Charlotte Rutherford

“I’m a Brit living in Switzerland, working in marketing communications in luxury hospitality, passionate about building meaningful consumer brands in complex global organizations”

Hometown: London, UK

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am about to take a sabbatical and will be completing my MBA while cycling 35,000km around the world, aiming to visit over 50 countries in 12 months and all by bicycle!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Newcastle, Geography BA

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Aman Group, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

What has been the biggest accomplishment in your career so far?

My greatest accomplishment in my career so far has been leading on the communications and leadership interviews for the opening of Aman hotels and new business verticals, securing feature press coverage in leading global publications including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, New York Times, Architectural Digest and Wall Street Journal.

When you think of your school, what is the first word that comes to mind

The first word that comes to mind when I consider UCL is “thought-provoking.” I love that the format of the classes is focused upon a collective discussion, which encourages to challenge our thinking, interrogate the theory and frameworks in each module and to consider in real time how you can incorporate these learnings in your current role or organization.

What are one or two key aspects of this program that led you to choose the program, and why were they so important to you?

The key aspect of the program that was so important to me is the balance between remote learning and connecting with other students. As I travel so much for work an MBA in-person was never going to be something I could do, but I love that the program has a requirement to attend live classes weekly,
where you also need to actively participate. This was important for me not only to feel engaged with the content of the course, but also to get to know other students and build a network and relationships with the cohort. Furthermore, the option to join the immersions in person offer the chance to connect with
each other in real life also, which I find hugely beneficial and a standout offering compared with other programs.

What course, club, activity, or experience excites you the most and why?

The immersion weeks offered on our course excite me the most, as they provide the opportunity for a remote program to have real connection in person with both the school and its teaching staff, as well as other students and a plethora of experiences within London, which is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest cities.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to other prospective MBAs?

I have recently read Strong Female Lead: Lessons from Women in Power by Arwa Mahdawi and loved its perspective. It’s a collection of chapters which look at female leaders – some well-known and others less so – analysing their approach to leadership through tangible examples. I loved it as I felt there were lots of easily understood lessons, tools and practices to consider at all levels of leadership, as well as the discovery of some very interesting women who I had previously never heard of.

What are two things you have learned that have surprised you so far – one academic and one non- academic?

My academic learning that has surprised me so far is that Accounting & Finance isn’t as intimidating as I thought it would be! Generally, my main learning is that topics or courses that I have felt will be challenging have been taught in a way which makes them not only very clear and with great support from teaching staff if you need further guidance, but also explained in a way which makes it clear as to how this works in real-life examples either in my own company or others on the course.

My non-academic learning that has surprised me thus far is the need to be even more organized than I anticipated. I thought I was pretty adept at time management, but adding the MBA program on top of my full time role in which I also travel a lot, has pushed me to leverage time management tools and be much more efficient with my time than I had anticipated!

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into your MBA program?

The advice I would give is to be honest about why you want to do this course and how you feel it will directly positively impact your career, as well as what you think you can bring to the course. The diversity of the cohort in terms of industries and specific roles is what makes for such interesting conversations during the live classes and so being willing to share and be open about your experiences I think would be a great benefit for the application process.

CLICK HERE TO MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2025 FROM THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT