Tom Stanley

Tom’s MBA learning journey

Cambridge Venture Project client | ARM
Global Consulting Project client | Regenerate Christchurch
Concentration | Finance

Why the Cambridge MBA?

The Cambridge MBA’s strength in entrepreneurship and close links to the greater University tech/startup scene were significant influences in my decision. But the main reason I chose the Cambridge MBA was the alumni and network of people that offered their time, insight and support when working through the application process.

How was your GCP experience?

The GCP with Regenerate Christchurch was an intense, yet rewarding experience. The four-week project took my team around the world (literally). We explored London, New Orleans, Portland, Manchester and Melbourne on our way to Christchurch, New Zealand. Our scope required us to take the lessons learned from cities visited and identify strategies for bringing business and living back to the central city. This ambitious scope and interesting project proved testing, rewarding and a great environment to apply principles and methods learnt during the Cambridge MBA classes.

What inspired your career direction?

As an engineer, numbers and finance had always interested me. The Cambridge MBA served as the perfect incubator for this interest, where other students, lecturers and the Finance concentration challenged and encouraged this interest. Further interaction with the wider University network and the careers team prepared me for, and inspired me toward, the so called career ‘triple jump’ (new industry, job function and geography).

Your plans for the next five years?

In the immediate term I plan on growing my understanding of finance and hedge fund strategy with Citi’s London team. Then, moving to Hong Kong to continue working in Prime Finance and Delta One Sales. Outside of work, getting married and starting a family is well and truly on the radar!

The Cambridge MBA in three words…

Intense, engaging, inspiring.

Any advice to incoming students?

Come up with a startup business idea, test it pre-MBA, and carry on with it into the Cambridge MBA. This may sound like hard work, but it will ensure you gain the most out of the curriculum. The Cambridge MBA is over in a blink of an eye and the New Zealand based startup that I co-founded was the best test case for many of the theories, strategies and tools employed during the Cambridge MBA.