2016 Best MBAs: Dustin Rohrer, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management
“After his internship [with Bain], he has spent this past year working tirelessly helping his classmates prepare for the recruiting process. He has taken the reigns in the Owen Consulting Club to lead the case interviewing preparation. He also initiated a case certificate program, encouraging the first year students to practice and develop their skills to a greater level than they would have otherwise…Because of his efforts, many students have performed much better in their interviews, which I know have led to more first year offers in consulting than we have ever had. And, more importantly, he has made sure that this program is sustainable.”
Age: 33
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Education:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – B.A. in Music
Manhattan School of Music – Master of Music
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Freelance drummer and recording studio owner
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Bain & Company – Chicago, IL
Where will you be working after graduation? Bain & Company – Consultant
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Ingram Scholarship
Owen Admissions Ambassador
Owen Consulting Club – VP of Development
Christian Business Association – VP of Finance
Beta Gamma Sigma honors society member
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? This year, I started a Case Certification Program through the Owen Consulting Club. Several other consulting clubs do something similar, and I felt it would be a good way to help first-year students prepare for consulting interviews. I developed a curriculum, trained first-year case givers, and brought in consulting alumni from different firms for a final day of mock case interviews. The program was rigorous, but we got some great feedback and saw measurable results. Participants in the certification program found themselves more prepared going into first round consulting interviews, and they landed opportunities at BCG, McKinsey, Deloitte and several other firms. It was gratifying to work with the Consulting Club to put this program together, and to see first-years grow in their confidence and abilities.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I founded and operated a recording studio business in Nashville for three years before coming to Vanderbilt. Though it was a challenging experience, I enjoyed developing a client base, hiring other musicians, and building a reputation for my business. I learned a great deal about operating in a service industry and saw immense value in understanding operational, marketing and financial best practices. It also gave me the opportunity to experience the freedoms and frustrations that come with being a small business owner.
Favorite MBA Courses?
Applied Investment Management
Mergers & Acquisitions
Organizational Learning and Effectiveness
Why did you choose this business school? Owen’s small class size and tight-knit community attracted me to the school. As someone with an unconventional background, I also wanted a school with a strong career management center that could guide me in my unique search for the right job. I hit the jackpot with Owen’s CMC, which challenged and encouraged me in every step of my job search. In fact, I only applied to Bain after being encouraged to do so by our CMC director, Emily Anderson.
What did you enjoy most about business school? Throughout the past two years, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work on difficult problems in teams. I have worked with some great groups across all of my classes at Owen, and I always come away with a deeper understanding of something after hearing someone else’s perspective, or having my own answers pressure-tested.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? It is important to be honest and unapologetic about who you are and your past experience. There are transferable skills I developed in my career as a professional musician that are useful in my work as a consultant. It is equally important to follow this honesty with hard work and a commitment to team success. Some of my role models are the most collaborative people I know.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? It is the variety of backgrounds of my classmates. My closest friends include a professional horse trainer, a biomedical engineer, a private wealth manager for musicians, and a retired army officer.
What was the hardest part of business school? Overall time management was a challenge. I enjoy getting into the nuanced details of whatever I am studying, and there is not time to do that when juggling a hectic MBA schedule. I learned a great deal about prioritizing the most important aspects of my studies and better managing my time in the first year of my MBA. I carried this skill into my internship, where an 80/20 focus and good time management are essential aspects of the job.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Get to know the school through the application process. Owen is a very different MBA experience from some of the larger top-20 business schools. Much of the work here is extremely collaborative, and the small class size gives you the experience of being part of a big family. In addition, take time to think through what you want out of the MBA experience, and practice communicating that effectively. When you get here, be flexible and open to new opportunities and career paths.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when……I discovered a love for finance and statistics through online classes. While out on tour, I filled my time by taking several online classes. My favorites were finance and statistics. Though I had been exposed to both subjects earlier in life, I found a new appreciation for the usefulness of each. These two disciplines provided frameworks for explaining and evaluating much of the world around me.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…still touring and recording music as a drummer.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Two of my current role models are Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Bain & Company Chairman Orit Gadiesh. Ben Bernanke made an impressive transition from well-respected academic economist to the world’s most influential monetary policy official. He used his deep understanding of monetary policy in the Great Depression to make some tough decisions in the recent Global Financial Crisis. Orit Gadiesh has imbued Bain & Company with the understanding that good questions lead to impactful results. In addition, under her leadership Bain has stayed focused on True North in its client engagements.
What are your long-term professional goals? As a life-long learner, my goal is to always do work that challenges me to learn new things. I had the chance to work with a Nashville venture capital firm last year, and would love to do more work in venture capital or private equity. I also have a desire to impact what I believe is a broken education system in the US. Finally, I have a lingering dream to go back to school and get a PhD in Economics.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My wife, Lisa, deserves a lot of credit for my success. She has been a strong and encouraging force in my life since high school. As we were making the decision to transition out of the music industry and apply to MBA programs, she showed unwavering confidence that I was on the right track. As I applied to and interviewed at some of the top consulting firms, she never doubted that I could find a company where I was valued not in spite of my past experience, but because of it.
Fun fact about yourself: I have played drums for 4 different American Idol contestants.
Favorite book: Two recent favorites: All the Light We Cannot See and The Fabric of the Cosmos
Favorite movie: Interstellar
Favorite musical performer: Miles Davis’ second quintet (1964-69)
Favorite television show: The West Wing
Favorite vacation spot: Carolina beach
Hobbies? Much of my time over the past four months has been devoted to studying for the CFA Level 1 exam which I plan to take in June. Aside from that, I enjoy learning new things. My current hobby is theoretical physics. Over the past year, I have been reading everything I can find that relates to relativity and quantum mechanics. I am fascinated by the ideas of space-time curvature and the quantum entanglement. I also enjoy playing backyard baseball with my two kids (ages 6 and 4) and watching UNC basketball with my family.
What made Dustin such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Dustin has been an absolute delight to work with throughout his two years at Owen. Before I met him, I had reviewed his resume and was quite honestly wondering how I was going to be able to help him as I anticipated that he was using the MBA experience to move from performing into what I assumed would be work in the music industry in Nashville (which often does not seek out MBA talent). When I did meet him very early in his first year, I was especially delighted to discover he is very smart, very mature, and incredibly curious. Dustin is a very engaging and positive person, with a very authentic presence. He seems very comfortable with a small group as well as in front of an audience, which I assume he mastered in his years of performing. And he just seemed to be soaking up every aspect of the MBA experience. He was ready to explore all sorts of business career paths. After several conversations, it became evident that he had the intellectual capability, the drive, the professional presence and the demeanor that consulting firms look for. To me he was a gem that these firms are just waiting to discover in the crowded MBA talent pool.
Dustin was not timid about seeking guidance and advice from faculty, staff and his peers on how to begin the process of recruiting. I do not believe he had ever done a case interview before coming to Owen, but he approached the challenge with gusto. He was very successful in his recruiting his first year and landed in a top strategy consulting firm. After his internship, he has spent this past year working tirelessly helping his classmates prepare for the recruiting process. He is an active member in several clubs, and has taken the reigns in the Owen Consulting Club to lead the case interviewing preparation. He also initiated a case certificate program, encouraging the first year students to practice and develop their skills to a greater level than they would have otherwise. He was responsible for inviting several alumni back to campus this fall to help students practice their case interviews and critique their performance. This was the culmination of the case interviewing certificate program. Because of his efforts, many students have performed much better in their interviews, which I know have led to more first year offers in consulting than we have ever had. And, more importantly, he has made sure that this program is sustainable. The new Owen Consulting Club leadership is already planning for the program for next fall. Dustin is one of the students who make a long lasting impression on the school, faculty, staff and fellow students. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with him while he has attended Owen.” — Emily Anderson, Director of Owen Career Management Center, Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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The Pennsylvania State University, Smeal College of Business
“Inspirational” and “irreplaceable” leader emerges as the spirit and voice of his class.
Age: 30
Hometown: Folsom, California
Undergraduate School and Degree: Loyola Marymount University, Marketing and International Business
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? GKKWorks Architectural and Construction
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Intel Corporation, Folsom, California
Where will you be working after graduation? Assistant Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: President of the MBA Association as well as Graduate Assistant for the Diversity Enhancement Programs. I was most recently has been selected by his classmates to give the pre-commencement speech.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most honored that my classmates collectively chose me to lead our graduating class as our MBA President. As President, my team of advisors and I initiated a Mentorship Program, restructured our Academic Integrity process, and raised the most money ever in MBA history for the THON Charity event.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I lead a project team consisting of faculty, staff, construction crew, and architects to engineer a proposal that received 100% state funding to build what is currently the Jaime Escalante Program at East Los Angeles College. This program, which was the basis for the major motion picture “Stand and Deliver,” concentrates on students with statistically low graduation rates and places them in advanced math and science classes designed for college placement and future success.
