Editor's desk

Through the valley...

Barely five months ago, we celebrated the start of another decade and looked forward to a promising leap year. Major global events such as the 2020 Olympics & Dubai Expo 2020, which were planned many years ahead, were finalising preparations; Japan and the UAE were ready to accept the thousands of tourists waiting to fill their airports and explore their cities. Like a thief in the night, COVID-19 grew into a pandemic and sabotaged all plans, shut down the busiest cities and confined the human race to their homes. All events have been, at best, postponed. No one, including the most advanced economies, prepared for such a black swan event that froze the major stock markets and ceased trade & travel; it is no news that life as we know it has changed and may never be the same again. New terminologies such as “social distancing” are now part of our everyday lingo and we have switched from physical to virtual meetings and conferences. Like a seed that must die so the plant may live, we have to let go of some old habits and learn new ways to connect and engage and tap into the new opportunities so that we may thrive. As a school, we have remained resilient in ensuring our alumni and participants are engaged as they observe the shutdowns in their various locations. From Health to Finance to Business & Corporate strategy, we have continuously conducted free webinars facilitated by our faculty and other industry experts, for learning and networking among alumni. The recordings of these webinars can be accessed via our exclusive online community at lbsalumniconnect.com. We have also included a free business directory on this platform to allow our alumni showcase their products and services for others to patronise and/or invest in. In this issue, we focus on the opportunities in these times and other positive activities, such as the efforts of our alumni classes as they stand against the adverse effects of the pandemic. Our alumni have generously donated their time, treasure and talent in various communities in dire need of basic necessities to survive. We also follow the story of three FTMBA alumni, who saw opportunity in the small print of a business case and created a successful financial services company with a mission to aid in the alleviation of poverty in Nigeria. As usual, we share our faculty insight on current issues in our environment and report on any update in their activities such as the inaugural lectures of our latest professors, Olayinka David-West and Enase Okonedo. Enjoy the pictures and reports in our home front section, as we showcase the Alumni Day and the MBA Hangout. Our Alumni are still making waves in their institutions and society as shared in our “Alumni in the News” section. If there is one thing we have all learned from this pandemic, it is the fact that all things begin again in the nuclear; we must develop ourselves, our families and then each other. More than ever, we should reach out and hold on strongly to the bonds formed during our days together at school. Together, we are more assured that we will make it through the valley and come back on top as always. Keep staying safe wherever you are and keep keeping the bond.