AMBS scholarships, he wanted to use his experience in leadership to contribute meaningfully to the community experience for others.

Achievements on the council:

So far Mayur has:

• Launched the AMBS Buddy Scheme, a mentoring programme connecting first year and second year MBA students, designed to become a lasting part of MBA culture.
• Created the AMBS AI Accelerator, a workshop series led by experts, helping MBA students develop practical AI knowledge.
• Worked with the council and faculty to improve the MBA common room experience by introducing coffee, mugs, hot chocolate and cleaning supplies to make the space more welcoming and comfortable.

Council goals:

• Ensure that the AMBS Buddy Scheme and AI Accelerator become lasting programmes within the MBA.
• Strengthen connections between first- and second-year students through mentoring and shared events.
• As an LGBT person of colour serving as President, encourage others from diverse backgrounds to pursue leadership roles and see themselves represented.

Career skills for future impact:

Serving as President has shifted Mayur’s focus from personal achievements to empowering and supporting a team of talented leaders. Collaborating with a cohort of such diverse backgrounds has made him a more empathetic and inclusive leader.

MBA experience so far:

One of Mayur’s favourite experiences was attending the AMBS 60th Diamond Dinner. There, he met donors, senior university leaders and members of the Alliance family, to whom he gave a tour and shared his experience as an MBA student. A particularly meaningful moment was meeting the children of Joseph Wright and thanking them personally for the scholarship that made his MBA journey possible.

About:

Lalo is from Toluca, Mexico. Before joining the MBA, he worked in Guadalajara as a Product Manager in fintech ecosystems at Kueski.

Council role:

As VP Academics, Lalo helps connect the cohort with the faculty and supports on questions about everyday activities. He also supports organising initiatives that make learning engaging beyond lectures.

Why he chose this role:

From a family of educators and with a background in both technology and business, Lalo has experience building bridges between disciplines to improve the user experience. He contributes his knowledge to the cohort while developing soft skills among his classmates.

Achievements on the council:

Lalo is currently collaborating with the council on a public speaking series, which will combine lectures, personalised coaching and putting it into practice in front of the cohort.

Council goals:

Lalo wants to create opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom and improve soft skills that are essential for leadership.

Career skills for future impact:

Lalo has practiced listening to different perspectives in order to turn feedback into positive action. These then shape proposals to improve everyone's learning experience.

MBA experience so far:

Lalo has enjoyed making friends from all over the world, sharing cultures, how they grew up and the experiences that shaped them.

About:

Chuka is from Lagos, Nigeria. Before joining the MBA, he worked as Head of Strategy & Operations for Ryvision, a software development startup in Florida, USA.

Council role:

As VP Careers, Chuka is responsible for employer engagement, corporate partnerships, and career development programming for the MBA cohort.

Why he chose this role:

Chuka was drawn to this role to ensure the careers set up matched the ambition of the cohort. He wanted to create programmes that genuinely move the needle on how the cohort prepares for and accesses opportunities in this once-in-a-career study advancement.

Achievements on the council:

So far Chuka has:

• Helped launch several pilot programmes, including an upcoming IMI company trek in April and an MYP partnership that gives students access to professional networks outside AMBS.
• Worked with the President on the AI Accelerator by designing the curriculum, sourcing the right speakers, and building the brief.
• Supported club presidents with internal events and skills training to strengthen programming across the board.

Council goals:

Chuka wants to ensure all the pilot programmes succeed and become permanent, serving as a lasting contribution to the MBA experience at AMBS.

Career skills for future impact:

Chuka has further developed his prioritisation skills, learning to focus on the highest-impact drivers. He has also developed sharper stakeholder management by coordinating with PCS, the student body, and external partners.

MBA experience so far:

Seeing in real time what the student council can achieve, a highlight for Chuka was seeing the AI Accelerator come together.

What started as a conversation between Chuka and the President about what was missing from the MBA experience became a real programme with a curriculum, speakers lined up, and institutional backing from the business school.