Who is your favorite professor? I have two. Dr. Donald Hambrick, the creator of the Strategy Diamond, is my favorite professor and mentor, who teaches the thought process involved in implementing strategic change as top level management. Dr. Ralph Oliva who takes a genuine interest in his student’s real world success.
Favorite MBA Courses? Brand Management, Consumer Insights, and Strategic Implementation and Organizational Change. All three of these courses have given me the strategic outlook and skillset to succeed in my future career.
Why did you choose this business school? I was drawn to Penn State firstly for having the largest alumni network in the world. Coming from across the country, I valued a business school that had a strong sense of community that would treat me as part of a strong and growing network. In short, I wanted a school that was equally as invested in my success as I was.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I find it difficult to pick just one aspect as my favorite part of business school because there are so many interworking parts that contributed to my experience. For instance, my classmates, the professors and administration, and the general community made my experience at business school unforgettable. There may not be one distinct factor that was my favorite part about business school, but the program as a whole, was composed of so many exciting components that my experience exceeded my expectations.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I am consistently impressed by the diversity of professional and personal experiences my classmates have undergone before attending business school. I consider my learning experience exponentially enriched because of the caliber of students I had the pleasure of learning with every day.
What was the hardest part of business school? Time management was the most difficult adjustment I faced upon entering the program. At first, the tasks before me seemed insurmountable, but time management and prioritization proved to be skills that served me well during my time at Penn State.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The Smeal Program is tough. Succeeding in this program requires dedication and a true passion for your work. If you are willing to put in the requisite time and effort, the results will benefit your career for years to come.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that the career I wanted and had envisioned for myself was not attainable without a further expansion of knowledge in the classroom.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would…have remained at a position where my creative and leadership abilities would not have flourished had I not gone back and cultivated my skills at Penn State.”
What are your long-term professional goals? I achieved my first choice in a career in brand management working for Procter & Gamble. This beginning point will serve as a launching pad for my future goals, which include progressing within the marketing realm of the company.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I cannot express my gratitude for Penn State. Two years ago they took a chance on me and I will always strive to repay them for that decision.
Fun fact about yourself: I went to the World Cup in Brazil and have plans to go to the one in Russia.
Favorite book: The Count of Monte Cristo
Favorite movie: Man on Fire
Favorite musical performer: Tommy Trash
Favorite television show: Game of Thrones
Favorite vacation spot: Fripp Island, South Carolina. It’s where my grandmother lives and I always am at peace when I visit.
Hobbies? Traveling, reading, soccer, basketball, racquetball, going to the beach, and novel writing.
What made Ian such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Ian Wetzel has been not only an invaluable part of the Smeal MBA Class of 2016, but also an inspirational member. Ian’s outgoing and friendly personality enabled him to connect with each and every member of his class. He quickly became a class spokesman and was elected class president at the end of the first semester of study.
Early on, students began going to Ian with their questions, concerns and dilemmas. In turn, Ian made each of them feel important and offered his assistance when necessary. As the liaison between the students and the administration, Ian led the formation of a very close community, and is an integral part of the glue that holds the Class of 2016 together. Ian’s classmates recognize his contribution and nominated him to represent the Smeal MBA community in the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON). Ian stood on his feet for 46 hours to help the Penn State Community raise over $9M for the Four Diamonds Fund, which supports families of children with pediatric cancer. Finally, Ian was selected by his peers to be the student speaker at our MBA graduation ceremony. This nomination exhibits the close ties Ian has with his classmates, as well as their belief that he is an excellent representation of the Smeal MBA Class of 2016. Ian’s success in the classroom, with his job search, in giving back to the community and with his peers makes him irreplaceable and inspirational.” — Ann Mallison, Penn State University, Smeal College of Business, MBA Director of Student Services
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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USC, Marshall School of Business
“Never hesitate to speak up. At the beginning of business school, I was terrified at the idea of having to raise my hand to share my thoughts in front of my 75 classmates or study group. I was worried that my peers would make fun of my French accent or that I would have a hard time expressing my opinions in English. Not to mention, my fear of being cold called by my Strategy professor. After two years of business school and a successful internship, I gained a lot of confidence and I learned that I should never hesitate to speak up and share my ideas.”
Age: 31
Hometown: Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
Education:
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada) – Bachelor of Arts, Social Communication Université Laval (Québec City, Québec, Canada) – Master of Arts, Public Communication University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business (Los Angeles, CA) – Graduate Certificate, MarketingWhere did you work before enrolling in business school? City of Québec (Québec City, Québec, Canada), Director – Consulting and Marketing Division, Communications Department
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Mattel (El Segundo, CA): MBA Marketing Intern, Barbie Global Brand Marketing Team
Where will you be working after graduation? Mattel (El Segundo, CA), Associate Marketing Manager
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School
Leadership Roles
VP Education, Graduate Marketing Association (GMA) Initiated and co-organized the first ever GMA Marketing Bootcamp (30+ attendees, 4 professors, 1 marketing challenge) Co-organized the GMA Marketing Institute (60+ attendees, 13 speakers, 6 companies) VP Communications, Graduate Women in BusinessCommunity Work
Volunteered for Junior Achievement, Special Olympics, A Better LA, and Ronald McDonald House Charities Mentored 4 MBA students from the Class of 2017 Participated in 2 internship panels (multi-industry and international students) for the Class of 2017 Co-MC’ed for… USC Marshall Class of 2016 100 Days Celebration USC Marshall Class of 2018 Prospective Students Event for WomenAwards and Honors
Beta Gamma Sigma member Dean’s Honor List USC Marshall Scholarship for Academic Achievement and Leadership Case competitions: Won the USC Marshall 2nd Place at the 2016 MBA Macy’s Marketing Challenge Competition Was 1 of the 2 students selected to represent USC Marshall at the 2015 IPADE Global Case Competition (Mexico City)Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? While grades are far from being the best indicator of an individual’s talent, I am proud of myself for graduating with a GPA of 3.81/4.00, considering my “poet” background. I genuinely came to business school with the only hope of passing classes. I was well aware that the task would not be easy: when I started studying for the GMAT, I had to look at the words “odd” and “even” in a French-English dictionary. Prior to business school, I did not know how to use Excel formulas, even the most basic =SUM. The last time I had taken a quant based class was in the year 2000. With hard (very hard) work and the help of my fantastic classmates and wonderful faculty members, I was able to succeed beyond my wildest dreams. Needless to say, I have come a long way since I first set foot in Los Angeles.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? A few months before coming to business school, I was promoted to Director – Consulting and Marketing Division for the Communications Department at the City of Québec. As such, I supervised a team of 8 (including 6 advisors) in charge of communicating information to the 530,000 residents of Québec City. I was the youngest person to have been appointed to this position since the creation of the Communications Department in 1978 and I had some big shoes to fill. It was a huge challenge that allowed me to learn so much about myself and my leadership abilities. But most of all, it has been an exceptional opportunity to learn from my talented team and become better equipped to one day become a successful manager for a large corporation.
Favorite MBA Courses? Marketing Strategy and Policy, Market Demand and Sales Forecasting, Contemporary Issues in Competitive Strategy, The Analytics Edge: Data, Models, and Effective Decisions, and Corporate Finance.
Why did you choose this business school? Coming from a non-traditional background and having lived in Québec, Canada my entire life, I knew I would need the support of a strong network in order to succeed professionally in the U.S. With its strong “Trojan Network,” USC Marshall was definitely the right place for me. Believe me, it totally lived up to my expectations. (Also, I lived my whole life in a country where the cold winter lasts for months. Needless to say that the warm weather was definitely a plus!)
What did you enjoy most about business school? Being surrounded by talented, smart and (most of all) kind young professionals. Business school allowed me to meet amazing people who inspired me and elevated me to become the person that I am today. Take Michelle, for example, who is an incredibly effective multitasker and the most generous person I have ever met. Or Charles, who is a living encyclopedia and the king of camping. Or Alex, who has been so helpful to all of his peers throughout our whole MBA experience. Or Gargi, who is remarkably cultivated at such a young age. Or Jessica, who is genuinely interested in learning more about her peers, their interests, their passion. Not to mention Will, Sagar, Ryan, Rob, David, Taher, Junior, Deepak, Gelene, Shayda, Anna, York, Jasmine…
What was the most surprising thing about business school? To say my classmates are not competitive would be a lie. After all, we are ambitious business students. However, I was surprised to see how kind, helpful and generous they also are. USC Marshall recently won the Challenge For Charity MBA competition for the 7th year in a row. My classmates raised $284,303 for charity and volunteered 9,356 hours. I am so happy I was able to be a part of it and give back to the community in a meaningful and sizable way. For example, I will cherish forever my experience with Junior Achievement, teaching the basics of financial responsibility, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship to elementary school students. I humbly hope that I might have made a little difference in their lives – because they certainly did one in mine.
