2016 Best MBAs: Philos (Phil) Jeong, Arizona State W. P. Carey
Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business
“Guiding followers in the right direction requires a different set of skills than offering insights and analysis to a supervisor. From dealing with teammates’ personalities to understanding how to impress a prospective employer and network with executives of different firms, the MBA education has been immensely helpful to me to realize how to build personal relationships in different settings.”
Age: 29
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Undergraduate School and Degree: John Hopkins University – BA in Economics and International Studies
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? The Cordish Company, a commercial real estate development firm that specializes in mixed-use development. Roles: Financial Analyst, Liaison to an International Development Project, Director of Lease Administration
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas, Nevada
Where will you be working after graduation? E & J Gallo winery, Senior Financial Analyst (Finance Leadership Development Program)
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School
Various volunteer activities with Ronald McDonald House Charities in Las Vegas, NV and Phoenix AZ metro area. W.P. Carey School of Business MBA Association board member Inductee of Beta Gamma Sigma honor societyWhich academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Quarter two of the first year was described as the “hell” quarter. Not only was the work load rigorous, the internship interviewing process picked up, and all four classes demanded many teamwork-oriented projects. Teams for all four classes were assigned and I had a Chinese teammate who is a bright student, but struggled with his presentation skills. Especially, because of his lack of artistry in the English language, he informed me at the time that the interviewing process was a tough one to tackle.
Although I was born in the United States, I moved to South Korea for seven years as an adolescent. Hearing his story reminded me of the times that I struggled when I returned to the United States in 2001. I was able to come up with a mini-program for my classmate to improve his general writing skills and speaking ability. It has been great to witness how far he has come, and it has been especially rewarding for me as we have remained great friends throughout our journey in the full-time MBA program. That is what matters to me most: the ability to help one another for each individual’s personal development.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Early on at the Cordish Company, I was primarily a financial analyst but the firm also had an opportunity in South Korea. A new city was being built through a reclamation project, and the South Korean government reached out to Johns Hopkins University to become the primary operator of its first envisioned international hospital. The Cordish Company luckily was provided with the opportunity to lead the development project, and since I was a recent graduate, I played a role as a liaison to the chairman.
The initial major project at the time was deciding upon a general contractor for the development, which we would receive a consulting fee from, and which was narrowed down to two South Korean conglomerates. Our executive team went back and forth in terms of which firm to go with, as one firm offered a better monetary deal but we preferred the management team of the other firm. I was able to conduct an extensive due diligence process at the time and discovered that the firm offering a better compensation package had major financial issues and there was the possibility of the firm getting bought out. I was able to document my findings which played a key role in assisting the chairman to choose the company whose management team we preferred. In fact, it became sort of a validating moment for us when the firm with the financial issues ended up getting bought out by the firm we signed with a year later.
Favorite MBA Courses? Mindful Leadership, Ethical Issues for Managers, Valuation Techniques (Finance)
Why did you choose this business school? I received full merit-based scholarship; geographical reasons (preference to live in one of the western states); small cohorts and intimate class sizes; and exceptional amenities provided by the business school.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I have truly enjoyed the multi-dimensional and multi-level human interaction aspect of a MBA education, which I believe will be hard to find in other educational platforms. This element stands out to me as I now fully recognize the challenges that I may potentially face when many former “MBAers” will face the challenge of transitioning into management roles with numerous subordinates to lead. Guiding followers in the right direction requires a different set of skills than offering insights and analysis to a supervisor. From dealing with teammates’ personalities to understanding how to impress a prospective employer and network with executives of different firms, the MBA education has been immensely helpful to me to realize how to build personal relationships in different settings.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I was surprised how there was not a mandatory course in business writing. We often preach to each other how effective communication is important as the brightest ideas sometimes miss the mark when the ideas are not communicated well. If that is the case, one would assume how teaching those abilities would become quite important, but I found that was not the case. Especially, I noticed many international students where English is not their native language at times struggle with even simple grammatical concepts. Part of working in the real world requires writing effectively to colleagues, and I wish there was more emphasis on this aspect of a business school’s curriculum.
What was the hardest part of business school? Business school was absolutely a testing ground for me in terms of learning the art of prioritizing. I recently read an article written by a consultant of McKinsey, where the current age of “information overflow” is causing top level executives to become ineffective leaders, as they don’t allocate enough alone time to critical decision-making processes. I certainly agree with that notion, and I have tried to implement a system for myself as I plan out my day in the morning. What are the key things that I need to spend ample enough time to accomplish? What are some of the busy tasks that I need to complete but not allocate a lot of time to it? And finally, the hardest part is at times simply learning how to ignore certain things that are going on. I still tend to struggle with prioritizing as I try to get to as many tasks and activities that I can, but I am certainly getting better at it!
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? If you are a candidate who has an idea of what type of function and industry you would like to pursue, make sure to ask the question to the institution you are applying to if there are firms that directly recruit at campus that can help you realize your dreams. As crazy as it sounds, since many individuals head back to business school to bridge the gap to find that next special job, it was surprising to me to find out how much of this aspect of the business school application process gets overlooked. An applicant should prefer to attend an institution where many of his/her preferred employers come to campus for direct recruiting. If that is not the case, he/she will have to recognize the fact that the road to landing the dream job may require extra work and effort by the candidate.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…my lack of knowledge in the finance discipline impinged on my ability as a contributor to my former employer.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working at the Cordish Company or possibly would have joined a start-up company that my high school friend started in Salt Lake City, Utah.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Many people talk about a great idea he/she has, but it is less common that people actually pursue those ideas or work towards the realization of those ideas. From that perspective, I admire Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. Elon Musk once stated in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that many people simply do not even try out novel ideas they would like to pursue. He shared how initiating action just to simply try something is a huge element of entrepreneurship. In addition, I appreciate Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University, where he states that he knows he has to change when too many days go by when he is not excited to go to work in the mornings. These have had a great impact in my life for me to become less immune to risk taking.
What are your long-term professional goals? My long term professional goal is to follow the footsteps of my father and head back to a university and receive a Ph.D. in management and teach college students leadership practices and theories.
