DR ROSALIND WILSON
CEO, FACTOR
THERAPEUTICS
Factor Therapeutics is a
publicly traded Australian
biotechnology company valued
at A$48.9 million.“TIMING IS EVERYTHING.”
I began my career as a doctor with zero business
training. After I graduated with my medical degree,
I worked briefly in clinical practice, but realised I was
more interested in the business side of medicine.
In 1998, I was lucky to get a role with the Australian
affiliate of global biopharma leader F. Hoffman-La
Roche, and I spent 10 years working my way up to a
senior-level position at the global HQ in Switzerland.
But, by 2004, I had reached a point in my career
where I wanted to make a change, and Roche was very
supportive when I enrolled in the Executive MBA
program at the London Business School. I flew from
Basel to London every two weeks to attend classes.
I never had any ambitions to enter the C-suite, but
I discovered as a result of doing my MBA that I already
had a lot of business knowledge; I just hadn’t yet
applied it outside Roche. The broader understanding
of business I acquired doing my MBA, and the people
I met, became powerful tools when I moved to a small
business, and then to strategic consulting. When the
opportunity arose for the CEO position at Factor
Therapeutics, I believe the fact that I had a formal
business qualification to complement my medical
knowledge enhanced my chances, and reassured
shareholders that I had the business savvy they needed.
An MBA is not a substitute for work experience,
but a terrific supplement. I don’t believe it would be
of much value to those who have just finished their
undergraduate degree – you need to be able to make
sense of what you are learning – so timing is everything.
Studying for my MBA gave me confidence in my
abilities, and that I could handle a high-stress
environment. It was definitely the right move for me.
BRETT LOUBSER
CEO, TENCENT
AFRICA SERVICES
Tencent is one of the
fastest-growing internet
companies on earth, with
multiple platforms that have in
excess of 900 million users each.“ LEARNING NEEDS TO
BE AN OBSESSION.”
My first job was selling jeans at a large department
store in South Africa. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted
out of my career, so I drifted in and out of jobs
when something sparked my interest. I worked as
a draughtsman without any formal qualifications,
and designed everything from kitchens to robotic
parking garages.
But I began to take my career seriously when the
mobile sector started to take off in 1997. I initially just
wanted to play with phones, but I quickly saw how
revolutionary the industry was going to be, and I
manoeuvred myself into areas that had the highest
potential for growth.
I learned on the job. I was obsessed with
understanding the landscape and keeping on top of
trends. Over the next 15 years, I worked for MTN,
Nokia and Samsung. I also tried a few start-ups of my
own – every failure taught me something new. I took all
of it to the CEO position at WeChat (now called
Tencent) in 2013, and we now have 40 staff and new,
exciting products launching all the time.
My belief is that there can be huge value in an MBA
in other sectors, but not in the technology domain.
The landscape changes so rapidly that by the time a
curriculum has been devised, what you are learning is
outdated. In technology, what you need to know is right
at your fingertips on the internet.
The only reliable way to stay on top is for learning
to be your obsession. I don’t think I could have done
it any other way.theceomagazine.com | 117Whether your aim from day one was to lead, or your seat at the top table was
an unexpected evolution, all CEOs and senior executives are the sum of their
experiences. Adding an MBA to the mix might be just what you need to take
the next step, or reassure a new board that you know what you are doing.
Either way, PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said it best – “Just because you are the CEO,
don’t think you have landed. You must continually increase your learning.”Education | INVEST