Nic Bryant: From software to genomics

What stood out about the academic learning experience for you?

Cambridge offered an excellent diversity of electives and concentrations. For example, I loved the Energy & Environment Concentration and courses. These are the business challenges of this and the next generation, so the opportunity to think through and debate case studies and strategies for the energy transition offered a unique opportunity. 

The access to practitioners who speak from their experience was another favourite part of any course. For example, in New Venture Finance, you really feel like your learning practical advice from someone who’s doing this work every day (literally – Bob Wardrop had to join a board meeting immediately after we finished final presentations!). I think my favourite course overall was Philosophy of Business because it gave us the opportunity to put the role of business in its broader societal and intellectual framework. It was an especially good example of learning from peers and how backgrounds and beliefs influence how we approach work and our goals for business. Plus, Jochen Runde and Michael Pollitt made a dynamic duo! 

Please tell us about the standout elements of the Cambridge experience or extra-curricular activities you had during your MBA.

The Cambridge experience was life-changing. The intensely vibrant, collaborative, and open intellectual environment of Cambridge enabled me to learn from a variety of new ideas from across disciplines – from the future of medicine to talks on climate change, data science to existential threats. Often those conversations were accompanied by the clinking of utensils over a formal dinner, the thumping of punting poles on the River Cam, or the toasting of pints in quintessentially Cambridge fashion. 

Everyone should try their skills at novice rowing; even if you’re out of shape and have never used a rowing machine, the College crews are welcoming and there’s nothing quite like skimming along the water at sunrise as the fog burns off. 

There’s really altogether too much to cover – I was the Social co-Chair for my class so obviously, the May Balls (CJBS + Colleges) were completely unlike anything that I’d experienced anywhere else. 

Working on the Healthcare Special Interest Group motivated me to go beyond Cambridge Judge and connect with Cambridge’s world-class biotech cluster, which got me the job that I have today! Oh, and definitely do Venture Creation weekend – you never know if you’ll meet a cofounder, and either way, it’s an exciting 48 hours!

How would you describe the cohort of people in your class? What value did they bring to your MBA?

International. Vibrant. Good-humoured. Diverse. I came from a company where everyone had fairly similar backgrounds and I didn’t really know much about careers beyond the tech industry. My cohort had folks from every background, every industry, every job, over 50 countries. This was ideal for the MBA because I was able to learn about the astounding diversity of work that folks had done around the world. 

For example, on the Cambridge Venture Project (CVP) I was teamed up with folks from digital consulting, health tech, finance, and energy. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team with such different backgrounds and, yet, through collaboration, dedication, and humility we delivered a high-quality project. 

What aspect of the MBA learning/experience would you say you find most useful now in your professional life?

The MBA gives you a professional toolkit which I find myself drawing from, almost without even thinking about it. Is our company raising funding? I know how to discuss pre-and post-money valuations and ask about option pools. Are we looking to design a new process? Apply Lean Six Sigma thinking. What about managing change in the organisation? Respect the skills of your team, celebrate small wins, and help colleagues own their own change. Doing market research? Remember NIHITO (Nothing Importance Happens in the Office) and get out there listening to the folks that you want to serve! 

The only other thing I’d add is that with learning this generalist MBA tool kit, I also learned to appreciate how much that I don’t know and how much experience I don’t have. I’ve learned how to be humble, listen, and support others, without sacrificing advocating for my professional growth and navigating my industry. 

Did the MBA open up a new career path?

Nic explains the career path he followed immediately after graduating from the MBA programme at Cambridge. Since then, he has changed roles again and is now working for Helix, based in the USA. 

I did the double-and-a-half jump: switched job function, industry, and sort of country (I work for a UK-based company on the global team, based in the USA). The MBA enabled me to transition from software into genomics (where I’ve continued to move and grow with start-ups) by combining my university study with my work experience and the MBA skillset/network to join the genomics industry.  

The project-based work on the MBA through the CVP, GCP, Concentrations, and Internship gave me an opportunity to try out new skills.  

I absolutely wouldn’t be whether I am today without the Cambridge MBA. I learned about the state of my target sector at a talk in October. I met an alumnus from the Michaelmas Term alumni panel who was working in an adjacent industry to my target sector. We got coffee, she introduced me to a colleague, who in turn introduced me to a company in Cambridge in my target sector that could benefit from someone with a commercial skillset and science background. The low-risk internship made me an easy “yes” for the startup, giving both me and the company a chance to learn about each other. Fast forward 20 months, and I’m leading the global function for a startup in the exact sector that was my goal when I came to Cambridge!  

How has the MBA influenced your career journey in general?

It still feels like an expansive and somewhat-daunting journey, but I now feel like I’m firmly at the rudder. I know that I have a global support network, ready with support and advice at any career step or a smile and a pint in dozens of countries. My perspective on the nature of work and the diversity of professional experiences has been immeasurably broadened and deepened. I feel grateful for the opportunities that the MBA opened up and determined to help others grow as well. 

What would you say to others working at the same company you did before your MBA – would you recommend the Cambridge MBA to them, and if so, why?

I know that you’ve learned a lot over the past few years and you may feel frustrated by an inability to advance or contribute in a way that you feel you should. You may feel like you have a good grasp of what options are available to you, but you may also feel siloed by job or sector. An MBA can be an excellent option for a refuel, rebuild, and relaunch. Trust me, you don’t know what you don’t know and it’s hard to imagine yourself doing something altogether new and fulfilling until you’re doing it. 

The Cambridge MBA can be that opportunity. It’s intense – the one-year programme fits as many projects and courses as many 2-year MBAs – but it’s also unique. If you want to make lifelong relationships with brilliant, dedicated professionals from around the world, try your hand at entrepreneurship, seek solutions to the most important challenges facing society, and have countless laughs over pints during vibrant conversations, then the Cambridge MBA is for you.