I am particularly interested in two areas of leadership. The first subject would be how leaders can facilitate in creating a work environment where information flow and communication are relatively free from title of an employee as often firms operate where the majority of the contributions come from the top level executives. Second, the theory of service leadership has gained some popularity in the field recently where leaders have to be much more aware of the mental and emotional well-being of their followers. These two subjects are areas I would like to research and discuss with students and potentially guide firm’s behaviors if I receive the opportunity to do so.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My father. My father is a professor who teaches philosophy (hence my name is Philos) in South Korea. We always did not necessarily get along when I was a child. When I became a teenager, my family consciously decided to send myself, my brother, and my mother back to the United States, so that my brother and I could pursue our lives in the United States. My father stayed in South Korea to continue his career and support us. Since my father and I were not seeing each other day-to-day, the lack of a paternal relationship constrained my relationship with my father even more to a certain extent. However, as I have become older, our relationship has become much better.
It is somewhat of a well-known caveat that Asian parents tend to be strict and closed off, where one cannot at times discuss certain personal issues such as relationship struggles, etc. That has not been the case between my father and I. When things get rough or I face crucial life decisions to make, my father has been the “go-to” guy for me as I find his insights very helpful to guide me to make decisions. Also, even from early on, my father would tell my brother and I that anything is possible and how we should pursue big dreams, which has helped me to shape up as an individual who is not afraid to try different things life has to offer. I thank him for instilling those qualities in me and hope to develop our relationship even further.
Fun fact about yourself: I sang at a wedding in Almaty, Kazakhstan for a friend from college.
Favorite book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Favorite movie: Godfather II
Favorite musical performer: The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eric Clapton
Favorite television show: Entourage
Favorite vacation spot: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Hobbies? Poker, sailing, and various workout activities
What made Sean such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Phil was a student of mine in a class known as Mindful Leadership, where MBA students receive the exposure to different leadership theories and practices through their participation in leadership case discussions, presentations, and even meditational techniques to boost self-awareness. Ultimately, students should be able to understand and engage in effective leadership behaviors as they embark on their careers as managers in the near future. As the number of students in the class was less than a typical MBA classroom, the intimate setting provided me the opportunity to get to know the interests and characteristics of each student well. Often, Phil was the student who stood out to lead and progress many of the case studies that we covered in class.
I was especially impressed with Phil’s ability to draw back from his previous personal and professional experiences and provide relatable comments to our case discussions. In a specific instance, one of the cases involved a supervisor’s ability to effectively manage talent at a multi-national corporation. Different customs and lack of personal engagement between employees and supervisors on a daily basis will add complexity to the supervisor’s effectiveness in demonstrating leadership capabilities. Phil shared a valuable experience in how he was able to help his employer to decide upon a general contractor for a multi-million dollar development project in South Korea −− demonstrating sharp instincts of his and how he properly managed personalities in a global context that assisted the firm’s chairman to make a quality business decision. Phil’s insights motivated deeper discussions among students.
It has been a pleasure to teach Phil. He possesses the aspirations to become a researcher and scholar in the field of Management one day.” — Zhen Zhang, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Management, Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
“What separates Ankur from his peers is not just that he is hungry for success, but that he wants those around him to succeed as well. Ankur has a genuine desire to uplift others and make sure they reach their goals.”
Age: 29
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Education: Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) – Visveswaraiah Technological University (Global Academy of Technology)
Where did you work before enrolling in business school?
UnitedHealth Group – Senior Business Analyst
Siemens Technology and Services Pvt. Ltd. – Senior Systems Engineer
Infosys Technologies Ltd. – Systems Engineer
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Nationwide Insurance – Columbus, OH
Where will you be working after graduation? Consultant at Highmark Health Solutions (Pittsburgh, PA)
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Kenneth R. Woodcock Leadership Fellowship
Social Innovation Fellowship
May M. Gregg Endowment Scholarship
Student Honoree Award 2015
Student Honoree Award 2016
MBA Student Ambassador
President, Consulting Club
Judge, Berg Center Case Competition for Ethics
Runners Up: Deloitte Technology Case Competition 2014
Runners Up: Pitt Health Innovation Case Competition 2015
Top 8 – Randall Family Big Idea Competition 2015
3rd place – itSMF USA Case Competition 2015
Finalist – National Black MBA Association Case Competition 2015
Best Presenter Award – National Black MBA Association Case Competition 2015
Moderator, McKinsey Cup 2015
Student Representative, MBA Focus Team
Student Representative, Meet and Greet the CEO’s (Larry Merlo, CEO – CVS Health)
Student Representative, Board of Visitors Annual Meeting 2014
Student Representative, Board of Visitors Annual Meeting 2015
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Of all my achievements in school, I am really proud of leading teams to secure the highest positions thus far in the various case competitions. Placing as the finalist in the National Black MBA Association Case Competition out of 34 national competing teams and securing 3rd place in the itSMF USA Case Competition was the highest recognition achieved thus far by the Katz school. Through such case competitions, I was successfully able to apply my business knowledge to a real-life business problem. With the Katz school doing so well in the various rankings over the years, I felt a sense of achievement by contributing as a current student and thus raising the bar for future graduates. Honing on my interpersonal skills, I was also awarded the Best Presenter at the National Black MBA Case Competition in the preliminary rounds. This was the first time for a Katz graduate to receive such recognition, which further allowed me to strengthen the Katz brand and contribute to my soon-to-be alma mater.
Through these learnings and experiences, I was able to impart my knowledge to other students in the program, which enabled them to secure positions in external competitions. Working on the lines of collaboration and knowledge transfer, I am proud of being able to aid and mentor others students to achieve their goals and become future leaders. From being a student participant, to being called upon to share my experiences and mentor student teams was a great achievement. I have also been fortunate to share my personal experiences and cite my own examples to the prospective incoming students as a MBA Student Ambassador, which has enabled the Katz school to recruit exceptional talent, which would further enhance the Katz brand.