What was the hardest part of business school? Business school is all about choices and trade-offs! MBA students have endless opportunities but limited time. The hardest part was actually making tough choices every day on what to say no to. Throughout my business school career, I set different priorities at different times. For example, during the first semester, curriculum was my priority, followed by career and community. I sometimes made the difficult decision of saying no to fun activities to stay at home and work on assignments. During the second semester, career became my priority with most of my focus on coffee chats, interview prep, etc. (I will let you guess what the priority is for the last semester!)
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? It will sound cliché, but just stay true to yourself. If you are kind, smart, generous, and hard-working, then USC Marshall is the right fit for you!
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I was on the way back from Cambridge, MA, where I participated in Harvard Summer School’s English as a Second Language program in the summer of 2012. During those 7 weeks, I realized business school would be the best way to broaden my horizons, expand my network, and gain new skills to enhance my career and become an impactful leader.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…seeing my beloved nieces and nephew more often. Luckily, thanks to my job at Mattel (and discounts on Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars), I can be the coolest aunt.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? My two directors at the City of Québec, Isabelle Dubois and Marie-Christine Magnan, are the leaders I admire most. They are not only talented, driven and influential women in the local government, but also highly appreciated by all of their team members. They really inspired me to hopefully become an influential and respected leader one day.
What are your long-term professional goals? To become the CMO of a Fortune 500 company and hopefully grow into a source of inspiration for younger French Canadians.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? Without a single moment of hesitation: my dad. I lost my mother to cancer when I was 10 years old. Since then, my dad has been my most influential source of inspiration. He succeeded formidably in raising 3 children, all by himself, while holding important leadership positions. He taught me how being kind, having a balanced life, and always doing your best are the keys to success. Most importantly, he has always been my #1 fan, cheerleader, councilor and confident. I owe him everything and cannot thank him enough for bringing me where I am today.
Fun fact about yourself: I used to be a local television “celebrity” in my hometown (funnily enough, I was sometimes asked for my autograph). For 4 years, I worked as a TV News Reporter for 2 leading television networks with 35,000 viewers while attending college. As such, I reported 200+ news stories on local television and appeared 50+ times on national television to report major news.
Favorite book: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Favorite movie: Amélie (But the French version, of course: Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain)
Favorite musical performer: I am a huge 90’s hip hop fan: Dr. Dre, DMX, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, etc.
Favorite television show: Mad Men
Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere with nice weather and good food!
Hobbies? Hiking, running, discovering new restaurants (and gaining back all the calories lost thanks to the first two hobbies), travelling, and watching TV shows & movies.
What made Claudia such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Claudia is a student in my class this semester on “The Analytics Edge: Data, Models, and Effective Decisions”. Although Claudia does not have a quantitative background, she works very hard to learn the materials and complete all of the (challenging) cases and assignments in the class. I still remember the time when we had an assignment on predictive modeling where students had to develop logistic and binomial regression models (from scratch) to make predictions based on historical data. It was a very complex and difficult assignment, and Claudia had been working on it for quite some time. She came to my office hours, and afterward, worked non-stop until well past 2AM the night before the assignment was due. It was amazing to see how she rose up to the challenge, dedicated herself to learning the complex (yet incredibly exciting) course materials, and eventually mastered them. It was truly a pleasure to have her as a student in the class.” — Paat Rusmevichientong, Professor of Data Sciences and Operations, USC, Marshall School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Engineer heads to business school after he stopped learning — and nabs a coveted position with Bain.
Age: 30
Hometown: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering – American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Consolidated Contractors Company – CCIC and Sicon Oil & Gas Spa
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Bain & Co – Milan, Italy
Where will you be working after graduation? Bain & Co – Consultant
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Vice President, SDA Bocconi Entrepreneur Club
Class Fellow, SDA Bocconi Recruitment & Admissions
Ambassador, SDA Bocconi Alumni & Future Prospectives
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? An initiative of the Entrepreneur Club that aims to engage Bocconi students in a transformational experience. We are launching the first hackathon on disruptive innovation for the MBA Program at SDA Bocconi.
The objective, is to select 18 students from all the master programs and undergrads and invite them to a 4 day hackathon that will take place in Milan The aim of this hackathon, is not only come up with 6 new startups but to enhance the students to raise the bar and experience the entrepreneurial process. Being at SDA Bocconi and in Italy in particular only enhances this fact with Italy historically being at the forefront of innovation worldwide.
As vice president of the club, I was in charge of pitching the initiative to the sponsors, organizing the challenge and rallying the different stakeholders to achieve the desired results. We managed to receive a major sponsorship from one of the main Italian insurance companies and were finally able to launch the event because of that.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Joining the workforce at the age of 21, I knew that I wanted to be part of a prominent oil and gas firm that had a history in manufacturing and engineering. I had several employment opportunities in the Middle East and joined a company in Dubai where I was quickly given the opportunity to work in Milan.
Once there, I knew that in order to succeed, I had to completely immerse myself in the culture and language. Within 6 months, I integrated well within the company structure and was comfortable conversing with my colleagues in Italian, thus enabling me to fully partake in my first project team. This experience played a large role in providing me with the confidence to take on new challenges. After four years of hard work and dedication to the company, I earned a promotion in 2012 and became the proposals leader. I set the goal of securing the first big project that Sicon would be awarded since the global economic crisis. Working autonomously for the first time, I intricately followed every aspect of the proposal and we were finally awarded our first multi-million-euro project since 2009. As I successfully completed several other major projects, my responsibilities increased, and so did my confidence. On one hand, I set out creating new business opportunities for Sicon. On the other hand, I established my own company leveraging on the experiences I had gained so far.
Who is your favorite professor? Stefano Gatti. A good professor sets examples for his or her students not just inside the classroom, but also outside the confines of classroom desks. I have to admit that looking back at my experience so far; Dr. Gatti was my finance professor and has not only taught finance to me with his both patient and meticulous approach but also and more importantly how to become more human.
I remember the first day I met him, he knew everyone by name and background emphasizing his dedication and compassionate approach to teaching. This largely engaged me from the start.
However, his impact to me does not stop there. He has always advocated the importance of being engaged in my community. Dr. Gatti is always present at university events, mingling and speaking with alumni and students. It is clear to me that he loves the Bocconi community and that is present in his commitment to being present with others in this community.
Favorite MBA Courses? Competitive Strategy, Financial Markets & Institutions, Macroeconomics, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Finance, Technology and Innovation Management, Entrepreneurial Management, and Organizational Behaviour
Why did you choose this business school? SDA Bocconi has much to offer in the pursuit of my goals. The flexibility of the program is appealing as it allows me to meet my objectives in the time frame I see fit. SDA Bocconi’s diverse student population, coupled with its equally varied choice of courses, made it my top choice for pursuing an MBA education. The wealth of experiences of students that SDA Bocconi is known for attracting is having a major impact on my personal development. Similarly, I am actively sharing my hard-earned lessons with them. I believe that by exchanging these types of experiences with classmates from various backgrounds, we are collectively contributing to SDA Bocconi’s dynamic learning environment.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I enjoyed the possibility of continuous and never-ending learning and improvement. Following on the “Kaizen” model, business school is a place where if properly approached is a never-ending learning experience – professionally, socially and personally. I am in complete awe at the amount of self-improvement I have been going through since the start of the program. Testament lies within those who are external to the program.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The importance of humility
What was the most surprising thing about business school? It is unlike undergraduate school, where it seems a lot of theory is largely academic rather than applicable. In business school, absolutely everything is applicable and highly relevant to the professional world.
What was the hardest part of business school? Not losing contact with reality and the outside world.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The MBA experience is like a Big Brother bubble (ref. to 1984 by George Orwell) and it is absolutely fundamental to create a balance internally between the outside world and the MBA world.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I stopped learning at my previous job.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…a serial entrepreneur or social activist.”
What are your long-term professional goals? In the long-term, I hope to be able to combine the knowledge and the soft-skills I acquire through my MBA education with the practical experience of my post-graduate work to start my own private equity firm.
