The MBA Speaker Series aims to give our MBA students and graduates a chance to hear from a diverse group of leaders from different industries who share insights and experiences from their careers and provide valuable new perspectives.
The sessions will be in the form of industry specific panel discussions featuring MBA alumni in certain industries and senior alumni presentations. The MBA Speaker Series also aims to connect our current students with alumni, who once stood in their shoes, and create a strong MBA community for students and alumni to come together and share stories, exchange memories and further support each other.
Upcoming Speaker Series
Senior Alumni presentation
6 November 2025
18:00 CMRI Gallery
Dr Elena Ambrosiadou (MBA 1988)
Distinguished School of Management Alumni Award 2007
Founder and CEO, IKOS
Dr Elena Ambrosiadou is a trailblazing figure in the world of finance, best known as the founder and CEO of IKOS Asset Management, a globally regulated hedge fund specialising in quantitative and algorithmic trading.
Starting out as an engineer, Elena pursued a BSc in Chemical Engineering at Leeds University, and later an MSc in Technology and Development from Imperial College London, before taking the Cranfield MBA in 1987-88. Her early career saw her rise rapidly at BP, where she became the company’s youngest-ever senior international executive at the age of 27. She later worked as a management consultant with KPMG in Bahrain.
In 1992, Elena co-founded IKOS (meaning ‘home’ in Greek), which was initially launched as a foreign exchange trading account with just £60,000. IKOS quickly evolved into one of Europe’s leading hedge funds, driven by Elena’s belief in the power of mathematical modelling and computer-driven strategies. Under Elena’s leadership, IKOS became known for its high-frequency trading and multi-asset class strategies, employing a team of PhDs and leveraging cutting-edge technology and scientific methods, with operations spanning global markets.
Beyond finance, Elena is known for her philanthropy and cultural interests. She is a Patron of ARK, a Trustee of the Oxford Philomusica, and a supporter of the Hellenic Rescue Team. Her contributions were recognised in 2008, when she received the Red Cross Humanitarian Award. Elena holds an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from the University of Greater Manchester, has been included in lists of the Top 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds in The Hedge Fund Journal in collaboration with Ernst & Young, and in the Financial News 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance. In 2007, Cranfield presented Elena with the Distinguished Alumni Award for her significant success and upholding the highest standards in business practice in Finance. She later served on Cranfield School of Management’s International Advisory Board.
Over decades, Dr Elena Ambrosiadou has navigated global financial systems amidst the forces that have shaped international markets. Her presentation will draw from her expertise in the challenges and opportunities from disruptions that influence the global financial landscape.
Previous Speaker Series
AI, Digital, Tech Panel
16 October 2025
18:00 CMRI Gallery
Business Development Manager, Shark Global Logistics
Maria Salamoun is in business development for Shark Global Logistics. Her experience spans Europe and the Middle East. Her background in digital services and international development give her insight into strategic growth, client engagement, and operational efficiency in Digital and Tech organisations. Maria also brings experience as an entrepreneur in digital solutions, some in highly regulated contexts. Her roles have been varied, but consistently reflect an emphasis on expanding market reach and improving internal processes. Maria holds a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut alongside her Cranfield MBA and received the Relithan Technology Scholarship.
Senior Product Leader, CRU
Vinay is a product leader with over 15 years of experience across AI, SaaS, and enterprise platforms. His career spans roles in both startups and scale-ups, where he has led digital transformations, developed AI-driven solutions, and overseen platform strategies for portfolios exceeding £65M. At CRU and Orgvue, he directed product initiatives involving generative AI, data platforms, and strategic workforce planning, aligning product development with business objectives and customer needs. Vinay has managed multi-disciplinary product tribes, standardised lifecycle processes, and has driven measurable growth through innovation and operational optimisation. Earlier in his career, Vinay co-founded Data Solver, a SaaS platform focused on GDPR compliance, where he secured funding and led the development of AI models for identifying sensitive data. He has also held leadership roles in property tech and EdTech, contributing to cloud migrations, API-first architectures, and mobile-first product strategies. Vinay’s educational background is in engineering alongside his MBA from Cranfield.
Senior Manager, Management Consulting, Accenture
Sudipta is a Senior Manager at Accenture Strategy & Consulting, with over a decade of experience advising financial services clients on regulatory compliance, digital transformation, and operational resilience. Her career spans roles in the UK, Switzerland, and Singapore, with a particular focus on payments, open banking, and cloud transformation. Prior to joining Accenture, she held positions at Barclays and SAP, contributing to digital banking initiatives and enterprise technology projects. Sudipta has developed expertise in navigating complex digital ecosystems. Her work has included consulting on APP fraud prevention, open finance strategies, and cloud migration for banking institutions. She has authored several publications on open banking and digital identity, reflecting a sustained engagement with emerging technologies and their impact on financial services.
Head of Sales & Technology Advisory Tata Consultancy Services| TCS Cloud Unit: CMI - UK, I and MEA
Paresh Thakare has over 17 years of experience in enterprise consulting, primarily within the domains of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. His career spans a range of roles from programming and technical architecture to sales leadership, with a particular emphasis on digital transformation initiatives across public sector and large enterprise clients. He has led strategic engagements involving cloud migration, AI-led modernisation, and customer experience solutions, working extensively with platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. In recent years, Paresh has focused on emerging AI technologies, including agentic AI and generative models, applying them to practical business contexts. His work has included fine-tuning large language models and designing AI architectures tailored to enterprise needs. Alongside his corporate responsibilities, he has also contributed to social initiatives through his NGO, though this sits outside his core professional focus. His approach combines technical depth with strategic sales acumen, shaped by a broad exposure to both mature organisations and start-up environments. Paresh was the recipient of the Relithan Technology Scholarship at Cranfield.