At the same time, going through a personal turmoil to lose my mother early last summer and being all by myself in a foreign land, I was able to revive myself and not let my education or goals be affected by graduating top of the class as well as taking part in various external initiatives.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? While working for Siemens Healthcare, I honed my passion for innovation and led many innovation initiatives. In order to achieve the aim of providing services with value to our customers, I ideated many best practices and value-adds, which led to financial savings and enhanced efficiencies for various customers. By successfully providing value to our customers, I was handpicked to present my ideas at the Siemens Innovations Conference in 2011. I was awarded a “Letter of Appreciation” by the VP, Siemens Healthcare for the value-add services in front of a crowd of customers, partners and government officials. Being the first Indian to present at such a conference — and with just a couple of years of experience under my belt — brought an immense sense of pride for me, my family and Siemens.
Favorite MBA Courses? Strategic Management, Statistical Analysis for Managerial Decision Making, Management Simulation, Business-to-Business marketing, Project Management Concepts and Processes, Negotiations Teamwork and Change, Global Macroeconomics, Technology Innovation Adoption and Diffusion, Strategic Management of Acquisitions, and Divestment, Management of Strategic Alliances
Why did you choose this business school? From my past professional experience, I realized the value of collaboration, learning and innovation. With an aim to make Earth a better place to live, I innovated many solutions that helped my employers realize the importance of Triple Bottom Line. However, with the success, I somewhat lacked the business acumen to drive these solutions to the market. With my short-term goal of aiding my employers to provide better healthcare through experiential learning and community outreach, the curriculum at Katz Graduate School of Business fit the bill perfectly. I knew that through numerous experience- based learning opportunities, such as the Six Sigma Green belt, the Consulting Field Project and various case competitions, I would have the opportunity to put my classroom knowledge to test and make the most of my business education.
I also recognized that Katz had world-class professors who could help me lay the foundation of business principles. There were also Berg Center Fellowships that could help me grow as an individual both personally and professionally. The location of Pittsburgh was another factor as the region has been equipped with many innovations coming out of Pitt, CMU and UPMC in the field of healthcare. In addition, I knew that with an affordable cost of living, Pittsburgh would have propelled me to achieve my goals without much of financial burden as an international student.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I enjoyed meeting students and learning from their varied backgrounds and experience. Be it through working in teams for class assignments or for case competitions, the exposure of working with different nationalities always brought forth a new insight about global businesses and cultures.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The overall experience at Katz has been overwhelming and has successfully transformed me into the individual I pursued to be. Of all the various learnings, the lessons about business ethics stand out. As I plan to take up a position in the healthcare advisory industry upon graduation, the ethical issues that underlay the entire delivery model should be known and will be of utmost importance to me. Be it the association with a vendor, improving business processes through analysis of confidential patient data, or restricting the flow of confidential information through various stakeholders, I should always remind myself of the repercussions that may arise. Unlike any other business, healthcare deals with patient’s life and death, and thus all the ethical policies become an important aspect of healthcare delivery.
I served as a Kenneth R. Woodcock Leadership Fellow at Katz, which gave me the exposure of working with the Board of Directors of a non-profit healthcare board. Through this experience, I was able to enhance my knowledge on ethics and apply them to real-life business problems in the field of healthcare. By ideating strategies to mitigate Conflict of Interest issues for non-profits across the globe, which were successfully implemented for the Alpha-1 Foundation, I was able to provide justice to my classroom education, which further boosted my confidence to handle real-life business problems ethically post-graduation. Though it might take some time for me to gauge and understand certain aspects and situations, through these learnings and experiences, I am better able to take decisions which are deemed right ethically.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The most surprising thing about business school was the importance of time management. Be it the curriculum, the extracurricular activities or the networking events, one needs to effectively gauge time and make the best use of it. I always had a preconceived notion of business education being the prime driver for success. However, time management plays a very important role in delivering that success.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Make the most use of all opportunities and resources available to you as a student. With effective time management, one can manage timely class submissions, actively take part in competitions, and (at the same time) network to build their professional network.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that I lacked the business acumen to drive my solutions to the healthcare market and thereby was not able to initiate the change that I knew I was capable of. Looking back on my mentors in the industry, I realized that they had completed their MBA and considered it to be a key for their success and growth.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…immersed in self-learning opportunities from available trainings and mentors to transform the global healthcare industry through innovative solutions and market offerings.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I really admire Steve Jobs for the way he transformed an organization like Apple into a household name. He taught the world that with immense dedication, innovation and a sustained vision, success can be achieved.
What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional goal is to apply the gained business knowledge and experience to real-life business problems. In some years from now, I intend to launch my boutique healthcare consulting firm to transform the way healthcare is provided worldwide, while also being involved in the non-profit sector to allow better access to healthcare for all and make the earth a better place in which to live.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my parents and especially my late mother for all my success. She showed me the dream to make it big, to believe in myself and to always strive for the best. I still remember the goodbye at the airport, her words and the immense joy on her face of seeing me finally reaching out for my dream one step at a time, which gave me the strength to face all the hurdles that lay ahead. I wish I could have had her by my side upon graduation, but we lost her to cancer last summer.
Fun fact about yourself: I am a music aficionado and have travelled places to attend music concerts. I have witnessed the top 25 DJ’s of the world perform live with many more still left in my bucket list.
Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Favorite musical performer: A.R. Rahman
Favorite television show: House of Cards
Favorite vacation spot: Key West, Florida
Hobbies? Sports, Writing, Mentoring, Music, Dance, and Travelling to explore new places and cultures
What made Ankur such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Ankur Goel was an obvious choice for this nomination because he exemplifies the best of the Katz MBA Program. Ankur provides exceptional contributions whether participating in case competitions, organizing outstanding events as the President of the Consulting Club, or networking with business executives to promote not only himself but his classmates and the school. As such, he has organized visits by Porsche Consulting and a visit for students to the Pittsburgh office of McKinsey & Company. Most notably, he was a member of the “Finalist” Katz team at the National Black MBA Association Case competition and was given a “Best Presenter Award.”
