EMBA Students Gain Leadership Skills on Charity Boards, FT Newsletter Says

Executive MBA students at institutions like Bayes Business School and ESCP are increasingly taking on charity trustee roles to bridge the gap between high-level corporate experience and community leadership, according to a weekly newsletter selected by Roula Khalaf, Editor of the Financial Times.

Bayes Business School and ESCP Curricula Encourage Trustee Board Service

Enrolling in an executive MBA programme often serves as a catalyst for career advancement. However, students are simultaneously discovering the professional benefits of serving on non-profit boards. Arna van Goch, an executive MBA student at London’s Bayes Business School and chief of staff to a fintech CEO, joined the board of trustees at The Careers Office. The small London-based charity helps young people from diverse backgrounds find their way through education and work. Because the organisation has a minimal roster of trustees, van Goch took ownership of scaling initiatives, including the development of an internal sales dashboard. “Creating the sales dashboard was something I had done at work, but I don’t think it was something that had been discussed before,” van Goch told the Financial Times regarding the operational hurdles she faced.

Financial governance remains a primary responsibility for board members stepping into the non-profit sector. Van Goch noted that her executive MBA training provided the necessary literacy to evaluate profit and loss accounts rigorously. Business schools across Europe have taken notice of this dual-track development. ESCP, which operates six campuses across the continent, actively encourages its executive MBA participants to pursue trustee positions. Manon Marinière, director of the ESCP Executive MBA, explained in the Financial Times report that choosing to become a trustee offers a meaningful community commitment while accelerating professional and personal growth. Marinière emphasized that non-profits require the exact competencies taught in business classrooms, including strategic thinking, financial literacy, sound governance, and effective leadership.

Ian Joseph and Trustees Unlimited Address Awareness Gaps in Board Recruitment

Despite the mutual benefits for executives and charities alike, structural barriers and a lack of awareness hinder broader participation among mid-career professionals. Ian Joseph, managing director of the trustee recruitment service Trustees Unlimited and leader of the Step on Board leadership development programme, observed that senior leaders frequently report newfound confidence in pursuing external career opportunities after serving as trustees. “They get to put their skills to work in a cause that they feel passionate about,” Joseph told the Financial Times. He also noted that executive MBA participants often feel too constrained by busy work schedules and family commitments to consider charity governance.

Data from the Charity Commission, which oversees 170,000 registered charities across England and Wales, highlights a reliance on insular recruitment methods. Approximately one in three trustees joins a board through a direct invitation from the chair, while only six percent of open trustee roles are advertised publicly. To counter this visibility gap, organizations such as the East London Business Alliance coordinate matchmaking events in the City of London. These gatherings allow charities based outside the financial district to pitch their missions directly to corporate executives seeking meaningful board appointments.

Personal conviction often drives professionals to bridge the corporate-philanthropic divide. Eva Rogow, an entrepreneur who volunteered as head of marketing and communications for Make-A-Wish France prior to completing her executive MBA at ESCP in Paris, noted that many classmates remained singularly focused on immediate career monetization rather than unpaid executive service. Yet, as matchmaking initiatives expand and business schools formalize partnerships with leadership development programs, a growing cohort of mid-career executives is discovering that non-profit governance serves as a practical training ground for broader non-executive directorships.

Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.