The London Alumni Network Event was a successful evening of connections and insightful discussion with the stunning backdrop of the London Aviva offices. The Management School hosted the event in collaboration with the School of Economics and the School of Law to bring together alumni, MBA students and leading academics for a memorable evening of learning and networking.
鈥It was great! I ended up wanting to stay even longer for the networking session!鈥
Ankit Shivhare
Student, The 葫芦影业 MBA
After some time to mingle over a delicious spread of canap茅s, the conversation turned to one of the most debated and exciting topics of today: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
A Thought-Provoking Panel on AI
The panel kicked off with a warm welcome from Una Moran, Head of External Engagement at the Management School. Professor Paul Latreille, Chair of Management at the Management School, then hosted the panel discussion and introduced our guest speakers:
Martha Bennett - VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research and Grantham Ambassador for Sustainable Futures
Segun Osu - Director of Agile Team Coaching at Teamsmiths and alumnus of the Management School
Serena Wong - Graduate Consultant at AtkinsRealis, alumna and holder of the Management School鈥檚 prestigious Dean鈥檚 List award.
After Segun Osu and Martha Bennett opened the discussion by giving context to the history and evolution of AI ,the panel proceeded to the Q&A session where attendees submitted thought-provoking questions in advance, or on the night. Topics ranged from the often overhyped nature of AI, to its carbon impact and the crucial issue of data protection.
Martha Bennett explored how AI could give rise to entirely new job roles. She drew a comparison to the past when people had to understand how car engines worked before buying a vehicle and repairing them themselves. Today, advancements in technology have eliminated that need and led to the emergence of specialised roles like mechanics.
Serena Wong shared how AI tools have helped her increase productivity in her work, and highlighted the role of leadership in ensuring organisations are ready to implement these tools effectively. Segun discussed the issue of bias in AI, explaining that "if you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out," reinforcing the importance of careful data management.
One particularly compelling moment came when Segun discussed AI鈥檚 potential to shape African identities, values and culture. Drawing parallels with the rise of Afrobeats, he emphasised that AI could offer a platform for African cultures to engage with global digital culture, combining the old and the new to create something fresh and exciting.
鈥淭he speakers were amazing and brought so much expertise to the table which was very insightful. I think we had the right amount of networking followed by a discussion on a very current topic: AI.鈥
Elitsa Georgieva
BA International Business Management with Study Abroad Employment Experience, 2022
As the panel came to a close, Una Moran gave special thanks to alumna and Advisory Board Member Charlotte Jones, and her team at Aviva, for hosting the event at their beautiful offices.
Professor Fraser McLeay, Dean of the Management School comments: 鈥淚t was fantastic to reconnect with our alumni and build relationships at the London Alumni Network Event. Our alumni are a main part of our spirit and culture for life and play a major role in student recruitment, our employability agenda, enhancing our student experience, and building our reputation. The Management School is very grateful to our advisory board member Charlotte Jones for providing the incredible setting of the Aviva Offices.鈥
The evening served as a wonderful reminder of the strength of our alumni community and the power of coming together to discuss, learn and connect. Thank you to our wonderful alumni, MBA students, guest panellists and academics for joining us and making the evening such a success. We look forward to seeing you at future events!
If you are an alumnus or alumna of the 葫芦影业 University Management School, School of Economics, or the School of Law, and would like to stay connected or receive invites to future events, please update your details here.