Currently, the private equity market in the Middle East is still relatively small. With oil prices on the low and investors increasingly preferring to keep their money close to home, there is a huge opportunity for new entrants into the market. Having grown up in the region, I have a thorough understanding of the business culture there. I have also managed to develop a significant network of contacts in industries such as the financial services, construction and oil and gas. In light of all this, I will wholeheartedly work towards achieving this optimistic yet attainable goal; constantly looking to bridge the gap between “us” and the rest of the world.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My sister has been the biggest support of my life so far but not so much in my happy moments but in my most difficult situations, she has always helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. I owe her my life.
Fun fact about yourself: I love life
Favorite book: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. A truly enchanting experience that I carry with me throughout my experiences. – an absolute masterpiece.
Favorite movie: Manhattan (Woody Allen)
Favorite musical performer: Beth Gibbons (portishead)
Favorite television show:Anthony Bourdain – Parts Unknown
Favorite vacation spot: New Zealand
Hobbies? My interests and hobbies, rooted in traveling, meeting people and learning new languages, complement and inspire my career goals and aspirations. Since moving to Milan in 2007, I have realized my love for languages and have successfully completed courses in Italian and French and intend to pursue the Spanish language in the fall of 2016—adding to my arsenal of mother tongue languages of English and Arabic. Whether I am meeting with European vendors at their workshops or exploring new cities and cultures, Italy’s prime location in Central Europe has allowed me to travel extensively throughout Europe and utilize these various languages.
In addition to these interests, my family has olive groves in Lebanon. Although I have always had a fascination with olive oil production, being in Italy has provided me with additional insights into evolving business practices and technologies in the industry. In the beginning of 2014, I leveraged on Italy’s excellence in producing extra virgin olive oil and partnered with Pieralisi (a top manufacturer of olive mills) to open a plant in Lebanon, thereby becoming the first producer of olive oil in the Middle East to have such technology.
Finally, I have taken up the practice of martial arts, namely muay Thai and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Along with improving my fitness, martial arts helps reinforce core values of respect, honor and discipline.
What made Elias such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Elias is one of our most charismatic and proactive students. He is deeply involved in several aspects of our MBA life and is always providing valuable contribution and feedback.
He is VP of the Entrepreneur Club. Together with the rest of the group, he has brought to life a very interesting initiative called “Imagine Bocconi” involving the whole SDA Bocconi community.As one of the most active members of the club, he was one of the main promoters of this initiative. With his passion and charismatic ways he convinced the school to support the event. But even more than that, working closely in team with the other club members he managed to obtain a substantial sponsorship from one of the main Italian insurance companies that will also provide the project to be developed in the event.
His contribution did not stop there: Elias has actively supported our recruiting office as class fellow by acting as host for prospect students visiting our School and has also participated in live promotional sessions.
Last but not least, he also shone in the internship campaign as one of the most sought after candidates in the consulting sector receiving 3 offers from top international consulting companies. He attended all company presentations and contributed to the discussions that followed in his usual constructive, intelligent and intense way: an amazing testimonial of the quality of our MBA candidates in front of our recruiters.
I feel very comfortable in saying that Elias is one of the best students we have ever had in the past few editions of our MBA program.” — Prof. Stefano Gatti, Full-time MBA Director, SDA Bocconi
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
The post 2016 Best MBAs: Elias Bachir, SDA Bocconi appeared first on Poets and Quants.
Some of our best & brightest MBA graduates of 2016
Notwithstanding marathon tours and recording sessions, the past two years have been a wild journey for Mathias, who’ll graduate from Tuck this spring with his younger brother Johnny, Filligar’s lead singer and guitarist. In fact, Peter Mathias admits that he returned to Hanover with “virtually no business mechanics, only instincts.” “I saw the limits of venture building through trial and error, admits Mathias, who spent two years growing a record label before starting business school. “I wanted to learn business from the best and brightest faculty, the equivalent to training with a master musician rather than trying to teach myself.”
And his choice quickly paid dividends. Last summer, Mathias was tapped to dispense media strategy advice to CEOs at BMG and Penguin Random House. In the process, he developed an interactive music app (Heartstring), all while working toward a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard. For Mathias, the Tuck MBA was no different than musical bars that hold melodies together. “I have come to believe that the scarcest resource on Earth is someone else’s attention. Business school’s biggest lesson has been what to do with that attention once you have it.”
THIS YEAR’S CROP OF THE BEST GRADUATING MBAS INCLUDE 57 WOMEN
Grabbing attention won’t be an issue for Poets&Quants’ Best and Brightest MBAs. In fact, you could describe this year’s recipients as the rock stars of their own classes. Amid never-ending demands, these second years were the ones who were always available to organize events, tutor peers, and recruit future students. They were leaders, volunteers and problem-solvers, who started conversations, challenged conventions, rallied peers, and inspired change. Lauded for their passion, ingenuity, and humility, they were tagged with labels like the “cream of the crop” and the “total package.” Lauding the University of Texas’ Stephen de Man, one of his professors said, “It is not a matter of whether he will reach his goals, as much as when he will reach them.” And that bold prediction could easily apply to the other graduates who comprise the Best and Brightest in the Class of 2016, our second annual roster of the year’s exceptional graduating MBAs.
By the numbers, this year’s class could be a case study in diversity. Some 57 of the 100 members were women – a milestone considering how women traditionally represent a third of their MBA classes. They hail from 53 different MBA programs globally, representing nearly every school in Poets&Quants’ Top 25 American and Top 10 International business programs (only Harvard Business School and HEC Paris declined to participate). Nearly a third (32) of the best and brightest were born overseas, with graduates found everywhere from the blustery plains of Mitchell, South Dakota, to the coastal bustle of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFERS, SUBMARINE COMMANDERS AND PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
Not only that, but the best and brightest are nearly impossible to categorize. They embraced business school from every corner of life–not merely Wall Street, the global consulting firms or the Fortune 500. Some started in public service. Jessica Davlin returned to Duke after working in the White House on cybersecurity issues. The University of Wisconsin’s Angie Peltzer devoted seven years to fighting child labor and human trafficking at the U.S. Department of Labor. Two graduates – Wharton’s Steve Weiner, and MIT’s Brian Kirk – drove submarines before becoming MBAs. Cornell Tech’s Ian Folau earned a Bronze Star for his work as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan. And UCLA’s Britney Sussman orchestrated more than a dozen meetings between business executives and senior Obama administration officials at the 2012 Democratic Convention.
Others made a difference through social enterprise. INSEAD’s Tan Wenyou cut prison recidivism in Singapore by training ex-offenders to become entrepreneurs. London Business School’s Tom Vanneste partnered with Vodafone to finance a new maternity hospital in Tanzania. Duke’s Libby McFarlane established a nonprofit to provide mental health care to survivors of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. At Teach For America, Wharton’s Ami Patel launched a charter school in New York City and authored its writing curriculum. And the UC-Berkeley’s Dan Fishman helped to raise more than $35 million for San Antonio schools.
Of course, many also bring colorful tales to the table. Southern Methodist’s Jean Perez, who interned at JP Morgan, went into the seminary after his undergraduate years. Vanderbilt’s Dustin Rohrer, a future Bain consultant, once ran a recording studio and played drums for four American Idol contestants. The University of Washington’s Emily Claire Palmer relied on Kickstarter to fund her band’s final album. And her classmate, Becky See, bounced from being a Peace Corps volunteer to improv comic to food stamp recipient to investment fund manager…in Kyrgyzstan.
Next Page: Top employers and average student debt and financial aid for the Best and Brightest (100 student profiles to follow)
BEST AND BRIGHTEST FEATURES STUDENTS WHO “EXEMPLIFY THE BEST” OF A GIVEN PROGRAM
To produce our list, Poets&Quants reached out to 62 leading full-time MBA programs worldwide. Each school was asked to submit up to four nominations for students “who exemplify the best of your program” – with P&Q asking administrators to take into account “academic prowess, extracurricular involvement, personal excellence, or…a striking personal narrative.” Schools received extensive questionnaires for nominees to outline their academic and professional accomplishments, extracurricular involvement, along with sharing their experiences such as their favorite classes, best advice, and where they’ll be working after graduation. Schools also were asked to include a faculty or staff recommendation to provide deeper insight into each student’s impact.
P&Q received 197 submissions in March and April, with P&Q staff evaluating each nomination, paying careful attention to such areas as demonstrated leadership, tangible achievements, and insightfulness. Our objective was threefold. First, we wanted to recognize many of the top graduating MBAs for their excellence (along with those who helped them along the way). Second, we hoped to expose future MBAs to what it takes to become a stellar MBA student, along with sharing some of the big takeaways they gained (which will be covered in a series of articles over the summer). Finally, we wanted to humanize these graduates as they head out to become the next generation of C-suite players, startup founders, angel investors, and social entrepreneurs.
