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Introducing the 2024 MBA Class: Freya Svedberg-Keating, London Business School

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“A researcher passionate about innovation, aiming to accelerate discovery from the lab to the market.”

home town: some European city, originally London.

Facts about yourself: Last year I completed the annual Dodentocht (The Death Walk) 100km across Belgium in 20 hours.

Faculty/Major:

Undergraduate – University of Edinburgh, UK – Honors Student in Biological Sciences, Immunology

Postgraduate – University of Manchester, UK – PhD Immunology

Recent Employers and Positions: VIB-UGent Inflammation Research Center – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Researcher

What makes London the best place to get an MBA degree? London offers everything you need as an MBA student. Professionally, London is not only home to global corporations and financial institutions, but also an established tech hub and home to a growing startup scene. These provide a wealth of experiential learning opportunities to his MBA students through his LondonCAP at LBS. LBS’ LondonCAP partners student groups with London-based organizations to enhance their learning and also offers summer and semester internships. There are always new restaurants to try, exhibitions to see, concerts to attend with your classmates, there really is something for everyone in London. It’s also a great starting point for exploring the rest of Europe and beyond for treks and weekend getaways.

London Business School is one of the most culturally and professionally diverse MBA programs in the world. How will these global perspectives add value to business education in the next two years? As a research scientist, I come from a very different background than most of my classmates. An MBA is especially appealing to me because it offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from and with people from a wide variety of professions. I am looking forward to broadening my horizons during my time at LBS. I am confident that this will help prepare me for leadership in a cross-cultural environment in the future.

Apart from classmates and places, What were the key parts of the London Business School MBA program that led you to choose this business school? Why was it important? I was attracted to the flexibility of the LBS MBA. While the first year is highly structured with an emphasis on business fundamentals, the second year allows for specialization through a variety of elective courses and hands-on experience. We want to maximize this flexibility by combining classes and term-time internships. In addition to flexible class scheduling, the program allows you to choose one of his three exit points of 15 months, 18 months, or 21 months, so you can tailor it to your career goals and personal circumstances. you can tailor your experience.

What courses, clubs and activities in London Business School are most intriguing? I am very much looking forward to joining the Health Care Club at LBS. There aren’t many places where people with an interest in healthcare and such a diverse range of industries come together. From clinicians to consultants, biotech to big pharma, the Healthcare Club hosts a global community of professionals. I have a particular focus on organizing annual healthcare conferences that feature speakers from various industries to discuss the latest trends and innovations in healthcare.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in your career so far? My greatest achievement was being awarded a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Research Fellowship by the European Commission. This is a very popular fellowship especially awarded to researchers traveling abroad to do research. As a successful applicant, I was required to demonstrate a track record of academic excellence and provide an attractive project for the Commission to fund. . We are also proud of the work our team has done to understand the role of the immune system in liver regeneration, which is currently being prepared for publication.

What have you read, seen, or heard recently that you would strongly recommend to an aspiring MBA? Why? I recently read Adam Grant’s latest book. Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t KnowThis book highlights the cost of clinging to our beliefs and the importance of keeping an open mind. For those pursuing an MBA, this book is a reminder to be curious about alternatives and open to new discoveries, both in and out of the classroom.

What made you want to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you want to do after graduation? As a PhD student and postdoc, I have spent the past eight years researching the immune system and witnessing firsthand many new discoveries that have the potential to rewrite textbooks and change the way we treat disease. But there is a gap between basic research progress and real-world progress. An MBA from LBS will position your career at the intersection of science and industry, helping you build and grow biotechnology companies. After graduation, I would like to move to a life sciences venture capital firm, but there are so many exciting opportunities and a lot can change in two years.

What advice would you give to potential applicants to help them get into the MBA program at London Business School? First, talk to as many people as possible, from current students and alumni to professors and admissions teams. Because they all have their own perspectives on LBS. Ambassadors are a great resource and represent the diversity of LBS. Once you have a picture of yourself at LBS, you need to communicate this to the admissions committee. Tell your story, not what they want to hear. An essay may initially grab your attention, but short-answer questions provide valuable space for expanding your candidacy. Don’t leave these to the end!

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