A true role model to his classmates, Ankur is very strong academically and has challenged himself by taking on the role of a Kenneth R. Woodcock Leadership Fellow in 2015 and again in 2016. He served as a guest member of the board of directors of a national nonprofit, the Alpha-1 Foundation, on conflict-of-interest issues in rare-disease communities. Ankur is now expanding upon his experience and research this year to author a white paper. This experience contributed to his success during his summer internship at Nationwide Insurance.
More than anything else, what separates Ankur from his peers is not just that he is hungry for success, but that he wants those around him to succeed as well. Ankur has a genuine desire to uplift others and make sure they reach their goals. I know this trait will serve Ankur well as he embarks on his career in helping others by being a transformative force in the healthcare industry.” — Sandra Douglas, Director of MBA Programs, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh
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The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business
“He is unafraid, and always ready to tackle complex problems. I am immensely proud of our veterans in the MBA program at Fisher, and John is a poster child for what our veterans are capable of – bravely working on important problems that others find daunting.”
Age: 31
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Undergraduate School and Degree: BSBA Business Administration, Finance
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? US Army as a Company Commander
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Partners for Care in Nairobi, Kenya
Where will you be working after graduation? Partners for Care in Nairobi, Kenya I’d want to go back to Africa to work with an NGO again.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Russ Klein MBA internal case competition best presenter award, LSS volunteer, GAP Program 2nd year coach, and leader of more group projects than I can count.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Definitely working in Africa. The opportunity to go to Kenya for an MBA project and then spend my summer there was the most rewarding thing I have done at Fisher. It wasn’t just exciting, I also got to meet so many new people and make a lot of friends. I even had my own intern while I was there! It really filled me with a lot of pride to see the work she did after I would give her a project. Hearing that she got hired on as a full time employee was the most exciting news I’ve gotten during the program.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Designing the culminating training/validation event for deploying reserve component movement control teams when I was in the Army. This project was way outside my comfort zone and usual line of work, and I also got to lead a very dedicated team through the process. Hearing the praise deploying units had for the exercise I designed made all the headaches and struggle worth it in the end.
Favorite MBA Courses? Risk and Simulation, data analysis, logistics management, and global sourcing (with an honorable mention for the core marketing class taught by Professor Shashi Matta).
Why did you choose this business school? After seven years in the army, I wanted to be close to family again and Fisher has always received high praise as a military-friendly school. Those two facts coupled with the great experience I had as an undergrad made it an easy choice for me.
What did you enjoy most about business school? While I always enjoy learning new things, the best part of business school has been meeting new people. It’s always interesting to hear about somebody’s background or find out that they worked overseas in a city you want to visit.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? Coming in, I had this misguided assumption that my peers with civilian backgrounds wouldn’t have a lot of leadership experience. Naturally it didn’t take long for some of my classmates to prove me wrong and I’ve been blown away by them. There is this proactive attitude that almost everyone seems to have and there is never any hesitation to tackle a challenge.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Don’t just think about where you want to work or what industry you want to be in. Take some time to think about what your learning goals are and what you really get excited about. Have a plan for taking classes to help you meet those goals and make the time for things you’re passionate about. There are so many opportunities for learning at Fisher: Be ready to snatch as many as you can.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…my godmother told me stories about being a consultant and running a leadership program for BP. She made me realize business isn’t just about Wall Street and the market; it’s about leadership, people, and solving problems.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…wandering around Africa or hiking in Nepal.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire My godmother, Mary Zingale. She started her own consulting business when I was a kid and she made it all look so easy. It wasn’t until I was older that I understood all the false starts, doubts, and misgivings she had. I think that knowledge just makes me admire her that much more.
What are your long-term professional goals? I want to be the expert people turn to when they have a complicated problem.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? My mom has always been there to push me into trying new things and to tell me to have patience when I fail.
Fun fact about yourself: Despite seven years in the Army and a childhood of falling down hills and out of trees I’ve never broken a single bone. I take this as a sign that I should keep taking risks!
Favorite book: Anything by Patrick O’brian. His first novel, Testimonies, is especially good.
Favorite movie: The Sand Pebbles
Favorite musical performer: Metric
Favorite television show: Game of Thrones
Favorite vacation spot: Rome, I still remember my first trip there when I was nine.
Hobbies? Military history and working out though I’ve recently gotten into foil fencing…….which I enjoy despite getting beaten all the time.
What made John such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“As an educator, very few moments are more gratifying than when you see a student discover their true passion. John, a veteran returning to pursue his MBA at Fisher, not only found his passion during the MBA program, but pursued it relentlessly and successfully. Military tough, with a heart of gold, John thrived during Fisher’s Global Applied Project (GAP) in Kenya. He was so moved and inspired by his three-week experience on that project, that he stayed back and spent his summer working with the NGO that provided the GAP assignment. John is a passionate problem solver, and this setting brought the best out of him. He is unafraid, and always ready to tackle complex problems. I am immensely proud of our veterans in the MBA program at Fisher, and John is a poster child for what our veterans are capable of – bravely working on important problems that others find daunting.” — Shashi Matta, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing, and Director of MBA Programs, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University
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University of Missouri, Trulaske College of Business
“Sagar carries a confidence about him that is contagious. Since entering our program, Sagar has been a powerhouse in terms of combining business and bioengineering…One thing that stands out to me the most about Sagar is how important collaboration is and his eagerness in finding solutions to problems. By integrating his scientific knowledge with our MBA courses, he has given others a valuable perspective into another discipline and the understanding of the importance scientific research can have in the business arena. The dialogue he initiates between scientists and business leaders will continue to make a huge global impact.”
Age: 31
Hometown: Bangalore, Karnataka
Education:
Bachelors of Engineering in Biotechnology, MSRIT
Doctoral degree in Biological Engineering, University of Missouri
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? University of Missouri as Post-Doctoral Scientist
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Tiger Energy Solutions, Columbia MO
Where will you be working after graduation? Tiger Energy Solutions, Columbia MO
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School
2nd place at the Monsanto-Olin Global Supply Chain Competition
Superior Graduate Student Award -Recognized as the top three graduate students graduating from University of Missouri
Member of the Crosby MBA Ambassador Team and the Crosby MBA Strategic Direction Committee
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Getting selected after the initial screening and going on to win 2nd place at the Monsanto-Olin Supply Chain Competition was one of the proud moments for me during the business school. I was the part of the team that did work hard to find innovative strategies that have the potential to cut down the cost of seed corn supply chain significantly. We did get through the preliminary round and were one of the top 5 teams selected for the finals.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Worked on the development of sensor technology to detect individual cancer cells in blood. It has the potential to save millions of lives from early detection of remission of cancer. This enabled me to be a part of the team and earn a patent for this technology.