DARDEN MBA DONATES SCHOOL BUS TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS IN HIS NATIVE CAMEROON
That exhaustive process led to an extraordinary and promising group of young professionals. It also showed that the 2016 class truly came into its own once they arrived on campus. At the height of racial tensions, Duke’s Reggie Benbow stepped forward to organize a day of solidarity, along with dialogues between students on differences related to race, gender, and sexual orientation. The University of Virginia’s Jean-Marie Menga used his Project Einstein platform to donate educational supplies to his native Cameroon, including a 66-seat school bus. At the London Business School, Tarana Shivdasani founded LBS For London, which harnessed nearly 1,000 volunteer hours from the school that produced new playgrounds and gardens around London.
At the same time, Vikram Arumilli applied the leadership lessons he honed from being fantasy football league commissioner to successfully rejuvenate the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) – with the added complication of events being held in two different countries. UCLA’s Maeghan Rouch quadrupled the attendance at Anderson’s Women’s Leadership Summit from 125 to 500 attendees in just one year. To help her female peers acclimate themselves to male-dominated conversations, the University of Maryland’s Allison Davern introduced an entertaining “Get Confident Series,” which explored such activities as“golf, sports, gambling and spirits.”
The best and brightest also enjoyed more quietly satisfying victories. Oxford’s Halla Koppel, an actress who’ll join Goldman Sachs after graduation, gave birth to a girl during her first week of school (at a one-year program, no less). Alas, Koppel has already scaled four of the world’s seven highest mountains, so childbirth didn’t faze her a bit. Imogen Aelwen Roberts recruited Reese Witherspoon to speak at Vanderbilt, while Wyatt Batchelor leveraged his Columbia Business School ties to meet leaders like David Petraeus, Paul Volcker, Mike Krzyzewski and Tom Brokaw. Canadian Marie-Renée B-Lajoie, an emergency physician before entering INSEAD, published two research papers during her stay that served as “the basis of the new guidelines for the treatment of individuals with HIV for the World Health Organization.” Washington University’s Allison Campbell won a marketing job at Walmart after her internship project, an event execution playbook, was implemented across the company’s 4,500 stores. The University of Iowa’s Kyle Wehr earned the equivalent of an MBA-and-a-half credit-wise – and carried a perfect GPA to boot.
McKINSEY AND DELOITTE AMONG THE TOP CONSUMERS OF BEST AND BRIGHTEST TALENT
Not surprisingly, these celebrated graduates were in high demand in one of the hottest MBA markets ever. Overall, they landed with 55 different employers. McKinsey and Deloitte hold bragging rights here, with each snagging six graduates from the best and brightest. Another 15 graduates had yet not chosen an employer, while seven others planned to work at their own startups. In terms of internships, 45 graduates are heading back to the company where they spent their previous summer, compared to 25 who’ve chosen a different employer (Another 30 graduates were launching a startup, hadn’t completed an internship, or were still weighing their options). However, the hallmark of this group is their willingness to change. Among students who’d landed a job, 70% were switching careers.
However, there was one area where the best and brightest were actually average: Student debt. Among students who reported debt and financial aid data, the 2016 class racked up $4.15 million collectively, for an average $42,833 debt burden per student. In fact, 33 students graduated with no debt at all, though 13 reported debt over $100K – including one unlucky graduate topping out at $250K. That’s not to say business schools weren’t generous. The best and brightest amassed $3.75 million in financial aid, for an average two-year package of $39,049 (though 18 graduates actually paid full sticker price).
You won’t find many graduates complaining, though. Just 13 admitted that they would have taken a different career path if debt wasn’t a factor (with most choosing entrepreneurship as the alternative). More strikingly, when asked to assess their MBA experience on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being “completely exceeded expectations”), this 2016 class gave their alma maters an average score of 9.15, with 44% of students awarding perfect scores.
Next Page: The biggest lessons from the Class of 2016
That’s not to say that there weren’t any bumps along the way. Like MBAs before them, they grappled with the leap of faith – going from thriving professionals to unpaid students. Forget the idea of B-school as an academic cake walk, says Sarah Esty, who interned at McKinsey and earned a dual law degree during her time at Yale. “There are constant problem sets due, short papers, presentations, and lots of team meeting times to do group work.” Sometimes, the late nights and time crunches caught up to even the best students. “There were times when I questioned if I had made the right decision,” concedes Duke’s Davlin. “I loved the life I had before business school, so the uncertainty was unsettling. However, I held on to my faith. After some initial character building, it wasn’t long before I started realizing the personal and professional benefits of my decision to return to school.”
Others were tempted by the dizzying array of activities and opportunities prevalent in business school. Many made the classic first year mistake: Making commitments to things where they lacked the time or passion to excel. For the first times in their lives, many had to learn how to say “no,” and accept that they will occasionally miss out. “It is hard for hundreds of overachievers to collectively and individually recognize that they can’t do it all,” explains Northwestern’s Blair Pircon, an award-winning entrepreneur. “The sooner you can define what you don’t want to do during business school, the better.”
As always, students face the tension between staying true to their original vision and embracing new passions or taking paths with less uncertainty and higher returns. In such cases, says the University of Maryland’s Tiffany Chang, growth would always be the tiebreaker. “The hardest part of business school was constantly reminding myself to embrace the things that made me uncomfortable. The issue was not adapting to the challenge. It was how to conscientiously create a challenge every day for myself.”
KEEP CALM AND ACCEPT AMBIGUITY
In the end, the 2016 best and brightest came away with profound lessons that will echo long after they’ve forgotten Michael Porter’s Five Forces. Some lessons came from painful experience. The University of Texas’ Jennifer Thomas, for example, learned what her weaknesses were – and to surround herself with people “who excel in those areas.” In the same vein, the University of Michigan’s Kristin Horvath discovered that feedback was a gift, not a threat, and to seek it out whenever possible.
Others grudgingly accepted that some ambiguity is part of any decision. “You don’t even know what you don’t know, says Georgia Tech’s Cory O’Brien. “And there’s a lot to know.” To compensate, Texas A&M’s Tyler Lorenz learned to let go of his “control freak” tendencies and trust his teammates. Yale’s Fona Osunloye recognized that the greatest mistake is to go it alone without asking for help. “You’re not going to know all the information to make the best decision at any given time,” explains Penn State’s Ian Nicholas Wetzel. “You have to work with what you’re given and go with it.”
Most important, they came away with an understanding of what it takes to be a good team member. To INSEAD’s Pedro Filipe Tavares Ramos, that means leading by example. “Only when you “walk the talk” will you get the full effort and commitment of your team.” MIT’s Kirk leveraged the unique backgrounds and talents of his peers to maximize results. “Diversity matters,” he explains. “I’ve learned even more from my classmates than I have from my professors. When everybody at the table comes from different professional backgrounds, cultural heritages, and geographies – and wants to actively listen and learn from one another – great things can happen.” For Georgetown’s Coral Taylor, being a good team member also involves stepping back and sometimes swallowing one’s pride. “One of the greatest lessons I learned is how to cooperate and collaborate with a team, even if I may not agree with the direction the team is going. Sometimes there is greater value in having a cohesive vision than pushing for the team to take one individual’s vision.”
POST-GRADUATION PLANS RANGE FROM FIGHTING DISEASE TO BUILDING A SPACE ELEVATOR
For the best and brightest, graduation means going on to bigger and better things. Yale’s Esty will be joining Hillary Clinton campaign’s Policy Team. John Petersen, a former company commander in the U.S. Army, found his calling during the Global Applied Project at Ohio State. He will be returning to Kenya to work for Partners For Care to stave off preventable diseases. Babson’s Bryanne Leeming plans to continue building her startup JumpStart, which trains 8-to-12 year olds on how to write code. The University of Missouri’s Sagar Gupta, who helped develop a sensor technology to detect cancer cells in blood, plans to continue seeking out new medical technologies to improve lives.
They have dreams, big and small. New York University’s Ronica Reddick, an actress who has appeared in such FX staples as Louie and The Americans, will use her education to “bring more interesting and diverse stories to film and television.” Paul Jacobs, a Duke MBA who was previously NATO’s chief engineer at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, imagines becoming a leader in commercializing outer space by building the first space elevator. The University of Chicago’s Dan Guarino will be guided by a simple philosophy: “Successfully build companies. Help other entrepreneurs. Make the world better.” And USC’s Claudia Caron is looking forward to becoming the “coolest aunt” thanks to the discounts on Barbies and Hot Wheels she’ll receive at her new job at Mattel.
