Henley Business School

Halfway through the Executive MBA's International Business module immersion and the cohort are well and truly in the thick of it in Singapore.

The first half was spent presenting consulting work directly to the startups they have been advising - sitting across the table from founders and getting honest, unfiltered feedback. Not your average week at the office.

Singapore is not just a backdrop either. Being in one of the world's most important commercial gateways means the city itself is doing some of the teaching.

Still to come - a panel on AI and sustainability, a visit to a global logistics innovation centre, and a well-earned farewell dinner to close things out.

This is what progression looks like when you commit to an Executive MBA. For more details: https://hly.ac/4uRkIEs

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Leadership Unlocked podcast series 2 launches today! 🔓

What does pearl diving have to do with running sales for one of the world's biggest tech consultancies? Quite a lot, it turns out.

In the opening episode of The Henley Centre for Leadership’s Leadership Unlocked podcast series 2, Professor Bernd Vogel sits down with Melanie Christopher, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at Capgemini - a self-described adventurer whose willingness to say yes to the unconventional shaped every step of her path to the C-suite.

"There's nothing like doing a dangerous job like pearl diving to teach you the true meaning of teamwork."

A Henley alumna with a candid take on gender in the workplace, Melanie suggests that women are over-mentored and under-sponsored and makes a compelling case for leaving the ladder behind. As she puts it, if it gets wobbly while someone else is climbing, she's at the bottom holding it steady.

Click the link to listen to the full episode: https://hly.ac/4g6xVEP

What does it take to succeed in the fast-moving world of finance? 📈

A Henley Masters in Finance can help you develop the analytical, technical, and strategic skills needed to thrive in a global financial environment.

Why choose Finance at Henley:

🌍 Top 10 in the UK for Masters in Finance (Financial Times 2025)
📊 Designed to develop expertise in areas such as investment, financial markets, and corporate finance
🤝 Learn from expert academics and industry practitioners, while building a global professional network

Whether you aspire to work in investment banking, asset management or financial consulting, a Henley Masters can help you take the next step.

Be BIGGER in your field, with a Henley Masters. ✨

For more details visit: https://hly.ac/4uhwKpz

What the data says about AI at work (and why it matters for your career)

If you're about to step into a workplace, or already progressing within one, where AI is part of daily life - this is worth a moment of your time.

A year ago we surveyed UK workers on how they really felt about AI. We've just revisited the data - and the picture is more complicated than the headlines suggest.

Optimism has edged up slightly (58% versus 56% last year), but underneath that sits something worth paying attention to:

61% of workers still feel overwhelmed by the pace of change - and that number hasn't shifted in 12 months. Caution is the dominant sentiment, rising from 26% to 28%. And nearly two-thirds say they sometimes choose not to use AI tools, even when they're available - not because they can't, but because something is stopping them.

The worry running through all of it comes down to dependency, losing skills, and not being able to spot when AI gets things wrong.

As Professor Keiichi Nakata puts it: "While interest and optimism surrounding AI remains high, there is still a clear disconnect between AI action and ambition."

The technical access to AI is largely sorted. The harder question - the one organisations are genuinely struggling with - is whether people are being given enough clarity and support to actually use it well. That gap is where the challenge sits, and where the opportunity is too.

Read the full report: https://hly.ac/4vtDvFS

A scholarship doesn't just fund a degree - it can change everything

"You could be holding yourself back from a life-changing opportunity."

That's the advice from Masters student Avantika Singh when asked what she'd say to someone hesitating to apply for a scholarship.

We spoke to three students whose scholarships didn't just open a door - they changed their entire journeys. What struck us most wasn't the financial relief. It was the confidence it gave them. As one student put it: "Whenever I walk into a room, I feel like I belong."

If money is the thing stopping you from applying, that's exactly the kind of barrier a scholarship exists to remove.

If you're wanting to study at Henley and a scholarship could make the difference, apply here: https://hly.ac/4ua76Dd

Not everything at Henley happens in a classroom.

The quad at Greenlands has long been a favourite spot for programme members and staff. Known as the Tutu Quad, it takes its name from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who planted the olive tree 20 years ago this month when he visited Henley to receive his Honorary Fellowship and mark the launch of the Desmond Tutu Scholarships for Ethical Leadership.

Recently it's had a new kind of energy. A mother duck and her 11 chicks who've been exploring campus with exactly the curiosity you would hope to see in any new cohort. Keen, alert, and not remotely intimidated by their surroundings.

The Henley team made sure they had what they needed - water, the right food, and a clear path to the river. This week, they swapped the quad for the riverbank.