Favorite MBA Courses? Corporate Finance, Advanced Financial Management, Financial Statement Analysis
Why did you choose this business school? During my doctoral studies, I had the opportunity to help a startup, Elemental Enzymes, by writing a business plan and pitching it to investors as the part of the High Growth Ventures class offered by the Trulaske College of Business. This inspired me to realize the significance of commercialization. Our business plan was one of the top 46 plans from around the world selected for the Rice Business Plan Competition. We also participated and won the Walmart Regional Better Living Challenge and advanced to the final round in Bentonville, Arkansas. These key factors of partnerships with different departments and programs across the campus made me choose the Crosby MBA program at University of Missouri as it provided an environment to emulate the real world situations effectively.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I really appreciate the immense push and encouragement to excel not just in academics but also in professional development. Training and development towards case competitions, business plan challenges and opportunities to interact and connect with business leaders gave me an insight into the corporate world.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? Innovate, Collaborate and Deliver
What was the hardest part of business school? Time management was a challenge. I enrolled into the full time MBA program along with holding a scientist job and it was overwhelming at first. But, Crosby MBA gives us many opportunities to tie projects together. Through the business consulting class, I was able to learn, adapt and apply the principles directly to work. It was a win-win situation to contribute to my work and also earn my grades simultaneously.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Look forward to a wonderful busy two years of life that will give you a clear head start towards real world opportunities and challenges.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I developed a sensor for early detection of cancer and was looking into the means to take it to the common man. I realized that research and development is essential but the key is to commercialize and help firms realize the benefits by connecting it to the consumers.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as a scientist to help solve the mysteries of cancer.”
What are your long-term professional goals? To efficiently bridge the gap between science and business by identifying, evaluating and consulting with key technologies, drugs and devices that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my wife, Sachidevi Puttaswamy for her constant support, encouragement and motivational pep talks that have helped me get through crunch times and difficult situations during my MBA. I would like to give credit to her for being my best friend and critic in whom I can always look for inspiration and guidance.
Favorite book: Prey by Michael Crichton
Favorite movie: Apollo 13
Favorite musical performer: Adam Levine
Favorite television show: Star Trek
Favorite vacation spot: Too many to list
Hobbies? Running
What made Sagar such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Sagar carries a confidence about him that is contagious. Since entering our program, Sagar has been a powerhouse in terms of combining business and bioengineering. Sagar is currently working on his Ph.D. in bioengineering while doing his MBA. His focus is on the photoacoustic detection of metastatic cancer cells. He has an immense passion for learning, innovation, and research that is consistently displayed through his many patents, publications, and presentations. He has participated in numerous case competitions and more recently presented to the Chancellor, Vice Provost, and General Consul of India on the Green Nanotechnology Initiative. One thing that stands out to me the most about Sagar is how important collaboration is and his eagerness in finding solutions to problems. By integrating his scientific knowledge with our MBA courses, he has given others a valuable perspective into another discipline and the understanding of the importance scientific research can have in the business arena. The dialogue he initiates between scientists and business leaders will continue to make a huge global impact.” — Kim Hedges, M.Ed., Academic Advisor, University of Missouri
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business
Age: 29
Hometown: Paris, France
“There is a quiet, philosophical approach to everything that Jean pursues, but it is more than merely a quest for knowledge. It is as if he is finding his own inner strength while exploring all of the possibilities and connections made available through school, but without any ego or self-promotion.”
Education:
Sciences Po Paris (France), MA in Human Resources Management
Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum (Rome, Italy), BA in Philosophy
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? After high school, I left France to start on the path to the priesthood within an international non-profit organization dedicated to youth educational programs. I pursued my seminary studies in Cornwall, ON, in Cheshire, CT and in Rome, Italy. I then worked for that organization as a Relationship Manager in Milan, Italy and as a Student Counselor at the Instituto Cumbres of Santiago, Chile.
While in Chile, I decided to leave the seminary and that organization. Upon coming back to France, I pursued a master’s degree while working at the Lycée Stanislas (Paris, France) as a Student Counselor and later at Schneider Electric (Rueil, France) as a Human Resources Specialist. Post-graduation, I joined KPMG Advisory (Paris, France) to work as a Management Consultant.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? I interned at JP Morgan, Private Bank for the Latin American region, first at the investments desk in New York, NY and then as a banker in Miami, FL.
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working at Deloitte Consulting, Strategy & Operations, Finance Consultant.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I was awarded the Business Dean’s Merit Scholarship upon admission. During my first year, I integrated the Cox Leadership Forum at the Business Center, facilitating extracurricular leadership development training. I also volunteered my time both with my class at a Salvation Army location and individually at a food distribution center in downtown Dallas.
During my second year, I decided to be more involved in the program to be in a position to help first-year students have the same great experience I had. I was selected to serve as Honor Council Co-Chair and Vice President of the Finance Association. This second role allows me to coach students in their internship search and class orientation, as well as to offer club activities such as stock pitch competitions and company visits.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Since the beginning of my second year, I have led a team of five to winning first place in the CFA Institute Research Challenge for the Southwest U.S. region, qualifying for the Americas finals in April – a first for SMU. I am proud of this achievement because it meant being successful in my new field of interest and required practicing my leadership skills toward my group members.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Five years into my seminary training, my first post-undergrad job was working with a senior minister between Milan and Verona, Italy. The change from the discipline and community life of the seminary to the self-regulation and solitude of pastoral work was very impactful for me. It took a great deal of humility and conviction to learn to focus on the needs of others and to put myself at the service of these communities. I am proud of having been able to manage this transition, which was fundamental in establishing my work ethic.
Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is Harvey Rosenblum, a twenty-nine-year veteran of the Dallas Fed who teaches Monetary Policy and who has inspired me by acting as my mentor. As I was preparing to go to work at JP Morgan, he helped me develop my interest for macroeconomics and monetary policy, both by communicating his professional experience and sharing his best practices.
Favorite MBA Courses? One of my favorite MBA courses has been Monetary Policy, as I was able to better understand the financial crisis and the actions of the Fed. This helped me develop a framework to analyze and evaluate the financial industry and current events in the economy and the markets. Another course I have enjoyed has been Financial Modeling, which brought together the accounting and corporate finance knowledge that I had learned so far. It also laid the foundation for a better understanding of later Finance courses and made for great job interview preparation.
Why did you choose this business school? As I could only know the schools through their website and admissions interviewers, I felt that SMU was the one to best accept my non-traditional background. SMU’s reputation for Finance also played a part as I was beginning to be interested in that field. Incidentally, my wife’s friend from childhood attended SMU for undergrad and referred to it as the “Harvard of Texas.”
What did you enjoy most about business school? By and large, I enjoyed most being able to start from scratch. My financial education was so limited that I had to research who was this Warren Buffet that everyone kept mentioning. Business school really meant for me the ability to take new courses about things that had always seemed so distant, such as Finance and Accounting, while enhancing my skills through group activities and opportunities for leadership roles in the program.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The biggest lesson I have learned is definitely one about myself. On one hand, it is a lesson about believing in my capabilities and achievements. On the other hand, it is a lesson about interacting with bright individuals and learning to better collaborate and to be a true team player. Study groups particularly helped me to improve my teamwork abilities, as well as to take the time to learn from others.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I was going into the program telling myself that I would take my studies as my job, although I certainly was not expecting to be that busy. My first year, I thought that having a newborn and undertaking all these new courses was a handful. My second year, I assumed different leadership roles and took part in case competitions and club activities. Looking back, I realize that only business school could have unleashed this potential in me.
What was the hardest part of business school? I would consider the hardest part of business school to be juggling all the different responsibilities and opportunities. Besides being a father and a husband, I knew that my most important duty was my academic experience. I quickly realized that I also had to network, participate in the life of the community, and get a job. I believe that finding the right balance among all these things is a task for everyday and it is the hardest part for me. It definitely is the best preparation for my professional life afterward.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? My best advice for an applicant would be to seek orientation for possible career paths as early as possible. I started at SMU Cox without being sure of what I wanted to do and it took me some time to confirm that it would be finance. Given all the opportunities that SMU Cox offers from the very beginning, I wish I had been able to figure that out earlier to better use my networking time.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…” I realized that I could not advance in my career without the proper superior education.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…focusing on my translation enterprise, a personal initiative which allowed me to translate three books from Spanish and Italian into French.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I most admire Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan. I had read about him in the context of the financial crisis, and my experience over the summer allowed me to flesh out his character. I discovered that I very much identified with his moral strength and his philosophy of doing the right thing for his business.
What are your long-term professional goals? After gaining experience in financial consulting with Deloitte, I would like to join the corporate finance team of a firm and work on M&A deals. I am interested in valuation work and I believe that my job at Deloitte will open me the doors of finance departments to gain access to that field.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would most want to thank my wife for my success. She has put my education first at each and every step of the program. That involved taking care of the baby at night so I could spend the next day at the library, adjusting her schedule to mine so I could take part in the club or networking activities I needed to. She managed everything in our household to allow me to dedicate myself to my studies and my overall MBA experience. She was my first help for interview preparation. I owe my success to my wife.
Fun fact about yourself: I cherished the dream of becoming a professional runner as I was going through my masters in France. I spent more time training and competing than studying and going to class, making it to the French nationals of 10k, half-marathon and cross-country.
Favorite book: The Silmarillion, by JRR Tolkien. I particularly like the tale of Fingolfin, a character exemplifying the virtues of courage and integrity.
Favorite movie: American Sniper. The movie came out at the time of me really falling in love with Texas and getting to admire the US military.
Favorite musical performer: Billy Joel, a late discovery I owe to my wife. Billy Joel concerts are the only two concerts I have ever been to.
Favorite television show: Homeland. I coveted the dream of joining the CIA before reality caught up to me; I was even spending time solving the practice challenges for photo and aerial analysis on their website.
Favorite vacation spot: The Bay of Sorrento, in the South of Italy facing Capri. This is where we would go on vacation throughout the two years and a half that I spent in Rome. I remember the runs in the mountains, the swimming expeditions to underwater grottoes and making pizzas for the 400 members of the community.
Hobbies? Running with my son in the stroller, going out any time the grandparents can babysit, watching superhero movies.
What made Jean such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Jean Perez has the most unique background I can recall in my many years of working with bright and talented MBA students. He transitioned from his seminary studies to jobs as a youth counselor throughout Europe and Latin America, to falling in love, marrying, and re-locating to America (and ultimately to Texas) where he is pursuing his MBA. He was also a champion caliber distance runner while at university in France. He interned in private wealth management last summer with J.P. Morgan in Miami and is going to be working in the Financial Services division for Deloitte upon graduation.
Jean served as co-chair of the Honor Council this past year, along with another student who formerly attended West Point, so we like to say we had a priest and a soldier running our council—which is true! Jean led a student team this spring which recently won the southwest region for the CFA Institute Research Challenge, and he counts Monetary Policy as one of his favorite courses.
Multi-faceted, thoughtful, humble and introspective, Jean has excelled in many disciplines including his work as a translator of books from Spanish and Italian into French. He and his wife welcomed a baby last spring, too. There is a quiet, philosophical approach to everything that Jean pursues, but it is more than merely a quest for knowledge. It is as if he is finding his own inner strength while exploring all of the possibilities and connections made available through school, but without any ego or self-promotion. For these reasons, he is almost a reluctant leader who gains followers based upon his pure example.” — Michael Caplan, Assistant Dean, Student Services for Graduate Programs, SMU, Cox School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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IE Business School
“The biggest lesson I gained was to be comfortable with uncertainty. I now feel comfortable and confident making decisions with limited information. Outsiders believe that the hard skills are the most important learnings of business school, but I don’t believe that they are; the most important lessons in my opinion are the ability to adapt, interpret and to remain humble, while achieving great milestones.”
Age: 30
Hometown: Cape Town, South Africa
Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Cape Town (UCT), Master of Social Science (Organizational Psychology & Management Studies)
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Accenture, Management Consultant
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? I took advantage of the time between Term 1 and Term 2 (summer break) to travel across Europe, exposing myself to new cultures , meeting new people and ultimately expanding my network.
Where will you be working after graduation? I am currently looking for opportunities within the technology sector in Europe, where I can leverage my consulting experience and MBA skills in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
President of the Luxury Goods & Services Club – our Club has been selected by MBA Arena to partner with LinkedIn on a knowledge sharing initiative along with eight other top business schools.
Board member of the Diversity Club, which was launched six months ago in conjunction with IE Business School’s Centre for Diversity in Global Management.
Involved with on-boarding the new MBA intake through holding presentations and sharing key learnings.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Being chosen as the Commencement Speaker for the new January 2016, IE Business School MBA intake (350+ audience). I was honored to be selected since it is a great opportunity to share my personal story with those who have not even begun to embark on their business school journey. The introspection and reflection to tackle a task such as this is immense but the positive affirmation received afterward is unbeatable.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Being selected for the Brightest Young Minds (BYM) Summit in 2014. BYM is a 15 year old non-profit company that exists to create a positive social impact through identifying, connecting and mobilizing individuals and projects. Each year, 1,500 individuals across Africa apply and 100 are selected to participate in the Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the focus is on making life-changing ideas flourish. I believe that this is an honor as BYM identify individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to positive social change through their actions. Coming together with other young leaders across Africa to work on social and environmental challenges throughout the week was a huge inspiration and I felt honored to be involved.
Favorite MBA Courses? Entrepreneurial Venturing, Critical Management Thinking and Intelligence Tools for Business People
Why did you choose this business school? I chose IE based on a number of key factors:
Reputation: IE has been consistently ranked in the top cluster for their full-time MBA program (Financial Times).
Diversity: IE Business School drives and embraces unconventional thinking and has created an ecosystem where students can benefit from the knowledge and the experience of their peers. My intake is comprised of individuals from over 65 different countries interacting, engaging and solving problems together on a daily basis. Since there are two intakes per annum, students are afforded the opportunity to network with both the previously enrolled and post enrolled intakes to increase their access to contacts.
Location: Being located in Spain’s capital City, is definitely one of IE Business School’s competitive advantages since it brings with it the ability to network both inside and outside of the school with ease.
Focus on entrepreneurship: IE Business School was founded by entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial spirit forms an integral part of the IE environment. Companies are looking for entrepreneurially-minded individuals who demonstrate traits such as persistence, determination, independence and ownership.
What did you enjoy most about business school? The community of people (both the students and administration), the case method and emphasis on team work. I had fantastic classmates and our section is very close and connected. Everyone had their own reasons for enrolling in the program, but each of us was focused on improving or advancing some aspect of our lives. I’ve enjoyed interacting with smart and respectful people on a daily basis and making lifelong friends across the world. Mark Zuckerberg once said – “A lot of the time the experts, the people who are supposed to be able to tell you what to do, will tell you that you cannot do something even when you know you can. And a lot of the time it’s your friends who tell you you can do it.” I urge those who are enrolling in an MBA program to embrace your peers, cherish the connections and make time to help each other.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The biggest lesson I gained was to be comfortable with uncertainty. I now feel comfortable and confident making decisions with limited information. Outsiders believe that the hard skills are the most important learnings of business school, but I don’t believe that they are; the most important lessons in my opinion are the ability to adapt, interpret and to remain humble, while achieving great milestones.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? What surprised me the most was how much I learned from my peers, both inside and outside of the classroom. Diversity is a major plus at IE Business School – the different experiences and perspectives are what makes the program that much more enriching. The cultural diversity and openness to change with 65 different nationalities learning together in one place is very rewarding. It is a place where your cultural, religious or ideological background adds tremendous value to an already diverse student body.
What was the hardest part of business school? Being able to say no. If you’re the type of person who wants to be involved in everything, know that it will be impossible. It was incredibly difficult to narrow down and focus on what I really wanted to be involved in and what I didn’t. You will not have the time to do everything so pick wisely. Through the process I learned that it takes courage to say no to certain tasks, but it is also an instrument of integrity and a shield against exploitation.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I listened to my friends discuss their exhilarating, challenging and life-changing experiences at business school.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…missing out on an amazing experience!”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Yusuf Randera-Rees, CEO and Co-Founder at Awethu Project in South Africa.
Yusuf gave up a career in investment banking to build an incubator to help previously disadvantaged young South Africans build sustainable businesses for the future. What started as a ZAR60k project has grown into a company with millions of Rands to invest in their vision. Hundreds of entrepreneurs have been incubated over the past six years and thousands of lives have been improved as a result. I admire Yusuf for his down to earth nature, inspiring attitude, sense of humor and his ability to choose the harder, but ultimately more rewarding, path in life. I’ve completed a consulting project at Awethu and I’ve seen Yusuf speak in public on a number of occasions. His ability to capture the attention of his audience is quite something.
What are your long-term professional goals? In the long term, I’d like to set up my own business. I am passionate about internet/online businesses and how ‘unbanked’ individuals can access resources, especially in places like Africa. I’d like to focus on access to education through electronic means. Driven by ruthless curiosity and the determination to build a better world, I believe compassion uncoupled of practical skills is futile and that information is power. Imagining possibilities beyond what is already obvious inspires me to live with a contagious enthusiasm.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would thank my parents and mentors around me – who raised me to be very resilient and to be curious about the world around me. I’ve been encouraged to cultivate and create opportunities and have always been supported when embracing them. If you don’t live your dream, someone else will.
