Moe Moeen

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience - and one that’s totally worth it.”

Already an extremely successful entrepreneur, Moe Moeen MBA2018 says that almost everybody he meets asks why he decided to study for an MBA. “I had a very comfortable position at a very successful company. My start-up, SNAPP, was the most disruptive in Iran’s history and one of the largest companies in the whole Middle East. But despite my successes, I was still in my comfort zone – I had run out of challenges and learning opportunities.”

A self-confessed explorer, Moe says: “I like to develop new skills and get new experiences. I’m never happy with the status quo.” In addition to filling in his knowledge gaps, Moe embarked on his London Business School MBA journey to break onto the world business stage. “Partly it was about freedom of choice, getting an education that would give me the flexibility to move my career to different sectors and roles. But I wanted to be at the cutting edge of technology, with exposure to best practice in an environment full of ambitious, smart and successful professionals.”

Together with his LBS offer, Moe was delighted to receive the prestigious LBS Entrepreneurship Scholarship. “Entrepreneurship is one of the hallmarks of the future. I had several other b-school offers to choose from, but the fact that LBS promotes an entrepreneurial mindset and culture by honouring successful entrepreneurs like me really tipped the balance. The financial impact was significant – and has helped me identify my next start-up opportunity - but the implications in terms of the School’s focus and values were actually far more important,” he says.

With clear medium and long-term entrepreneurial goals – to build a start-up factory building, scaling and selling creative start-ups – Moe’s immediate goal post-MBA was to work as a technology product manager. “I explored all the usual MBA opportunities, but eventually decided to follow my passion for tech. Product management is a really competitive space, but LBS has given me a much more holistic view of the different aspects of business. I’ve invested in my core competencies – business analytics and technology commercialisation – and boosted my problem solving and structured thinking skills.” Pursuing his interest in the booming travel and hospitality sector, Moe targeted market- leading company Booking.com. “I thought it would be a good idea to experience another European tech hub, and Amsterdam is home to Booking.com’s HQ. So I applied for a role there, and after five intense interview rounds, I got a great offer.”

Moe says that learning in a vibrant entrepreneurial hub like London has had a big impact on his MBA experience. “London houses a huge number of multinational headquarters, so it’s an incredible place to learn and practice business. Executives and founders from companies and start-ups across every conceivable sector regularly come to campus. I attended a brilliant event by DeepMind on working in AI, and I’ve also been to fintech lectures where I’ve heard from top people at companies like Monzo, Tilt and TransferWise.”

Elected as an executive officer of the Venture Capital Club, Moe organised a number of VC events and has himself been a guest speaker at several tech and entrepreneurship conferences. He’s also taken advantage of the multiple treks on offer. “I’ve been on a few, but for me the most remarkable was the Hong Kong trip – both amazing and eye-opening. Lots of business schools talk about promoting global perspectives, but my Hong Kong and China trip totally fulfilled this promise – their economies are just so different from Western ones.”

But Moe says that people expecting an MBA that’s all about fun and going on trips need to think again. “The most crucial skill I’ve developed at LBS is the ability to focus and deliver on multiple tasks at once.” He has strong advice for prospective candidates. “You need to be clear about what you want from your MBA, aside from prestige and network. The programme is tough, so get mentally, physically and socially prepared beforehand. You’ll experience a completely different lifestyle with lots of challenges and demanding expectations that you need to manage in a balanced way. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience - and one that’s totally worth it.”