MBA Alumna Honoured in AACSB’s 2023 Class of Influential Leaders

Open University Business School alumna Zoë André-Lawson is one of 25 business school graduates who has been selected by AACSB International (AACSB)—the world’s largest business education alliance— as a 2023 Influential Leader. 

This annual initiative recognizes notable alumni from AACSB-accredited business schools whose inspiring work serves as a model for the next generation of business leaders. The 2023 class features individuals who define what it means to be a societal impact leader; those who are creating lasting impact in society and who exemplify business education as a force for good. 

Zoë is a serving member of the OU Business School (OUBS) Alumni Council and since completing her MBA with distinction in 2015, Zoë has gone onto excel in her career. Now a senior scientist for Johnson & Johnson, and an active member of the Women in Pharma communities, Zoë is a role model for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through her work with various professional and civil society organisations. 

Zoë credits her OU MBA with giving her the skills, knowledge and confidence required for several of her career accomplishments, including forging a team with six strangers to co-develop a prize-winning mobile gaming app to combat the fake science news surrounding Covid-19. 

As a member of several female entrepreneur groups, Zoë is currently using the skills from her MBA in business strategy, marketing, and entrepreneurship to develop a bitesize online course specifically for women who wish to re-enter the workplace after a career break. 

We are delighted to congratulate Zoë on being recognised as one of AACSB’s Influential Leaders. We strive to enable talented people to reach their full potential, by delivering high quality education, so it is a significant honour for the Business School. We are also particularly proud that this recognition comes in the year the Business School marks its 40th anniversary, when we are eager to celebrate our alumni’s fantastic achievements.”

Professor Siv Vangen
Head of The Open University Business School

The AACSB Influential Leader honour has not been awarded to a UK Business School since 2020. The OU Business School last won this award in 2019, with OU MBA graduate Tillmann Henssler honoured. 

AACSB are one of the three accreditors which make up the Business School’s triple accreditation crown (along with AMBA and EQUIS), a mark of quality held by only 1% of Business Schools worldwide.