About:

Yuvraj is from Kolkata, India. Before joining the MBA, he worked in Bangalore as a Quantitative Market Researcher for Kantar.

Council role:

As VP Finance, Yuvraj is responsible for the financial architecture that enables the council’s strategy and execution. He leads deliberate, values-driven decisions with the rolling budget to best serve the cohort.

Why he chose this role:

Yuvraj believes great experiences don't happen by accident, they're engineered. As someone who thinks in systems and structures, Yuvraj saw the finance position as the ‘lever’ towards the wellbeing, growth, and memory-making of an entire cohort of future leaders.

Achievements on the council: 

Yuvraj is most proud of delivering multiple events across a diverse stakeholder landscape, within budget, while staying responsive to the shifting energy and needs of the cohort.

The collective discipline and foresight of the council, who consistently prove their judgment, empathy, and ability to make the right call under pressure.

Council goals: 

Yuvraj wants to:

• Contribute to a rich, connected experience for the cohort.
• Set up cleaner processes, smarter financial thinking, and a higher collective ambition for what student leadership can be.
• Inspire future cohorts to build on the council’s progress and go even further.

Career skills for future impact:

Yuvraj has learned vital leadership skills, such as how to hold a long-term vision while managing short-term pressures. He has also developed a sharper instinct for when to push forward versus recalibrate, and has built a new understanding of communication as a shared sense of purpose.

MBA experience so far:

Yuvraj has most enjoyed his responsibility on the council during a defining chapter of people's lives. He is motivated knowing his work directly shapes how people feel, what they remember, and who they become during their MBA.

About:

Berry is originally from Bangkok, Thailand, where she previously worked as a Project Manager at CPF Thailand, a leading agro-industrial and food conglomerate.

Council role:

As VP Social, Berry designs and organises social experiences that celebrate the cultural diversity of our MBA cohort, creating a community that connects and celebrates beyond the classroom.

Why she chose this role:

As a lifelong English learner, Berry knows social barriers can arise from language and cultural differences. She wanted to bridge those gaps by creating spaces for people to feel comfortable connecting, sharing their culture, and forming meaningful friendships.

Achievements on the council:

Berry is most proud of organising events that encourage strong participation from many different cultures, helping foster friendships and memories that will stay with the MBA class long after graduation.

Council goals:

Berry wants to:

• Ensure every student feels included in the MBA experience.
• Create further opportunities for classmates to connect, exchange cultures and ideas.
• Maintain a positive, supportive class atmosphere during its busiest periods.

Career skills for future impact:

Berry’s role has strengthened her skills in leadership, stakeholder management, and cross-cultural communication in an international cohort.

MBA experience so far:

Berry enjoys seeing the contrast between the class’s intense consulting projects and the moments when the cohort comes together to celebrate. She loves to contribute to social events where everyone relaxes, connects and shares their culture.

About:

Fiorella is originally from Lima, Peru. Before joining the MBA, she worked in Lima as a Trade Marketing Specialist for Mattel, Inc.

Council role:

As VP Social, Fiorella co-ordinates with suppliers and venues to manage the logistics of social and cultural events for the cohort. She works closely with the council and the cohort to create inclusive spaces that encourage participation and strengthen the MBA community.

Why she chose this role:

Fiorella wanted a role that helps build meaningful personal connections as well as professional ones. This is aided by creating spaces where the cohort can come together to share different cultural traditions, celebrations, and favourite foods.

Achievements on the council:

So far, Fiorella is proud of organising the Winter Ball event, with 70% engagement from the cohort. Together, the council sourced suppliers, made negotiations, and coordinated the logistics to an extremely positive response from the class.

Council goals:

Fiorella aims to:

• Develop her leadership and public speaking skills.
• Become a more inclusive leader, building meaningful connections with people from diverse backgrounds.

Career skills for future impact:

Fiorella has developed her skills in managing event logistics and coordinating with different suppliers. She has also learned how to better engage people, be more assertive, and positively influence others.

