A global Executive MBA that hits the sweet spot

‘Quite honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy my MBA quite so much.’

Tatenda Chikuku, current candidate on Henley Business School’s Global MBA programme, had expected his MBA to be a demanding rite of passage, a period marked by relentless deadlines and intense intellectual pressure, the sheer effort of balancing a demanding study schedule with an already full life. And while it has been all that, it’s also been surprising and deeply rewarding in ways he never expected.

‘It's so far been one of the greatest investments I've made in my life,’ says Chikuku, an actuarial professional with a background in analytics and strategy. ‘From the people I’ve met, the discussions I’ve had, the real-world projects I’ve worked on, the global immersions – even the pressure to deliver an assignment, I’ve found myself relishing and enjoying every moment.’

The path to a world-class MBA

Chikuku says he’s thankful that he stumbled upon a LinkedIn advert for the Henley Global MBA as it changed the course of his life in ways he could not have imagined.

Like many aspiring African leaders, he’d wanted to pursue a world-class MBA to solidify his experience and lift him to the next level in his career, and he’d assumed that path would lead him to one of the traditional hubs of higher education in the UK or the US.

‘It's a choice that would have come with significant sacrifice: leaving a career, an income, and family behind for two years in pursuit of a global education. But I was gearing up to make it when I saw that the Henley Executive MBA could offer me the global experience and a top-ranked MBA programme, without my having to sacrifice all the other things.

‘It was a path that offered the best of both worlds. I realised I’d found an MBA that hits the sweet spot!’

He was so excited at the discovery that even though he’d been planning to only start the process in 2025, he made a spontaneous decision to join the 2024 intake and become part of the first African cohort on this prestigious degree.

Chikuku, who is the Group Head of Analytics and Data Science at the Clinix Health Group in Gauteng, could continue to work and travel while getting the global exposure he wanted for his work. And as an added bonus, he says, he’s found the programme has proved extremely practical – enabling him to apply what he is learning – from managing processes to people – as he is learning it to drive real efficiency improvements in his workplace.

The experience has also reframed his perspective on the world.

Driving Africa’s participation in the global conversation

The Henley Global MBA famously comes with five international study trips in diverse international locations packed with executive insights, cultural experiences, and global connections. Two of the trips are to Henley’s Greenlands campus outside London, one to Miami in the US or Singapore, one to Helsinki in Finland, and one to Cape Town. Chikuku says that meeting and befriending his global classmates brought with it another surprising realisation. He had expected to find a divide between African and Western countries, but found a powerful commonality instead.

‘We always think that in Africa we are behind,’ he notes, ‘But getting to interact with the global cohort, you get to realise that we have the same problems. It’s just maybe the level at which the problem is. They might have a bigger GDP, but the challenges we are wrestling with are the same.’ This realisation fostered a deeper appreciation for the unique contributions that the African cohort are able to make within the larger global group.

‘We Africans are expressive and also easy to get along with. We are able to hold our own in any global conversation. As such, I think we represent a kind of balanced, resilient leadership that is a powerful asset in a complex world.’

Optimisation versus balance

Beyond the classroom, the MBA has been a catalyst for personal and professional development, too. A husband and father to a toddler, Chikuku says his family is his purpose, so, not surprisingly, he’s been focused on finding ways to make it all work.

‘I don’t believe in "balance," but rather in optimisation. You can't be everywhere at once. At the end of the day, you still have the same 24 hours. But you can prioritise and give your attention to what matters most in a given season, whether it's work deadlines or important family dates.’

‘In the words of Layla Shaikley, “Work-life balance is a myth. Having it all is a myth. Work-life optimisation is a choice, and it is the act of determining and prioritising what matters most.”’

As a data professional, he admits he may be a little overzealous about optimisation both at home and at work – ‘almost everything in our house that can be is automated,’ he laughs – but this strategic mindset has allowed him to manage the pressures of a busy personal and professional life and thrive. The MBA has played its role in the optimisation, too, by helping Chikuku to understand his unique management style better. If knowledge is power, then self-knowledge is rocket fuel!

Put your energy into something if you want to get something out

Chikuku hopes to use this power boost not only to rise higher in his own career but also to make a bigger contribution to the broader African context. He believes the greatest challenge facing the continent is a lack of ethical leadership and accountability, and he has a vision for how to address this. ‘As a data professional, I see my role in Africa in driving equity through data and strategy,’ he says. ‘Accurate, timely data is actionable intelligence. It empowers leaders to make fair, evidence-based decisions, track performance, and ensure accountability, so Africa’s vast resources benefit everyone, not just a privileged few.’

For him, the Global MBA is more than just a prestigious degree; it's a tool for social and economic change. It offered him a way to combine his professional skills with a holistic understanding of business to drive change.

‘Almost halfway through and I don’t regret the spontaneous decision I took to embark on the Global Executive MBA journey. It's a transformative experience that provides the tools, the network, and the mindset to solve problems, lead with integrity, and make a tangible difference in the world.’

To anyone else contemplating taking the plunge, he says, just do it! ‘My family reminded me that the two years would pass regardless – so why not make them count? That challenge pushed me to act, and I’m grateful every day that I did. When you commit your energy to something, you soon realise it’s achievable, and the effort you invest will reward you many times over – not only in the MBA but in every aspect of life.’