London Business School Launch Luxury Program for MBAs

This week London Business School officially launches its new luxury brand management program allied with Walpole British Luxury, a not-for-profit organization at the forefront of luxury brand management within the UK. The program, which is designed to produce MBA graduates who will appeal to Walpole’s leading luxury firms and enable them to “vault the barriers that the industry puts in the way” according to London Business school dean Andrew Likierman, will also be backed by law firm Charles Russell.

Walpole, formed in 1990 by top-tier British companies such as British Airways, The Savoy Group and Coutts & Co., works to promote and maintain the image of British luxury brands in the global market and is affiliated with leading companies such as Burberry, Selfridges and Harrods as well as London Business School itself.

The new luxury brand management program will be offered to just 12 first year full-time MBA students. These few chosen students will be handpicked by a committee of London Business School faculty members and senior executives from Walpole’s member brands and will be selected based on their potential and passion for the luxury industry.

Perks of the program include individual mentorship from a senior business leader from within the Walpole membership and regular talks from senior management of companies such as Alexander McQueen, Net-A-Porter Group and The Financial Times.

London and Walpole to develop MBAs with real appeal in the exclusive luxury brand management industry

The program will give students hands-on experience with top luxury brands and aims at providing invaluable knowledge and networks within the luxury industry. Mark Henderson, board director at Walpole British Luxury and chairman of Gieves & Hawkes talks of the value of the program. “As the British luxury industry becomes more and more significant – with its massive value to the economy and the ‘soft power’ of Britain – it is critical that management skills are available to meet the demands of a complex, challenging but highly attractive business. London Business School, itself a Walpole member, is a natural partner for Walpole to launch the joint program in Luxury Management. We have a stellar cast of supporters – this is going to be an exceptional opportunity to build on one of the best MBA programs in the world.”

The application deadline for the inaugural program is Monday 4th November 2013. Interviews will take place the week commencing 11th November and the final selection will be confirmed the following week. The program begins its first term in spring 2014.