MBA experience so far:

Fiorella has most enjoyed organising these events and creating spaces to connect with the cohort, as well as learning about different cultures, religions, and ways of thinking. It inspires her to be a better leader, understanding factors that shape people’s perspectives from around the globe.

About:

Natnael is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he worked as a Supply Chain Planning Lead at PepsiCo before joining the MBA.

Council role:

As VP Wellbeing, Natnael supports the delivery of council-led events, coordinates student participation and organises weekly sports training and wellbeing programmes.

Why he chose this role:

As an international student, Natnael understands the isolation and pressures that come with undertaking the Full-time MBA, motivating him to centre wellbeing in the student experience. Leading with empathy while delivering tangible impact is something Natnael cares deeply about.

Achievements on the council:

So far, Natnael has:

• Led an initiative to provide free jerseys for the MBA cohort.
• Coordinated student participation in major initiatives, such as the Football Tournament.
• Consistently drove and delivered weekly sport events.

Council goals:

Natnael wants to create strong and lasting connections across the cohort, and create a supportive, connected environment that helps people thrive.

Career skills for future impact:

On the MBA, Natnael has sharpened his strategic and analytical thinking, leadership, and stakeholder engagement. He developed a deeper understanding of how decisions are shaped in complex, uncertain environments.

MBA experience so far:

Natnael has enjoyed the real-world academic application, such as applying lecture-taught frameworks to identify and rank acquisition targets, and building a comprehensive business case. Celebrating at the Winter Ball with the cohort was also a social highlight of the year.

About:

Casey is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Before joining the MBA, she worked in Denver, Colorado as the Founder and CEO of Fresh Path Consulting.

Council role:

As VP Wellbeing, Casey is focused on enhancing the mental and physical wellbeing of the cohort. She has worked on fostering inclusion and connection through stress-relieving activities and inclusion schemes.

Why she chose this role:

Casey is passionate about mental wellbeing, and is motivated to foster connection as a way to encourage maintaining mental health.

Achievements on the council:

So far Casey has:

• Co-led the Buddy Scheme with the President.
• Assessed and brought programming to minority groups, such as women- and neurodivergent-focused programming.

Council goals:

Casey wants to build a women-focused programming event and ensure the continuation of the Buddy Scheme. She also wants to implement changes like the inclusion of neurodivergent programming in the induction for the incoming class.

Career skills for future impact:

Casey has taken steps to listen to the cohort and communicated with the administration to advocate for changes for the benefit of the class.

MBA experience so far:

Casey has most enjoyed seeing and hearing the impact the Buddy Scheme has had on the participants.

About:

Rhythm is originally from Indore, India. She previously worked in computer science and strategy consulting as an Associate at Bain & Company in Gurgaon, India before joining the MBA.

Council role:

As VP ESG & Community, Rhythm is responsible for driving the sustainability agenda within the MBA cohort. She organises workshops, leadership panels, and community impact initiatives to reinforce the importance of ESG in business.

Why she chose this role:

Rhythm grew up in Indore, India’s cleanest city, where sustainability has always been a lived reality rather than an abstract concept. She wants to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and tangible environmental and social impact for the community.

Achievements on the council: 

So far Rhythm has:

• Organised a Net Zero Strategy Workshop that brought in a sustainability expert to lead the cohort through real-world decarbonisation trade-offs.
• Led successful winter clothing and food donation drives to support the local community.

Career skills for future impact:

Rhythm has sharpened her skills in stakeholder influence and change management, particularly in advocating the business case for sustainability.

She has also learned to manage complex project timelines while ensuring that social impact initiatives deliver measurable value to the community.

Council goals: 

Rhythm aims to:

• Integrate natural capital accounting into mainstream corporate thinking.
• Leave a lasting framework for future council leaders to continue driving high-impact community initiatives.

MBA experience so far:

A favourite moment for Rhythm was watching the room shift from polite attention to genuine debate during the Net Zero Workshop, where she saw classmates challenge assumptions and realise that sustainability is a core strategic priority, not just a reporting requirement.