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WINNER | Giovanni Sobrero

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Prior to starting his MBA at Imperial College Business School, Giovanni’s professional experience was primarily in the manufacturing and operations environment Initially with Rolls-Royce, where he started as a graduate engineer to develop into a production manager. Giovanni decided to take the next step in his career and make the move to Amazon focusing on the operational excellence and strategic operational improvement. In his current role, as a Senior Program Manager, Giovanni supports the strategic long-term improvement of DPMO and scan compliance for the EU Exports Operations Network.

When did you start thinking about doing an MBA?

I come from a very technical background, having a BSc and MSc both with a strong focus in different areas of engineering. After being promoted to production manager in Rolls-Royce, I started noticing that in order for me to continuously make a difference, some more business-related gaps had to be covered. This became more evident after my professional move to Amazon. I, therefore, developed a need to sharp my foundational leadership and business skills to be able to drive meaningful decisions to support future business challenges. At that point, an MBA for me was the obvious choice. Imperial College Business School offers a very varied and personalised curriculum with a focus on business and technology. I believe these will be fundamental skills to have for the professionals of the future.

What do you hope to achieve through your MBA experience?

The Imperial MBA experience is the ideal path for me now because it will enable me to gain expertise in fields where I currently have knowledge gaps, such as financial markets, consulting and strategy. Also, I believe Imperial College Business School’s MBA will help develop my wider leadership skills by engaging with a very diverse cohort that I intend to use to develop a network of likeminded professionals.

How will you use your MBA to further your career?

I intend to secure a position in a tech or consulting company that will allow me to drive the operation’s digital transformation at client level. In the next five years, I see myself being an operations director in such a company. My main objective is to be part of an organisation that will enable me to make a positive impact in society.

What are your hopes of being part of the SMF network after business school?

The SMF network will help enhance my career to the next level by giving me access to a pool of likeminded professionals that can help nurture my curiosity and development for years to come. The SMF alumni network spans across multiple industries and specialisms and having access to this breadth of knowledge and experiences will, overall, make me a more experienced professional and a more complete individual.

How do you hope to support SMF after you graduate from business school?

I hope to become a judge of the Engineers in Business competitions and generate greater visibility for SMF. Finally, I hope to keep mentoring young engineers and help them achieve their full potential by creating an entrepreneurial hub between the Royal Academy of Engineering and the IET.

How did you go about finding financial support for your MBA?

Personally, I leveraged Imperial College Business School’s website. A lot of information were present about all the different scholarships, including the SMF. Also, I decided to engage with Imperial College Alumni to gather insight about where to look for additional financial support to make sure I exhausted my options.

How was your experience of applying for the SMF scholarship?

My experience was seamless, I applied on the website and within a couple of weeks I was notified of the next steps and within a week of my final interview I was notified that I had been chosen as an awardee. Special mention to Lauren Pattle at the Royal Academy of Engineering, as she was very responsive during the overall process and very helpful with any questions I had. Finally, a note to the SMF alumni, I was surprised by the availability and extreme support received from the alumni during the process.

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