Lancaster University Management School’s 40,000 strong alumni network helped Ankur Agrawal realize his entrepreneurial dreams
It’s 15 years since Ankur Agrawal graduated from . A lot has changed since then, not least the fact that he’s now a successful entrepreneur—he launched Solitaire UK, a startup producing natural oils, in 2017.It seems Ankur was ahead of the curve too—the Lancaster MBA was ranked in the top five MBAs for entrepreneurship this year by the Financial Times and among the top 10 in the UK.
Ankur pursued an MBA because he wanted to shake up his career path away from accountancy and diversify his skill set.
“As an accountant your outlook is retrospective, and I wanted to look forward,” he explains.
He credits the strength of Lancaster’s 40,000-strong alumni network for making his entrepreneurial ambitions a reality.
“In the long term, the most valuable asset of my Lancaster MBA has been the wealth of contacts and networking opportunities,” Ankur says. “I can ring the university to recruit for jobs or projects that I’m working on, and they always introduce me to great people.”
In fact, Ankur’s company is currently sponsoring a marketing research project where six Lancaster students are working for him. It’s a win-win for both Ankur and the MBA students; he utilizes the best talent in the market, while they gain vital practical experience.
Ankur divides the myriad of benefits his MBA has provided into three different phases. The first, being offered a new job outside of accountancy—he worked for EDF Energy for 12 years after his MBA, climbing the ranks and becoming one of the youngest managers in the company’s history—phase two, he says.
His time at EDF Energy was an opportunity to develop his already existing skills alongside those learned on the MBA. It was the perfect opportunity, he explains, to consolidate his business acumen in preparation for the final phase; his entrepreneurial venture.
Ankur says entrepreneurship can be quite lonely and intimidating at times, so he is grateful for the support network that the school provides. “Lancaster always do whatever they can to help,” he says, “one of the first things I did when setting up Solitaire was to contact them about members of the network who could provide guidance and know-how.
“You can never do anything entirely on your own. You have to ask for help from experts.”
Lancaster University has been a hub of useful expertise for Ankur, providing knowledge in marketing, sales, legal, finance, and human resources both during his MBA and afterwards.
Listening to others and being receptive to new ideas and information is all part of reaching out, he continues.
“Knowledge is unlimited, and learning should never stop.” Ankur cites this mentality as something that is crucial to keep in mind when setting up a business.
He explains that the helped develop his strategic thinking skills. Skills, he says, that have been an integral part of developing Solitaire. Lancaster is ranked number one globally for Corporate Strategy by the Financial Times.
Another key aspect of the program today is The Entrepreneurial Challenge. Working in teams, candidates must produce a business development plan for the new company. The challenge sets up students perfectly for their own post-MBA entrepreneurial ventures, highlighting the importance of utilising different people’s strengths.
Ankur’s desire to become an entrepreneur evolved over a number of years. Without the Lancaster MBA, he says, it wouldn’t be possible to do what he’s doing now.
Student Reviews
Lancaster University Management School
An exceptional educational establishment in the North West of England.
This university has been a fantastic life experience as well as a great academic one. I first decided to go to Lancaster University Management School due to its exceptional business education facilities and have not been disappointed. I recommend the university to anybody that wants to put themselves in a strong position for a career upon graduation.
Student Ambassador
Overall, the instruction is decent, however it also depends on your department. The people are friendly, in my opinion. The sporting events are enjoyable, and there is a good sense of community. Although the city is quite remote, it is nonetheless attractive.
Lancaster University honest review
The education system in the university is excellent especially that of the Management School. The campus has great facilities for students to study and live in a relaxed manner. The students can engage in various activities through the socities.
Great opportunities to think beyond
Lancaster University provides a lot of good opportunities to think beyond.There Entrepreneurship in residence program helps students to meet and seek guidance about entrepreneurship and the challenges.Their Work in progress program help to fabricate your startup idea and further to pitch to the potential investors.Apart from that there are lot of programs like Enactus, guest lectures and guidance from seniors to help and shape your career needs.
They provide lot of opportunities to shape up your employability skills.
A top university in the UK for management science!
If you’re interested in management science studies, Lancaster University is one of the top universities in the UK. The faculty is renowned and have a sterling reputation for research in management science. Candidates specifically interested in Forecasting would find the Centre for Marketing Analytics and Forecasting especially relevant to their field. Besides, the ROI is good as the overall cost compared to other universities is less.
Great university for academia – not great for 'entrepreneurs'
Please keep in mind that my review is nuanced by my expectations of an Entrepreneurship degree :) I came to Lancaster University because it was one of the top universities to have a course in Entrepreneurship. After 4 years in this degree, my most valuable experience has been my placement and not the actual course. The course is heavily focused on impractical elements, which is a bit odd for an Entrepreneurship degree. There are some modules that involve hands-on work but the faculty support for such things has not been great. My course also involved a lot of teamwork which has been fantastic and really prepared me when it comes to dealing with the diversity of opinions. In terms of career prospects, the management school does A LOT to host events, workshops and support sessions to help you build up your employability skills. Although, I wish there was more acknowledgement of SMEs/startups as a viable career option. The entrepreneurship team which is meant to support budding businesses is really stepping up their game with tons of guest speakers, workshops and pitching opportunities. The location is a concern if you're not in STEM, Law or Accounting and Finance. Business requires networking with the broader community. However, for Lancaster students, the best bet is a trip down to Manchester or London. On the flip side, living in Lancaster is much cheaper! Overall, if the purpose of your university experience is to receive top academic education and have great facilities at your disposal, Lancaster is a great choice. But if you want to be in business and entrepreneurship, I would look elsewhere.
