Notable Business School alumni

The University of Sussex has more than 170,000 alumni based around the world in over 150 countries and currently have active alumni volunteers in almost 80 countries. Meet some of our notable Business School alumni...

Liam Hackett

Dr Liam Hackett MBE

Business Marketing 2012 – Founder and Global CEO of Ditch the Label: an anti-bullying charity

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Bianca Miller-Cole

Bianca Miller-Cole

Business and Management Studies (The Global Economy) 2010 – Managing Director The Be Group

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Bogolo Kenewendo

Bogolo Kenewendo

International economics 2013 – Former minister of Investment, Trade & Industry Botswana and African Economist

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Zhang Xin

Zhang Xin

Economics 1991 – Philanthropist and Co-founder, SOHO China and SOHO China Foundation

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Alex Ryabchyn

Dr Alex Riabchyn

Innovation and sustainability for international development 2013 - Energy and EU Green deal Adviser

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portrait of Rejane Woodroffe

Réjane Woodroffe

Development Economics 2004 – Director and co-founder of the Bulungula Incubator

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Dong Jin Koh

Dong Jin (DJ) Koh

SPRU (Tech and Innovation Management 1992) – President and CEO, IT & Mobile Communications Samsung Electronics

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Thabo Mbeki

Thabo Mbeki

Economics 1965 – Founder The Thabo Mbeki Foundation, former President of South Africa

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Becky Anderson

Becky Anderson

Economics 1990 – Business Journalist CNN

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Liam Hackett

Liam Hackett

Liam studied Business Marketing from 2009 to 2012.

After graduating Liam worked as a digital marketer and was the managing director and co-founder of Hackett and Tiger.

He is also the founder and Global CEO of Ditch the Label: an anti-bullying charity. Ditch the Label began as an online community after Liam shared stories of his own experiences of bullying online. It has since grown into a registered charity, and Liam was recently awarded an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours List for his contribution to supporting young people accross te UK.

More about Liam Hackett (opens in new tab).

Bianca Miller-Cole

Bianca Miller-Cole

Having studied Business and Management (The Global Economy) from 2007 to 2010, Bianca has gone on to become the Managing Director and co-founder of The Be Group, which she created with the ethos that all people should be able to access personal development services and build their personal brand.

She also founded Bianca Miller London – a nude skin hosiery and nail company catering to all skin tones.

More about Bianca Miller-Cole (opens in new tab).

Bogolo Kenewendo

Bogolo Kenewendo

Having studied International Economics from 2012 to 2013, Bogolo went on to become the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry in Botswana, where she was the first woman to hold a the position of Minister.

She is now an Economist and has founded Kenewendo Advisory, a private economic and development advisory services company.

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Virginia Acha

SPRU 2002 – Executive Director, Research Medical & Innovation – Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI

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Zhang Xin

Zhang Xin

Zhang studied economics from 1988 to 1991.

Acclaimed as “the woman who built Beijing”, Ms Zhang is regarded as one of the world’s most powerful women and successful business entrepreneurs after co-founding SOHO China with her husband in 1995. They are now one of country’s largest property developers and Ms Zhang has become an award winning celebrity CEO with over 10 million followers. She established the philanthropic SOHO China Foundation in 2005 that focuses on alleviating poverty through education. She stepped down as SOHO China’s CEO to focus on supporting the arts and philanthropy.

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Tosin Akinluyi

Tosin Akinluyi

Tosin studied Economics at Sussex.

She is Global Chief Operating Officer – Macro Research at Morgan Stanley.

She sits on the Business School’ advisory board (opens in new tab).

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Dr Alex Ryabchn

Alex Ryabchyn

Alex studied Innovation and Sustainability for International Development in SPRU from 2012 to 2013.

Previously the deputy minister to the Ministry of Energy and Environment of Ukraine, Alex is now an Energy and EU Green Deal Advisory to the Deputy Prime-Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine and also a policy advisor for the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

Emily A Llewellyn

Business Management Studies 2010 – Equestrian Event Rider

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Dong Jin (DJ) Koh

DJ studied Technology and Innovation management from 1991-1992 and Science and Technology Policy from 1993-1995 in SPRU.

He is now the President and co-CEO of IT and Mobile Communications Samsung Electronics.

DJ leads Samsung’s IT and mobile communications division and has overseen the launch of many of Samsung’s flagship mobile devices and technologies.

Thabo Mbeki

Thabo Mbeki

After studying economics at Sussex, Thabo went on to become the President of South Africa and is also the founder of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.

More about Thabo Mbeki (opens in new tab).

Becky Anderson

Becky Anderson

After studying Economics from 1986 to 1990, Becky has worked in broadcast media.

She is currently a business journalist for CNN International, where she is one of their highest profile anchors. She hosts Connect the World with Becky Anderson and also serves as the managing editor of CNN Abu Dhabi.

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Mark D’Arcy

Mark studied Economics, graduating in 1982. He is political correspondent for the BBC.

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Réjane Woodroffe

A full portrait of Rejane Woodroffe, standing in the Library

Réjane studied Development Economics at from 2004 until 2006.

She is now the Director and Co-Founder of the Bulungula Incubator, which creates sustainable systems to support the education, employment and welfare needs of a community of 6,000 people.

Their projects have more than 10,000 direct beneficiaries, while their broader programmes impact thousands more through sharing and collaborative partnerships with other organisations and government.

More about Réjane Woodroffe (opens in new tab).