The MBA Speaker Series aims to give our MBA students and graduates a chance to hear from a diverse group of leaders from different industries who share insights and experiences from their careers and provide valuable new perspectives.
The sessions will be in the form of industry specific panel discussions featuring MBA alumni in certain industries and senior alumni presentations. The MBA Speaker Series also aims to connect our current students with alumni, who once stood in their shoes, and create a strong MBA community for students and alumni to come together and share stories, exchange memories and further support each other.
Upcoming Speaker Series
Senior Alumni Presentation
5 February 2026
CMRI Gallery, 18:00
Dr Nneka Abulokwe OBE (DBA 2013, Honorary DSc 2021)
CEO and Founder, MicroMax Consulting
Dr Nneka Abulokwe OBE is Founder of MicroMax Consulting and an experienced Non-Executive Director. Over her career, she has had the privilege of serving on the boards of FTSE-listed companies, private-equity-backed organisations, higher education institutions, and public bodies. She was among the first Afro-Caribbean women to serve on a SWAG合集 technology board and has been recognised by the Financial Times as one of the SWAG合集’s leading technology professionals.
Nneka completed her DBA at SWAG合集 in 2013. Her research explored people-centric governance in complex, technology-enabled environments, highlighting how governance succeeds or fails not because of frameworks alone, but because of human behaviour, incentives, and trust. Looking back, she is often struck by how those questions now sit at the heart of AI governance, cyber resilience, and leadership today.
Awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to business and technology, an honour she remains deeply grateful for, Nneka’s work today focuses on helping boards and leaders make sound, responsible decisions as technology reshapes power, risk, and accountability. Her session is an open, reflective, and future-focused conversation, grounded in real experience and shaped by a belief that good leadership in an AI-driven world still depends on human judgement.
Financial Services Panel
12 March 2026
CMRI Gallery, 18:00
Natalia Harrison (MBA 2004)
Execution Director, Deutsche Bank
Natalia Harrison is an experienced leader in change management, strategy, and governance with a track record of delivering transformational initiatives across global financial institutions. Currently Execution Director in Financial Risk Management at Deutsche Bank, she has spearheaded major regulatory and data quality programmes, driving operational efficiency and risk reduction. Previously, Natalia held senior roles in Deutsche Bank’s Chief Data & Innovation Office and Group Audit, as well as leading strategy development at Royal Bank of Scotland.
Her career began in management consulting with A.T. Kearney, advising multinational clients on organisational restructuring and performance improvement. Alongside her Cranfield MBA, Natalia was a recipient of the prestigious British Chevening Scholarship and holds an MSc in Applied Mathematics from Moscow State University.
Tom Grant (Exec MBA 2023)
Partner, Bishopgate Corporate Finance
Tom Grant is a seasoned corporate finance professional with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, debt advisory, and strategic business disposals. Currently a Partner at Bishopsgate Corporate Finance, he has previously held senior roles at Kroll, Grant Thornton, and KPMG, advising on transactions across a wide range of sectors and deal values. His work has included management buyouts, employee ownership trusts, and refinancing projects, demonstrating a strong track record in both buy- and sell-side mandates.
Alongside his Cranfield MBA, Tom is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA).
Hannah Rockey (Exec MBA 2022)
Head of Channel Operations, RBC Brewin Dolphin
Hannah Rockey is Head of Channel Operations at RBC Brewin Dolphin, where she leads the development and delivery of strategic propositions for professional service firms, entrepreneurs, and private clients. With over six years at the firm, Hannah has held a range of roles focused on business development, partnerships, and client engagement, and is committed to making financial understanding more accessible and relevant.
Hannah’s career spans business development and marketing roles in both the financial and legal sectors, including positions at Withersworldwide and Memery Crystal LLP. Alongside her Cranfield MBA, she holds a BA in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics from the University of Birmingham.
Senior Alumni Presentation
16 April 2026
CMRI Gallery, 18:00
Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan (MBA 2005, Honorary DSc 2022)
Cranfield School of Management Distinguished Alumni Award 2020
President & Founder, Sequoia Financial Services Ltd
Dr Adesola Adeduntan is a distinguished global finance and governance leader with over three decades of senior experience spanning professional services, multinational banking, development finance, and board leadership across Africa. Originally trained as a veterinary surgeon at the University of Ibadan (DVM), Adesola made a decisive early-career transition into accounting and finance, building foundational professional experience at Arthur Andersen and later at KPMG within the Financial Services Division.
He subsequently accelerated his leadership trajectory following the completion of the Cranfield MBA, a pivot that shaped one of the most impactful executive careers in African financial services. Post-MBA, he moved fully into banking and development finance, serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Citibank Nigeria, and later as Director and CFO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), where he was actively involved in structuring and financing major infrastructure and development projects across the continent.
In 2014, Adesola joined FirstBank Group as Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer and was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer in 2016, a role he held for over eight years. During this period, FirstBank—one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most important financial institutions—underwent a transformation through balance-sheet restructuring, strengthened governance, accelerated digital adoption, and operational stabilisation across multiple African jurisdictions. His tenure is widely associated with disciplined turnaround leadership, enhanced risk management, and a renewed strategic focus on financial inclusion, SME development, and long-term institutional sustainability, delivering measurable and enduring outcomes.
Beyond executive leadership, Adesola has built a strong reputation as a governance leader and mentor. He currently serves as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Technical University, Ibadan, and has held several board and advisory roles across financial services, infrastructure, and development-focused institutions. He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).
Adesola is the Founder and President of Sequoia Financial Services Limited, a boutique advisory platform focused on strategy, capital structuring, governance, and long-term value creation in emerging markets. In recognition of his professional achievements and contribution to leadership development, SWAG合集 awarded him the School of Management Distinguished Alumni Award in 2020, and conferred on him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2022. He recently received a second Honorary Doctor of Science in 2025 from Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan. As a committed advocate of values-based leadership, Adesola’s work and reflections emphasise character, competence, and service as the foundations of enduring professional legacy.
