Our alumni care deeply about the quality of students joining the LBS community. Scholarships ensure that we attract the finest applicants, ultimately enriching our alumni community and adding tremendous value to the whole LBS family. Donors also know that scholarships unlock possibilities for those who have potential, but who live within limiting circumstances.
Hear from some of our donors about why it was important to them to change lives by supporting scholarships.
John & Antoinette Vermilye - Social Impact
The BK Birla Scholars Programme
Jason Schretter – Tech Disruptor
The Rayner Miller Scholarship Fund
The Gary Lubner Scholarship
The Gallifrey Scholarship supports an MBA or Sloan student coming from a social entrepreneurship background with aspirations to move into the social impact space after graduating.
LBS Alumnus, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, generously donated £15m to create an endowed scholarship programme at the School to support 10 full-time exceptional MBA candidates every year in perpetuity. Five scholarships are awarded to students from India and five from the rest of the world.
The BK Birla Scholars Programme honours the legacy of Mr Birla’s late grandfather, celebrated industrialist, philanthropist and pioneer Basant Kumar (BK) Birla who viewed access to higher education as a fundamental right for all. The BK Birla Scholars Programme is the largest endowed scholarship gift to a European Business School.
BK Birla Scholars represent the most impressive talent across the School’s full-time MBA programme and embody academic excellence and high leadership potential. The top 5% of the class is eligible for the award. “I am extremely proud to honour my grandfather’s legacy and create something enduring through this landmark programme at LBS. Through this programme, we look to build a diverse and vibrant community of next generation leaders who are committed to the ideals of integrity, dedication and service to humanity. The very values epitomised by my grandfather.”
“The scholarship gave me the necessary push and support to focus on – and achieve – the career goals I had set for myself when I applied.”
BK Birla Scholar, Akhil Pawar MBA2022 describes the impact the award has on his life: “The scholarship gave me the necessary push and support to focus on – and achieve – the career goals I had set for myself. Knowing that I had received a rare chance, I took greater risks and persisted with my goals – to further my experience in and push the boundaries of impact investing. Post MBA, I joined an impact investment firm focused on supporting some of the most inspiring entrepreneurs in Asia and Africa. Beyond that I will continue to take (calculated) risks to further my goal and grow the impact ecosystem in India and beyond.”
The Tech Disrupt and Transform Scholarship supports an MBA student with a passion for innovation who wants to explore entrepreneurial ideas to disrupt the status quo in technology or the customer experience.
Through their philanthropy at London Business School and closer to home in the United States, Robert Rayner MSc09(1976) and Mindy Miller are testament to the fact that supporting education can have an unprecedented impact on a person’s life. Here, Bob and Mindy share more about their longstanding commitment to helping lift students and their families out of poverty through the power of education.
Bob Rayner MSc09(1976) and Mindy Miller established the Rayner Miller Scholarship Fund in 2016 to support and provide education to underserved students, particularly of Black or Mixed Black heritage.
As an LBS alumnus, Bob attributes much of his success to having received a transformative business education. Both MBA graduates – Bob from LBS and Mindy from NYU – the couple believe that education provides the opportunities and the tools to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
For Mindy, creating a named scholarship that reaches applicants with demonstrable financial need is driven by a personal passion. For over 13 years, she has been involved with the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) – a non-profit in New York working with families in need from birth to college graduation. Through Mindy’s experience with HCZ, she and Bob have seen first-hand the incredible effect access to education can have on an entire community.
“Over many years, I have seen how providing opportunities for young children and parents have profound effects on their lives. Even today, I continue to have relationships with many of my kids, and I’ve proudly watched them prosper over time. When they find something that opens an avenue for them, it changes their life. It’s wonderfully rewarding.”
Beyond Harlem, their support of educational opportunities has taken a more global focus. Since 2016, six LBS students have benefitted from their generosity, providing them access to a world-class postgraduate business education. “Recently, under Francois’ leadership, the school developed several goals, one of which is to create a more diverse student body, which we applaud. With our goals aligned, we decided to fund the scholarship at a higher level.”
This past year’s recipient of the Rayner Miller Scholarship Fund, Sibusisiwe (Busie) Dhlodhlo, further inspired Bob and Mindy to increase the award to include living expenses.
“When we first heard about Busie and her story, it was clear that scholarship alone was not enough, and that living expenses were equally essential. Without this additional support, we realised that students like Busie wouldn’t be able to attend LBS. Now we feel confident we’re reaching deserving candidates with the greatest need.” says Bob.
“Meeting Busie and seeing her single-minded determination and drive to overcome huge obstacles has been truly inspirational. Mindy adds: “Whether Busie continues to work in England or goes back to Zimbabwe, we know she will make a significant impact.
Bob and Mindy have clear hopes for Busie and the other LBS graduates they have supported over the years. “We trust they will realise their full potential, going on to accomplish great things. In our view, everyone benefits. It is enriching for Busie, her family and community, and for the LBS student body at-large who benefit from interacting with and getting to know people from all over the world, especially in today’s global economy..”
Alumnus Gary Lubner MBA29(1990) is committed to supporting the ambitions of London Business School by providing scholarships for African students who wish to join LBS but who may not have the financial means to live and study in the UK.
Gary, originally from South Africa, graduated from LBS in 1991. “The MBA programme was an important part of my personal development. It was an amazing experience for me, both in terms of the people that I met and the people I worked with. It allowed me to use the skills that I developed to join Belron straight after I finished my MBA.
“At the time, Belron was in the UK under the brand of Autoglass, and it was also in about seven other European countries. My first role at Belron was doing the classic MBA analysis; looking into Europe and trying to find the most attractive markets.”
Gary refined the leadership skills that would eventually shape Belron into an internationally renowned organisation that proudly publicises its core purpose as “making a difference with real care”. In 2000, Gary was named CEO of Belron; a role that he proudly held for the next 23 years.
“Business has an absolute obligation and an absolute responsibility to give back to society. People are joining companies now – not because they’re the biggest or the most profitable or have the toughest culture; they’re joining companies which have the right values, the right culture, and the right ideas around giving back.”
“I am strongly grounded in giving back to the communities that you come from. You’ve got to give back to institutions that have helped you.”
“I decided to give 90% plus of my net asset value to my philanthropic foundation, This Day, to ensure that it will last long beyond me. I quickly realised I could combine a few of my passions – my passion for leadership, passion for Africa, and a passion for building a brighter future for young people – into the Gary Lubner Scholarship.
“We’ve had some amazing scholars over the years, and I’ve met all six of the scholars I’ve supported. They’ve come to LBS from all over Africa including Guinea, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and, pleasingly, from South Africa.
“About six months ago I hosted a dinner for all the people that were supported through the Gary Lubner Scholarship, including the current scholars. When you hear their stories and what they’ve done since leaving LBS, it’s very fulfilling. Some have gone back to their countries; some are planning to return eventually. I just love seeing young, keen bright people who without this kind of support just wouldn’t have had this opportunity.
“If we can support young people, put them on the right track, give them the right tools, then society will be a better place. That’s really my dream. I know it may sound slightly utopian, but you’ve got to keep hoping and believing.”
