Overview
The EMBA–Accelerate Cambridge Mentoring Programme connects Executive MBA participants with early‑stage ventures on the Accelerate Cambridge programme.
EMBA mentors are matched to ventures based on sector and functional expertise, providing structured one‑to‑one and group mentoring across key programme dates. They help founders refine strategy, validate markets, prepare for fundraising and tackle real operational challenges.
- Ventures gain access to experienced executives, fresh perspectives and wider professional networks.
- EMBA participants gain hands‑on exposure to innovation, start‑ups and emerging business models.
The programme strengthens links between the EMBA, the Accelerate Cambridge Programme, Entrepreneurship Centre and the Cambridge ecosystem. It is designed to be mutually beneficial, enhancing both venture growth and executive learning.

EMBA mentors
Robyn Baker
Transformation Principal, Atellas
Robyn Baker is a strategy, operations and transformation leader in pharmaceuticals and global public health. She specialises in strategy development, impact and outcome measurements, and how you place your idea in the broader health economy. Robyn has spent eight years at Astellas, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, in transformation, regional corporate planning and medical operations. She has spent 10 years in Accenture Life Sciences in New York and London specialising in commercialisation strategy, target product profile development and operational excellence. She was the founding member of the strategy and operations team at the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), a spin-off of the World Health Organization devoted to lowering the price of HIV medicines in low- and middle-income countries. At the MPP, Robyn led a $26M grant proposal from UNITAID to fund four years of operations. Robyn in a candidate for an EMBA degree at Cambridge Judge Business School. She resides in Cambridge.
Saugata Bhattacharya
Director, Upstream Operations, Smith+Nephew
Senior operations and strategy leader with nearly two decades of experience in the global medical technology sector, including leadership roles at Smith & Nephew, ConvaTec, and DePuy Synthes. Experienced in driving operational scale-up, new product introductions, and cross-functional transformation across global manufacturing and supply chain networks. Currently leading upstream operations strategy for a ~$600M global orthopaedics portfolio, aligning commercial growth plans with manufacturing, supply chain, and capital investment strategies across sites in North America, Europe, and Asia. Proven track record of delivering complex transformation initiatives, including portfolio optimisation, network strategy development, and integrated long- range planning. Deep expertise in building robust business cases, evaluating make-vs-buy decisions, and supporting mergers and acquisitions through operational due diligence and value creation planning; led major operational programs including regulatory-driven product transitions, manufacturing performance improvement, and the establishment of project governance frameworks across global operations. Began career in R&D engineering, leading the design and development of orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments supporting global product launches. Prior experience also includes managing high-visibility field actions, working and leading teams across R&D, Regulatory and Quality.
Philip Clements
Chief Platform Officer, Goodfolio
Phil Clements, CFA, CAIA, FDP, is the CPO of Goodfolio, an enterprise AI platform designed for the applied AI era. Phil is also CEO of Finspector (a Goodfolio company), the AI-powered compliance tool that enables financial services firms to manage, review, and approve financial promotions with speed, precision, and confidence. As CEO, Phil is responsible for defining and executing the firm’s strategic direction and senior client relationships. Prior to founding Finspector, Phil held senior roles at Bloomberg Index Services, where he managed client relationships across the UK, Ireland, and Switzerland, and served as the firm’s first EMEA Asset Owner Team member. He also worked as an Associate Director at Record Financial Group in New York and London, an alternative asset management firm, where he was responsible for a range of investment solutions including global macro strategies, alternative credit, and FX risk management. Phil holds the CFA, CAIA, and FDP charters. He is a board adviser to the Collaborative Women in Investment Management (WIM) Alliance, serves as a chapter executive for CAIA UK, and sits on the Steering Committee of CFA Society UK. He earned an MPhys from the University of Manchester and a PGCE from Birmingham City University.
Karan Khanna
Product Manager, TeamViewer
I am a Senior Product Leader with over 9 years of experience building and scaling SaaS, AI, cybersecurity, and data-driven platforms across organisations such as TeamViewer, Arete IR, and FactSet. Currently, I lead product initiatives in Digital Employee Experience (DEX), focusing on data platforms, observability, and AI-driven automation to improve enterprise performance and reliability. My work has consistently delivered measurable impact, including improving platform accuracy, increasing feature adoption, and driving operational efficiencies across complex systems. My experience spans the full product lifecycle—from early-stage ideation and MVP development to scaling enterprise-grade products. I have worked extensively in complex and regulated environments, focusing on workflow optimisation, system design, and translating ambiguous business challenges into structured, customer-centric solutions. Alongside my product leadership role, I am passionate about mentoring and developing talent, and I enjoy helping individuals build clarity in their thinking, strengthen execution skills, and grow into confident product leaders.
Hannah Simpson
Chief Product Officer, Waggel
I’m Chief Product Officer at Waggel, one of the UK’s fastest growing pet insurtechs, where I lead product, technology, and delivery across a digital, customer-focused insurance business supporting over 200,000 customers. I’ve spent my career helping companies move from early ideas to scalable and sustainable products. At Waggel, I’ve supported the transition from start-up to scale-up, helping triple policy count, scale to over £1m in monthly premiums, and build products that balance commercial performance with genuinely better customer outcomes. My experience spans working across multiple regulated environments where I built and scaled systems by creating operating models that enable teams to move quickly without losing structure, or losing sight of whats important. I regularly work across product, engineering, data, operations, and finance to align priorities and make pragmatic trade offs. As a mentor, I’m particularly interested in supporting founders with: Navigating regulatory complexity ‘Work design’, shaping early systems and workflows Taking ideas from concept to MVP Prioritisation and decision making (when everything feels important) Building product thinking into teams and ways of working I care deeply about using technology in ways that genuinely improve customer experience without losing the human touch, particularly in complex or lower trust industries. Alongside my role, I founded Dead Product Society, a community of 2,500+ product people across the UK, and I’m currently completing an Executive MBA at Cambridge.
Bálint Tóásó
Senior Advisor, 180 Degrees Consulting
Bálint Tóásó is a senior governance, legal and compliance executive with 20 years of cross-border experience advising boards and executive leadership in complex, high-stakes environments. A former KPMG Partner and board member, he built and led KPMG Law Hungary from inception to a 30+ team and co-led KPMG Law’s Global Data, Digital & Technology working group, scaling it to 100+ professionals across 30 jurisdictions. He has led sensitive escalations, investigations and disputes, and delivered risk-managed transformation, including firm-wide governance and global rollout of AI-enabled legal tools. Currently a Cambridge EMBA candidate, he is focusing on the intersection of technology, trust and decision-making, with particular interest in information integrity and misinformation, and in executive roles that combine strategic execution with responsible innovation.

