Temitope Akintola – Alumnus of the Global MBA, Food and Wine
1 March 2021“Make this one year count. You might end up having a job, you might end up starting your own company, but whatever you do, give it your best and make it count”. The advice that Temitope Akintola, now Area Manager, Africa, in Zonin, gives to future BBS students is so sincere and focused that there is no need to add anything else. Read his story and get inspired.
What is your professional career?
Petroleum and Gas Engineer.
Why did you decide to continue your training and how did you choose BBS?
I was promoted to a Business Development Manager at my previous job and I performed woefully because I had no business acumen. I was trained to be an Engineer and that was all I knew. I decided to quit my job after 6 months of struggling with the role to get the needed education to properly position myself for success in a management role.
In your opinion, what are the strengths of the program of the Master of BBS?
The major strength to me is the exposure that you gain while studying at BBS. The Masters course exposes you to the real world and gets you thinking of the trend and how best to fit oneself within that frame.
Also, Going Global talks are opportunities to interface with category leaders and get a feel of what the present and the future trends in the sector is/will look like.
Secondly is the faculty at BBS, they remain the most professional faculty I have interfaced with in my educational experience.
Finally is the magic of the city of Bologna and the Emilia Romagna region
Short and long term goals?
Short Term Goal: Currently I am focused on my career within the Food and Wine Industry. My short term goal is to establish myself firmly within the industry with a focus on Africa, rise to become one of the most influential managers in the business.
Long Term Goal: Get into Politics. So much can be done with the right policy mechanism in place and I believe that my exposure and experience can properly position me to make sound policies that can take my community to it’s next level
What do you feel like to recommend to a future BBS student?
- Understand why you want to do an MBA before jumping into one, this will define your attitude towards it when it starts to get tough;
- BBS will throw a lot of opportunities at you to learn and to grow, take them seriously and make the best use of them;
- Make friends, get into the network, it will be worth your time in the future as the world is a global village;
- Field trips, company visits and going Global talks are very important, they open your eyes to the world you would be a part of in a few months;
- Finally, make this one year count. You might end up having a job, you might end up starting your own company, but whatever you do, give it your best and make it count.
