Eugenie Teasley

IE Brown Executive MBA (IE Business School and Brown University)

Age: 41

“A relentlessly curious, purpose-minded woman whose career has quite literally careered around a lot.”

Hometown: Brighton, UK

Family Members: Husband (Bud), Sons (Otis, aged 11 and Elvin, aged 7), Parents (aged: very old), Dogs (Django and Tamale)

Fun fact about yourself: In my first job as a teacher in south London, I taught Latin after school to a group of gifted and talented students using rather unusual methods— the story was picked up by the Daily Telegraph.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Oxford University, Classics; then a Masters in Social and Cultural Studies in Education at UC Berkeley

Where are you currently working? Amazon: Principle Program Manager, Force for Good

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: Advisor to Black Valley, a startup focused on getting more Black talent into tech; mentor and coach to a number of young women and social entrepreneurs. I also spend any free time I have running, treading on Lego, and planning our next adventure to somewhere new.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? It was being nominated as a class rep for the program and having the chance to advocate for my fellow students over the course of the year.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? It was founding and running a non-profit for 6 years that focused on building character strengths, soft skills, and networks for underrepresented and underserved young people. I had just had my first son, and was sleep-deprived enough to think it was a good idea to set up an organisation with zero investment. A lot of the ideas we seeded took root elsewhere, including in flagship programmes run by the British Council and HSBC across the MENA region. And many of the people I met through the work are now friends for life.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I genuinely find that hard to answer. I adored Jill Paine for her commitment, and insights and leadership; Seth Rockman for his astute handling of the deeply complex topic of the shared history of slavery and capitalism; and the energy and tenacity of Borja Alonso de Linjae Pérez, Sandra Comas, Mark Blyth and Luis Fernandez-Revuelta Perez.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I loved the mix of traditional MBA subjects such as Financial Management and Competitive and Corporate Strategy, alongside courses that helped me question the wider impact of business in the world—in the past, now, and in the future.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? A lot of the insights I learned through our economics courses, as well as strategy and cost control have had a direct impact on how I assess opportunities or challenges in my role. As a result, how I contribute to internal discussions has changed. The social, historical, and environmental courses have given me more opportunity to refine how I weave these issues into a business context in a way that resonates with a wide range of people and roles.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? I’d say that the weeds in our garden have done very well from my time on the programme; they are now abundant and flourishing! I set myself time in the early mornings to get stuck into reading, I’d try to post on forums on my lunch breaks, and then crack into papers on Sunday mornings when the kids were kicking back for a while.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Listen to how many hours a week they say it is going to take, and take it seriously. I laughed at the start and thought: ‘Ha! I can do this in about 4 hours a week.’ I was very wrong. I also ordered in food every Friday night for my family as an ongoing apology for having another paper to write and not having time to cook. We all benefitted!

What is the biggest myth about going back to school? That you get too old to learn. The old dog, new tricks thing? Nah! Everyone has it in them at any time. And if it matters to you, if you’re curious, you’ll find a way to make it work and fit in with everything else.

What was your biggest regret in business school? COVID restrictions prevented me, and some of my classmates, from attending some of the residential sessions. I made it to three out of a possible five residential periods. I am really sad about that, as my colleagues are rockstars and I learn as much from them as I do from the courses.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? That’s such a tough question! I think I’ll have to say Gassim Bah. He is not just extraordinarily intelligent, he is deeply adventurous, strong-minded and open-hearted. He suffered a significant personal loss during the program, and yet continued to be present. I admire his tenacity and his verve; it’s infectious—even via Zoom.

What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? To be able to connect with people at a similar stage of their career, and to do so in person (at least some of the time). It hasn’t disappointed.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To bring about measurable positive impact through business activities and play a part in creating fairer, more inclusive and sustainable places.

What made Eugenie Teasley such an invaluable addition to the class of 2022?

Eugenie, who was my student in the IE-Brown Executive MBA Program, is a genuinely unique, motivated, and talented person with an inquisitive mindset. Beyond her professional expertise and extraordinary academic skills, Eugenie has demonstrated in class how her humility and ability to listen and read from others can promote full involvement from her classmates, drive debates forward, and get the most in applying them to address global societal challenges. She is a perfect example of what every teacher aspires to encounter in class.

I can confidently say that Eugenie is one of those people who will continue growing throughout life, continuing to support others to grow, and contributing to building a better world.”

Borja Alonso de Linaje
Professor of Entrepreneurship at IE Business School

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