So congratulations Class of 2016! Welcome to the club. If you’re a graduate, you probably share the same sentiments as MIT’s Brian Kirk: “I feel very privileged to be a part of such a stellar group of individuals and an even more impressive collective; I smile every morning when I put my Grad Rat class ring on!” And if you’re a member of the 2018 class who is taking this graduating class’ place, don’t feel too intimidated. Confides Carnegie Mellon’s Samantha Grant, “There’s a whole team of professors, faculty, and students who want to see you succeed.” Instead, follow the advice of Wharton’s Steve Weiner: Business school isn’t an automatic rocket ship that takes graduates to the moon. It’s more like the fuel inside the rocket. It still requires a spark to ignite… and that comes from you.”
Next Page: Profiles of 50 of the Best and Brightest MBAs
Class Of 2016: The Best & Brightest MBAs
Source: Poets&Quants’ Best & Brightest MBAs of 2016
Next Page: Profiles of 50 more of the Best and Brightest MBAs
Class Of 2016: The Best & Brightest MBAs
The post The Best & Brightest MBAs In The Class of 2016 appeared first on Poets and Quants.
University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business
“I learn something every time I speak with her, which is something I can say of very few students.”
Age: 28
Hometown: Plano, TX
Education: Vanderbilt University, B.S. in Human & Organizational Development
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? I worked in Austin as a Senior Research Manager across multiple industries for Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG), a primary research and expert network firm
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Bayer Pharmaceuticals Management Associate Intern Program
Where will you be working after graduation? Returning to Bayer as a Management Associate on the Women’s Healthcare brand team in New Jersey
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School I’ve had the privilege of co-founding a new organization, Healthcare Innovation Fellows, as well as serving as President of the MBA Healthcare Association, Vice President of External Affairs for Graduate Business Council, and as a Board Member with Re: Cancer, a local non-profit supporting cancer patients and their families.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? There are two that stand out to me for different reasons. The first is co-founding Health Innovation Fellows (HIF) alongside classmate, Nicholas Buck. We started this student-run organization as a way to further healthcare education at McCombs for ourselves and for future generations of MBA leaders. Given the technology resources of Austin and the launch of UT’s Dell Medical School, it was the right time to build a collaborative, hands on program allowing McCombs students to innovate in an industry desperate for change. I couldn’t have asked for a more practical way to learn entrepreneurship and advocacy skills, and this program will benefit generations of healthcare MBAs after me.
The second is the academic practicum I completed last fall with the leadership team at UT’s Dell Medical School. The project involved evaluating global digital health accelerator models for potential adoption by DMS in order to further its goal to be on the forefront of new models of care. Through this project, I not only gained hands-on experience in market analysis, but the project furthered engagement between the MBA program and the medical school for future collaborations.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At my job before business school, I had the opportunity to manage many young professionals. Since leaving GLG to attend McCombs, I’ve enjoyed staying in touch with many of them and tracking their career and personal accomplishments. I absolutely agree with the management philosophy that your success or failure as a manager is dictated by the success or failure of those you manage.
Who is your favorite professor? The most impactful was Professor Kate Mackie. As someone who was new to marketing, she took a real world approach to her teaching that worked well for me, and she made herself available around the clock to students seeking her advice on class work or career-related concerns. It’s also pretty darn cool that she rescues and rehabilitates horses at her home in south Austin.
Favorite MBA Courses? Strategic Marketing, Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship, and Leadership Dynamics
Why did you choose this business school? Most importantly, I wanted a program with talented, down-to-earth students who aspired for more out of their business school experience than three new letters on their resume. McCombs was the ideal combination of an engaged student body, a top-notch marketing curriculum, and the opportunity to blend my interest in healthcare and technology.
What did you enjoy most about business school? Learning from my brilliant and talented classmates
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The oftentimes chaotic nature of business school was a great way to find out my priorities, personally and professionally. When you throw yourself into an environment where you constantly have to pick Choice A, B, and sometimes Z, you find out what matters most to you.
What was the hardest part of business school? I’m still not sure I fully understand some of those finance arbitrage problems…
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Storyboard your professional life with arrows pointing to each new phase and future phases post-MBA. Once you can explain the reasons behind each transition in your storyboard, you’re ready to apply. Your unique story will help define you in the admissions process.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I think “MBA” was listed on my 5th grade career goals project, so it’s been awhile coming!”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Halle Tecco, Founder and Managing Director of Rock Health, a digital health investment fund and former accelerator program. The VC arena is dominated by men, and I find it inspiring that she built arguably the most successful health innovation program in the U.S. so early on in her career.
What are your long-term professional goals? Own or lead a business that uses technology to improve women’s lives.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My parents. They let me freely choose my own path in life, but they have always insisted that I give 100% of myself to whatever I pursue.
Fun fact about yourself: My initials, JET, were intentional. My mom travelled over 10,000 miles while pregnant with me.
Favorite book: Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Favorite movie: Up
Favorite musical performer: Ray LaMontagne
Favorite television show: As my fiancé would say, “Any horrible reality show.” It’s true.
Favorite vacation spot: Texas Hill Country
Hobbies? Cooking, outdoor fitness, and collecting film soundtracks
What made Jennifer such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“I met Jennifer when I provided help for her to found the Healthcare Innovation Fellows. Since that time, she has performed an independent study with me looking at electronic medicine ecosystems in conjunction with academic medical centers throughout the world, whose ultimate customer is the Dell Medical School.
The Healthcare Innovation Fellows is a very successful attempt to kick-start the healthcare MBA program here at McCombs. As founder, she spent untold hours interviewing candidates, navigating administrative hurdles, and creating program content for those students. In particular, she has set up a most interesting speaker program for the Healthcare Innovation Fellows this year. She also helped me last year set up the MBA portion of the UT Healthcare Innovation Symposium, which focused on entrepreneurship in healthcare. Given that the Symposium draws over 400 attendees and she had the most attended panel, this is a remarkable achievement. All in all, she is extremely good at articulating visions and then executing them. Hence, I would qualify her as one of our “Best” with no hesitation, and I have been observing MBAs for 19 years.
Ms. Thomas than began to work on a benchmarking project as an independent study with me looking at healthcare startup ecosystems that Austin might want to emulate. She did this on her own with minimal guidance. That said, her presentation to myself and the Dell Medical School Vice Deans summarizing the findings in December was singularly outstanding. I have never heard someone impart that much knowledge at such a high rate of words per minute. Even more extraordinarily, she did not stumble nor repeat herself once. The best way I can describe her presentation was “drinking from a firehouse,” but without any confusion on her audience’s part. This also speaks to the amount and quality of work she can perform with minimal guidance. Thus, I firmly believe that Ms. Thomas is also clearly one of our brightest at McCombs in many years.
Finally, in my personal conversations with Ms. Thomas, she is always thoughtful and articulate, without the overbearing or arrogant nature commonplace among people of her capabilities. Frankly, I learn something every time I speak with her, which is something I can say of very few students.” — Edward G. Anderson Jr., Professor, Information, Risk, & Operations Management, Director, McCombs Healthcare Initiative, President, Production and Operations Management Society
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Purdue University, Krannert School of Management
Age: 32
“There is a Maori Proverb from New Zealand, where I was born, that says ““He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.” Translated that means, “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.” It might be cliché, but I have really enjoyed the people. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with people from all around the world and in every imaginable business function or industry. We’ve worked together on case competitions, course projects and in organizational leadership positions. I have been thoroughly enriched and will be a better business leader because of the relationships I have formed here at Purdue.”
Hometown: Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Education: Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management, BS Business Management, Global Supply Chain Emphasis, Minor in Communications
Where did you work before enrolling in business school?
Company: Rinchem Company, Inc. (Privately held chemical logistics supplier to Intel Corporation)
Role: Global Sales Team Leader (Managed all corporate sales processes and seven sales executives globally)
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015?
Company: Liberty Mutual Insurance
Location: Fairfield, OH (Cincinnati)
Where will you be working after graduation?
