WINNER | James Ramsay

Prior to starting his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, James’s professional experience began in the FMCG industry with Procter & Gamble. He started out as a Process Engineer before progressing through Regional Supply Chain Leader & Global New Product Launch roles. Personal passion encouraged James to pivot to the Luxury Fashion industry, spending 2.5 years at Burberry. Over this time, he was responsible for the daily operation of the supply chain analytics function and the creation, management and governance of the end-to-end critical path, for all collections, capsules & collaborations.

I started thinking about doing an MBA in 2020 when mapping out my long-term career plan. This plan included a change in Industry and Function. Therefore, I decided to gain experience in my chosen industry instead of applying immediately to an MBA programme. After transitioning from FMCG to Luxury Fashion in 2021, I kickstarted my MBA application and applied in Round 1 in September 2022.

I have gained business acumen over my 6 years of experience but coming from an engineering background means that there are gaps that an MBA would and need to fill. I hope to strengthen my foundations through the curriculum and soak up best practice from the school’s world-renowned influential thought leaders. In addition, I want to do an MBA not only for the professional development but the cultural development too.

I have a passion for uplifting diverse voices and attending Standard Graduate School of Business, which is a melting pot of cultures, diverse groups and industries, will allow for me soak up classmates’ experiences and become a more fully realised leader and ally for these groups in the future.

An MBA will allow me to break out of an operational/executional box and secure commercial/strategy roles in the Luxury Fashion Industry. Within 5 years I plan to be in a senior strategy role within a scaling luxury brand and working closely with the British Fashion Council (BFC) to re-energise the British Fashion Industry. My aim is to use this partnership to transition over into an executive level role within the BFC with a mission of creating diverse pathways into the industry and supporting excellence in fashion design through British talent.

I am excited to be a part of such an impressive and expansive Alumni Network. The access to mentorship opportunities with industry leaders from diverse backgrounds and varying industries will be invaluable in aiding me to achieve my long-term career goals.

Growing up LGBTQ in a low socioeconomic environment has been pivotal in shaping my desire to use my skills, experience and time to uplift marginalised voices. Beyond the workplace, I have volunteered my time with youth organisations as a mentor for underprivilege youths. This involves empowering adolescents though peer education and emotional support. I want to use my mentorship experience, my diverse background and unique choice of industry to be a mentor to young engineers through SMF.

I learned about the SMF Scholarship from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Stanford understands the financial commitments associated with an MBA and therefore once admitted you receive a weekly communication of potential scholarships and how to apply.

What difference has the SMF scholarship made to you?

I come from a low socioeconomic background and therefore the most daunting part of an MBA was the cost. Having the ability to secure this scholarship alleviates that pressure and will allow me to fully immerse myself in class work and extracurriculars.