Alumni and the global network

At LBS the relationship between the school and its students is defined by a distinct philosophy: individuals are students for two years, but part of the alumni community for a lifetime. This mindset ensures that the value of the degree does not end at graduation; rather, it serves as an entry point into an elite global circle. The network is characterised by extreme professional diversity, featuring alumni who are not only titans of finance and consulting but also astronauts, fighter pilots, neurosurgeons and social entrepreneurs. This breadth of expertise means that no matter how niche a graduate's future ambitions may be, there is likely an LBS alum who has paved the way.

One of the most defining characteristics of the LBS network is its reciprocity culture. Students and graduates describe an environment where people consistently go above and beyond to help one another. This manifests in several tangible ways.

Job referrals and insider knowledge

Many students secure roles through the network. A student might be referenced by an alum already working at a top-tier firm such as Discovery Communications or a major venture capital fund.

Mentorship

The strength of the network makes connecting with former students seamless, often translating into genuine mentorship and opportunity for current students.

Career transformation

Alumni actively support career switchers and triple jump candidates — those changing sector, function and location — providing the insights needed to navigate radical professional shifts.

Alumni are deeply integrated into the fabric of the school's operations and learning experiences.

Admissions and interviews

Interviews for the MBA and specialised programmes are almost exclusively conducted by local alumni around the world. Applicants are evaluated by those with a big stake in the community who understand the cultural and professional reference points of the applicant's home region.

Project sponsorship (LondonCAP)

For the flagship LondonCAP, the school frequently turns to its extensive alumni network when sourcing client sponsors. Alumni keen to give back act as strategic partners, allowing student teams to work on real-world business issues inside the alum's current organisation.

Guest speakers and experts

Alumni frequently return to campus as guest speakers, lecturers or judges for startup competitions such as HackLBS and the LBS Launchpad.

The LBS network provides unparalleled access to global business hubs. While London is the primary epicentre — home to thousands of multinational headquarters and venture capital funds — the network has a formidable presence in the Middle East (via the Dubai campus), Asia and North America.

Recruitment engines

The school has deep relationships with leading firms such as McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Amazon, Google and Goldman Sachs, all of which are heavily populated by LBS alumni who facilitate the school's strong placement statistics.

The London advantage

Being in a global financial capital means alumni are often a short tube ride away and frequently participate in student-led conferences and industry treks.

The calibre of the school is best illustrated by the high-profile careers of its graduates who have become forces to be reckoned with in global business.

Kumar Birla

Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.

Jim Ratcliffe

Founder of INEOS.

Savio Kwan

Former Chief Operating Officer of Alibaba.

Tim Kopra

Retired NASA astronaut.

Dmytro Dubilet

Co-founder of Monobank.

Dean Jones

Alumnus of the Sloan programme who recently led StirlingX to a $20m Series A funding round.

Ultimately, the LBS global network is the most valuable thing many graduates gain. It provides the resilience and cross-cultural competency required to lead teams anywhere in the world, ensuring that an LBS graduate is never truly alone in the global marketplace.