Company: Liberty Mutual Insurance
Role: Manager, Field Management Development Program
Location: Lake Mary, FL (Orlando)
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
President, Krannert Graduate Student Association (2015-2016)
Provided leadership support and funding to over 20 Krannert graduate clubs and organizations. Secured a 12 percent organizational budget increase from the Dean’s office for the first time in at least 3 years. Led the Krannert student efforts to host a TEDxPurdueU “Salon” (Breakout) session that hosted 4 TED talks and a panel discussion on Big Data. Directed the efforts to reorganize the structure of the association by decreasing the size of the presidency by 50 percent, improving involvement by increasing the committee leadership or officer positions and formalizing the changes in the organization’s guiding document, the constitution, for the first time in almost 10 years.Graduate Assistant, Jane Brock-Wilson Women in Management Center
Assist the center’s director in managing the 3 program assistants (undergraduate students) and their work responsibilities. Coordinate with staff and faculty across the university to form the operational procedures for “Purdue Women Lifting Communities,” a multi-departmental collaborative project to improve the lives of women and girls in rural Indiana communities. Manage the center’s efforts toward the execution its flagship event, “The Human Library,” an interactive, community building activity that promotes diversity and inclusion across campus and around the world. We are partnering with the Dean of Student’s office for the first time and have set a goal to triple the size of the event in the fall. Develop the guidelines and processes for the center’s next “InnovateHer” regional business plan competition focused on Women Entrepreneurs. Reorganize and present a new organizational structure to the Women in Management center’s director.Graduate Assistant, Leadership Communication Studio
Graded hundreds of individual and team presentations by for undergraduate course instructors. Participated in the marketing and rebranding efforts for the studio’s director.Recipient, Dean’s Award for Master Student Service to the Krannert School of Management
One of three Krannert students and the only Masters student honored with this award by the Dean.Board of Directors, Krannert Gear (Student-led non-profit organization)
Led the development of two new products and managed the committee that marketed these products to the student body. Steered the organizations efforts with Krannert graduate students as the Graduate Outreach director.First Year Class Representative, Krannert Graduate Student Association
First Year Class Representative, Krannert Graduate Marketing Association
One of three MBA students elected to represent all graduate students on the governing committee. Developed and executed three new activities that promoted community building across the student body.Finalist (Team Leader), Wake Forest Marketing Summit Case Competition
Led Purdue’s first finalist team submission to this prestigious Marketing case competition in a number of years.Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? On April 1 this year, my wife (a Purdue Graduate Nursing student) and I planned and executed the first joint charity event between the Krannert School of Management and the Purdue School of Nursing to raise $2340 for the Family Health Clinic of Monon (a cash-strapped rural Indiana medical clinic).
After completing her clinical rotation in Monon, my wife asked me what we could do to help this struggling rural clinic receive some additional funding. I suggested we hold and charity event and appropriated the funds from Krannert to do so. We then set out to organize the “Charity Gala!”
Although $2340 is a small drop in the bucket, I was proud to have raised some additional money for the clinic. We are told they will use it to build a storage room to help them safely store medical supplies. I’m also excited about the possibility this partnership with the School of Nursing and the business school could continue into the future.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? As a Business Development Manager at Rinchem, I was assigned our third largest customer, Advanced Technology Materials Inc (ATMI). Within one year, I was able to grow revenues by $1 Million (almost 20 percent) through a series of new contracts. By the time I transitioned to lead the Sales team, ATMI became Rinchem’s second largest customer behind Intel Corporation.
I’m proud of this achievement because I had been out of college only three years when I was named the Global Sales Team Leader. I believe my success with ATMI was a major factor in my receiving this promotion.
Favorite MBA Courses? I enjoyed Professor Wilson’s course on Leadership, Professor Benjamin Dunford’s Compensation and Reward Systems course. I also enjoyed Professor Jeffrey Reuer’s Strategic Management course.
Why did you choose this business school? I chose Krannert because of the Purdue network. I was impressed with a number of notable Purdue graduates, like former McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson and Astronaut Neil Armstrong. I wanted to be connected to a network that produces “world-changing” graduates and was excited about the professional opportunities a Krannert MBA would provide. I was also drawn to Krannert for the diverse student body, with more than 30 percent of students coming from around the world!
What did you enjoy most about business school? There is a Maori Proverb from New Zealand, where I was born, that says ““He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.” Translated that means, “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.”
It might be cliché, but I have really enjoyed the people. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with people from all around the world and in every imaginable business function or industry. We’ve worked together on case competitions, course projects and in organizational leadership positions. I have been thoroughly enriched and will be a better business leader because of the relationships I have formed here at Purdue.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? Communication. Early on in my time in the program, I was on a team struggling with course material and a group project we were assigned. I sat with the professor and he worked with me until he knew I understood everything I needed to. I have worked with and met with professors out-of-class ever since and it has dramatically improved my learning. I think sometimes we need to be humble enough to ask for help and communicate. Communicating effectively has also helped me professionally.
What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part of business school was the first semester. I really wanted to be involved in student government. I wanted to do well in my classes. I was looking for an internship. And, if that wasn’t hard enough, my wife (a Purdue Graduate Nursing Student) and I also decided to flip a house. We purchased a home near campus that needed a lot of work. For almost three weeks during the first semester, our pedestal sink in the bathroom was also our kitchen sink. And our one-year-old child didn’t really appreciate any of this, because he hardly saw his parents. But, we made it through and we recently sold the house for a healthy profit!
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The best advice I have for an applicant to Krannert’s MBA program is know why you want to come Purdue. Choose Purdue for the right reasons and for reasons that make sense when you look at our connections to the entrepreneurship community, HR community and operations function. There are lots of reasons to come to Purdue, and those reasons were right for me. However, if you want something different, then make sure you know what that is!
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I saw how effective business leaders can change the world! I was enamored with idea that I could make decisions on one side of the world that would dramatically affect people on the other side of the world, perhaps even my family in New Zealand.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…running my own Food Truck in Austin, Texas. Anyone who knows me knows I love food and Austin’s vibrant Food Truck community has inspired a couple of course assignments I’ve worked on at Purdue.”
What are your long-term professional goals? In the long-term, I would like to work my up in Liberty Mutual Insurance, becoming a senior business leader within 5 years, and an executive within 10 years. I would also like to advise a start-up or entrepreneurial venture. Helping a local business owner or someone struggling to launch their dream product appeals to me in many ways, and, after a few more years in corporate America, I love to offer any help I can.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? If he were alive today, I would like to thank my mentor, Jack Stevens. Mr. Stevens, an engineer by trade and serial entrepreneur, plucked me out of relative obscurity to fund my entire undergraduate education and mentor me for over 12 years. He paid my books, tuition and counseled with me at least once a week. He passed away in April of this year and I will miss his optimism and advice.
Fun fact about yourself: In 2011, I sang the National Anthem at Minute Maid Park for a Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals Baseball game.
Favorite book: How Will You Measure Your Life, by Clayton Christensen
Favorite movie: Lord of the Rings (because it was filmed in New Zealand)
Favorite musical performer: My Mum (she sings in a band in New Zealand)
Favorite television show: The West Wing
Favorite vacation spot: Hawaii
Hobbies? Singing/Karaoke, Camping, Traveling
What made Adam such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Adam Ruri is Krannert’ s nominee based on his leadership, community involvement and academic performance. Ruri was elected as the Krannert Graduate School Association (KGSA) President for the 2015-16 school year. As President, he had oversight of 21 clubs at the Krannert School of Management. among numerous other activities, Ruri re-wrote the constitution for KGSA – an activity that had not been done in the past 10 years. With the new constitution, he created an improved leadership structure which resulted in greater and more focused committee involvement that had a large impact on the student body. As KGSA President, he had oversight of one of the largest budgets in the school’s history. He was elected as class representative for the MBA class of 2016 and also board member for Krannert Gear from April 2015 to present. This is an example of how diversified Ruri is as a student.
Additionally, he was selected to be a Graduate Assistant for the Woman in Management (WIM) Program. A few of the projects he was involved in for WIM were community outreach and community building projects. His commitment to diversity and promoting women in management aligns to the mission of the program. Ruri also attended numerous case competitions, of which he was selected to be in the finals at the Wake Forest Marketing Summit and the University of Texas, Austin National Energy Finance Case Competition.
Adam partnered with TEDx Purdue to organize a Krannert Tedx event that brought great visibility to the school, which was highly attended and a huge success for the university. He also partnered with the School of Nursing to host a Charity Gala that generated revenue to improve rural health. This is a clear demonstration of how involved Adam is in the local community.
Adam maintained a solid academic performance during both years in the program. Given the fact he was also a graduate assistant and raising a young family he did an incredible job at balancing work, life and school. He also provided mentorship to first year students and a positive upbeat attitude that was contagious to his classmates.
Upon graduation, he will be working at Liberty Mutual Insurance in the Field Management Development Program, beginning in July 2016. Adam is polite, authentic, courteous and genuinely gives his best effort in every activity he pursues. Both in the classroom and the community Adam takes on tasks with enthusiasm and delivers projects on-time.
We truly believe that Adam Ruri is a great example of an MBA student and he truly made an impact at Krannert.” — Greg Beaver, Director MBA & MS Programs, Purdue University
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Jordan Selva
University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business
“Jordan is a natural leader. He invests deeply in his team, and is always willing to go the extra mile to help anyone who needs his assistance or encouragement. But for as heavily involved as he is, he is also the calm center of the storm.”
