About
Name: Ezinne Onyeka
Nationality: Nigerian
Programme: MBA 2020
Education: Covenant University Nigeria BSc Economics
Current role: Senior Product Manager, Alexa International, Amazon
Pre-MBA role: Strategy Consultant KPMG Nigeria
The main thing was to remain open-minded. I wanted to learn about different industries and different functions and see what else was out there.
How did the MBA help you transition into the tech sector?
My goal during the MBA was to switch all 3e, to switch sector, location, and function.
I wanted to try something different than consulting, and I wanted to try something different outside Africa. I also wanted to try something different in a more leadership role. And so, I went from being middle management to senior management through a new role at Amazon.
How have the MBA skills supported you as you develop a career in the tech sector?
Whereas in consulting where you are recommending strategies, in the tech sector you are actually in the thick of it. And so being the co-president of the Tech SIG was a really good launch into leadership in a tech company, because you are not just managing people, but you are managing a process as well. It all just comes into one huge leadership experience, for me, that is incredibly technical and not just focused on soft skills. This way, I can combine development for my soft skills with development of my technical skills, which has been fantastic.
What other opportunities did you find during the MBA?
Before the end of the MBA, I contributed to some research looking at the progress of underrepresented women in the Western world. And through that, I was able to mentor some underrepresented women in tech. And as a result, I was then involved in some projects with a variety of companies, especially when it comes to artificial intelligence. This way, young women in tech, and young, underrepresented women in tech have some access to some of the niche areas of tech, like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Ezinne participated in a wide breadth of activities during her MBA year, like taking the roles of:
- President, Cambridge Africa Business Network
- Co-President, Cambridge Technology Special Interest Group
- Executive Committee Member, African Society of Cambridge University
- Forté Women Leadership
- Mentor, Cambridge Women in Business
- Mentor, African Society of Cambridge University.