Age: 28
Hometown: Newport Coast, California
Education: BS in Finance, Santa Clara University
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Senior Strategic Analyst in Global Sales Development group at Oakley Inc.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Altamont Capital Partners, Munich, Germany.
Where will you be working after graduation? Strategic Manager at Altamont Capital Partners in Irvine, California.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
2014-2015:
Leadership Positions
Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Young President’s Organization for the Entrepreneurial Venture and Management Association AVP of Special Olympics for USC’s Challenge for Charity Club AVP for the Marshall Outdoor Club. AVP Marshall Sports Business Organization Member of USC Men’s ChorusCommunity Work
Volunteered 80 hours with Special Olympics, Junior Achievement, and A Better LA
2015-2016:
Leadership Position: Co-Chair for USC’s Challenge for Charity Club (C4C)
Overseeing Special Olympics, Alumni fundraising gala, club finances, and data analytics The USC Alumni Gala Raised $84,000 a 68% increase from previous year Helped plan USC Marshall volunteering at 2015 Special Olympics World Games in which we had over 200 Marshall Full Time MBA complete over 600 hours of community service. Raised $285,000 (most in C4C history), oversaw 9,000+(most in C4C history) hours of volunteer work Recipient of President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award Winner of the Challenge for Charity Golden Briefcase AwardCommunity Work
Volunteer 86 hours with Special Olympics, Junior Achievement, and A Better LA, and over 250 hours with other nonprofit organizations
Awards and Honors
Nominee for USC’s Order of Arête Award Recipient of President Obama’s Volunteer Service Award (Club) Winner of the Challenge for Charity Golden Briefcase Award (Club)Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My most memorable and pride inducing experience during business school was my role in helping USC Challenge for Charity winning the Golden Briefcase Award for the 7th year in a row. The award itself is not paramount, it is what the award represents. Challenge for Charity is a 32 year 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which originated at Stanford University – it includes nine of the top west coast business schools: Stanford, UCLA, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, USF, and USC. The Golden Briefcase is awarded to the school that raises the most funds per capita, volunteers the most hours per capita, and all of this is concluded with a sports competition held at Stanford in which all schools compete in over 20 different sports. The Golden Briefcase is then awarded at the end of the weekend based on the winner across these categories.
This year was an unbelievable year for USC’s C4C club. We raised $284,000 for Special Olympics, Junior Achievement, and A Better LA, which is a 22% increase over funds raised the previous year and the most in C4C history. USC also averaged 22 hours of volunteering per student. This feat made me recognize the amazing students we have here at Marshall. Every student has so many other school and club commitments, and I was one of three Co-Chairs responsible for leading a Board of over 50 students who worked tirelessly to organize events and opportunities for our classmates to give back. At times, the tasks were daunting, and it was integral to keep morale and motivation high. My pride is in part due to the fact that giving back to the community is so ingrained in the Marshall culture; in part due to the realization that everyone I go to school with is laudable; and finally in being able to lead over 400 people to cast aside their own priorities to give back to people in need. The amount of leadership and social responsibility that was demonstrated through this entire year was a truly humbling experience. Winning the Golden Briefcase was the cherry on top and was proof that other schools recognized what I was able to see in our students.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The greatest achievement in my professional career was getting to run Oakley’s online training website OMatter.com during the 2012 London Olympics. OMatter.com is Oakley’s main training website. It has an active user group of 50,000 people across 73 countries and 8 languages. I was a Strategic Analyst when I was approached to run this website. The Olympics were Oakley’s most visible moment during 2012 with a coordinated marketing effort and investment of millions of dollars.
Strictly speaking, I should not have been responsible for any aspect of Oakley’s participation with the Olympics or run OMatter.com. Three months prior to the Olympics the employee responsible for this project announced a leave of absence for the final activation and management of the website during the month leading up to and throughout the Olympics. My boss approached me to take over the manager’s responsibilities, an opportunity I jumped on. I learned the backend of the website and oversaw the company hired to build it. I also supervised the international training managers who were in control of distributing the content to their respective countries; and upload daily media.
This 30-day experience was incredibly challenging and equally rewarding. This month ended up being the most successful in OMatter.com history with 2,559 visitors per day, an average time on site of 20:08 minutes and 987,301 minutes of training. These statistics blew away all set goals, an accomplishment that overcame a myriad of obstacles to become the highlight of my professional career.
Favorite MBA Courses? Corporate Strategy with Professor Peer Fiss and Leading with Mindfulness with Professor Allen Weiss. These courses taught me to be reflective and deliberate when making both personal and professional decisions.
Why did you choose this business school? I chose USC Marshall because it emulates a strong sense a community and collaboration, a rarity across MBA programs. I was also thoroughly impressed with the PRIME global trip – a capstone consulting project in which students travel internally in order to give a company presentation. It has been a priority of mine to focus on international strategy, and seeing Marshall’s international presence and network was a leading factor in my decision to attend this program. Marshall also does a great job of developing well rounded leaders, focusing on core soft skills that turn great managers into great leaders.
What did you enjoy most about business school? The thing I enjoyed most about business school is seeing my classmates grow and developed into polished business professionals. Much of Marshall’s curriculum is focused on working well in groups and presentations. I have been absolutely blown away at how well my classmates are at presenting and how pleasant it is to work in groups together.
Running an umbrella organization at USC has also given me insight into how my classmates act outside of the classroom, which is almost more impressive. My classmates have stepped up to help the underserved population of South Central Los Angeles. All of us are very privileged to be getting out MBAs, and for so many people in my class to recognize that others are not as fortunate as we are has been is amazing to see. Watching my classmates transform from a sometimes precarious professional path to self-aware business professionals who are using their talents to teach underserved children in the LA area about personal finance and the importance of saving through programs like Junior Achievement made me appreciate the people I have met during this program.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? My biggest lesson came from one of my classes Leading with Mindfulness. This class was centered around how to manage stress in the workplace. This class taught me how to manage stressful situations and people in a healthy way. My key takeaways were how to develop active listening, understanding another person’s viewpoint, and learning how to meditate. I will use these skills the rest of my life!
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The most surprising thing about business school was how diverse the backgrounds of all my classmates are; it is amazing to learn about the things they did prior to business school.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The best advice I would have would be to be yourself and to be ready to get out of your comfort zone. Marshall will push you to be the best version of yourself, but you will only get as much out of it as you put in. Dive in head first!
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I was in middle school.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as an analyst at Oakley.”
What are your long-term professional goals? Long term, I would like to found and run my own outdoor sports company. I have found that when I align my work with my passions I am the best version of myself and my professional output reflects this. Having a company that promotes an active lifestyle has been a lifelong dream of mine.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? There are three people: my dad, mom, and grandpa.
My Dad has always been a role model to me. His parents immigrated to the United States from Nicaragua. He was able to attend USC undergrad and get his MBA at UCLA. From his humble beginnings, he has risen to become CEO of a multibillion dollar real estate company. Through all his success he has always managed to keep family first. My dad is the type of person who can make a connection with anyone regardless of background and hierarchy. He instilled faith and the value of hard work to all of his children and helped mold me into the person I am today.
My mom is the rock and spiritual leader in my family. She is the moral compass whenever an issue or doubt arises. She is the most compassionate and caring person that I have ever known.
My Grandpa served in WWII and lived through the great depression, yet he was the most positive person I have ever known. His internal drive was amazing to see, even into his eighties he would get up early every day to exercise in order to stay healthy. Nothing could ever be wrong in his eyes; he was always able to put a positive spin on any situation. He also loved my grandmother with every ounce of his being and it was amazing to have grandparents married for 60 years. He and my grandma were the first ones to take me on an international trip, which sparked my love for traveling. He is deeply missed by the family, but is always in our hearts.
Fun fact about yourself: I had both a music scholarship (singing) and baseball scholarship for my undergraduate studies.
Favorite book: Game of Thrones Trilogy
Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption
Favorite musical performer: Fleetwood Mac
Favorite television show: Peaky Blinders
Favorite vacation spot: Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
Hobbies? Snowboarding, rock climbing, and travelling
“Jordan is a natural leader. He invests deeply in his team, and is always willing to go the extra mile to help anyone who needs his assistance or encouragement. But for as heavily involved as he is, he is also the calm center of the storm. His classmates will tell you that Jordan is smart, genuine and that he inspires their confidence. I have to agree with them.“ — Suh-Ping Ku. Professor of Clinical Finance and Vice Dean of Graduate Programs, USC, Marshall School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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