Fun fact about yourself: Bungee jumping over the Zambezi River off the bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe (technically in no-mans-land), 111 metres high, spanning the magnificent Batoka Gorge. Fortunately I tempted fate 4 months before the rope snapped and an Australian woman fell into the river – luckily surviving.
Favorite book: All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
Favorite movie: Hotel Rwanda
Favorite musical performer: Coldplay
Favorite television show: Homeland
Favorite vacation spot: Tulum, Mexico
Hobbies? Yoga, Pilates, Barre
What made Michelle such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016? “Upon meeting Michelle, one can immediately recognize that she is a natural leader. As an initiative taker with a great attitude, she quickly became a great influence among her peers. She was chosen to give an inspirational speech at the commencement of our most recent MBA intake and currently is Board member of the Diversity club as well as President of the Luxury Goods & Services club. Both roles she continues to perform to-date, achieving great results and making IE Business School proud!” — Erik Schie, Associate Dean, MBA Program, IE Business School
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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University of Florida, Warrington College of Business
“Take every opportunity seriously, from interview choices to experiential learning. No matter where you get your MBA, there will be boundless opportunities for professional development…and I learned that the opportunities that you choose to take and experience will define and shape your network and career path.”
Age: 24
Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida
Education: University of Florida, BS in Chemical Engineering
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Kraft Foods Group as a Packaging Engineering Co-operative Intern.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Anheuser Busch In-Bev, St. Louis, MO
Where will you be working after graduation? Anheuser Busch In-Bev’s Procurement team as a Global MBA
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
MBA Association President (2015-2016)
MBA Association Vice President of Internal Affairs (2014-2015)
Graduate Business Career Services Student Career Coach (2015-2016)
MBA Admissions Ambassador (2014-2016)
Hough Graduate School of Business Teaching Committee Chair (2015-2016)
First Place FICC Case Competition Team Member (2016)
First Place Katz Case Competition Team Member (2015, 2016)
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I created an Active Membership program for the UF MBA Association immediately upon my election to President last year. With our small class sizes, meetings for our 11 clubs and social events are particularly sensitive to RSVP quantity, and I wanted to establish an incentive system to keep involvement at the top of the student priority list. This year, we will be able to recognize our first 40 Active Members with a medal keepsake to wear at graduation. Seeing the students get rewarded for involvement is empowering as a leader and kept my teams motivated to create amazing progrmaming. I am very proud of this initiative and my entire team for successful implementation the first year of its existence.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Winning the 2016 Katz Invitational Case Competition sponsored by Direct Energy is my proudest professional moment. I was part of a team that competed in the competition in 2015 where we did not succeed in bringing home the trophy. With a goal to come out on top the following year, my team returned to Pittsburgh with a strategy that focused on customer centricity and corporate social responsibility. By moving the needle, we impressed the judges and brought home the win (and a large check!). This was an incredible experiential learning opportunity, and it was rewarding to work with my amazing team which included expertise from Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, and UF’s Levin College of Law. We were extremely honored and proud of the recognition for our analysis and presentation skills.
Who is your favorite professor? Dr. Richard Lutz – I truly believe he goes above and beyond the classroom. He does his best to learn more about his students and their preferences which creates an enjoyable & innovative in-class experience within the Marketing Department at the University of Florida.
Favorite MBA Courses? Building & Managing Brand Equity (Dr. Lutz), Art & Science of Negotiation (Dr. Wheeler-Smith), and Developing Leadership Skills (Dr. Podsakoff)
Why did you choose this business school? I wanted to make a career change from engineering – the full scholarship opportunity at UF MBA combined with the career team’s placement success consequently stood out as a major advantage. I was honored to be one of two Engineering Partnership students for my class. This allowed me to begin the program immediately following my undergraduate degree.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I enjoyed developing my network and learning from accomplished peers in this program and in my internship. From former brand managers, to English teachers in Japan, to Hollywood screenwriters, and Survivor contestants, I absolutely love that business school brings together a wide range of people to learn together and from each other. My case competition team and MBA Association Board were incredibly influential in my MBA experience. The knowledge and insight on behavior and professionalism that I gained from these groups will be invaluable in my future. I enjoyed making these connections, and know that my business school network will continue to positively impact me after graduation.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I was not expecting the overwhelming support that peers at UF MBA provided one another, and the magnitude at which that support strengthened our network. I assume it is similar in other schools, but I was blown away by how MBA students had my back, and I had theirs – from studying for interviews, to re-teaching complex material, to participating as career coaches to first year students. The nature of our small program (35 full-time 2nd years) allows us to understand the intricacies of each individual in the program, and creates a camaraderie that dampens competitive nature of the typical MBA. I know I can go to anyone in my program, as well as alumni, and they will support me with anything I need.
What was the hardest part of business school? The most challenging part of business school is looking past the classes to set yourself up for long term success. It’s having the motivation to get that perfect internship, that once-in-a-lifetime interview, that funding for your startup. It’s what you do to set yourself up for success AFTER you graduate, and the earlier and more motivated you are, the more successful you will be.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Be yourself – and own what you want in an MBA program. UF will be incredibly transparent with you on their capabilities both academically and professionally, and the more you are clear on your goals, the more we can identify gaps in matching you to our program, and vice versa. On top of that, come prepared with questions for your student ambassador. They are the ones who really understand the value of the program from your vantage point – and it’s a missed opportunity if you don’t take advantage of the wealth of knowledge they possess.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I was a sophomore in undergrad. I didn’t feel that I was learning practical business skills in my engineering curriculum, and working in R&D didn’t give me the opportunity to make as large of an impact as I knew I could.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would…probably be working in the oil industry in Texas – and would most likely be applying for a business degree considering how oil prices have plummeted in the past year.”
What are your long-term professional goals? My ultimate career goal is to be an executive of a company with a background in several different functional areas. I would also like to successfully open and run a business in hospitality when I retire from the corporate world.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I definitely have to thank my parents for my success. They have always pushed me to challenge myself and to take myself out of my comfort zone. Without their encouragement, I would never have swam, played an instrument, or enrolled in Engineering – some of the most defining moments of my life when I was younger.
Fun fact about yourself: I was born on Leap Day, and celebrated my 6th birthday this year!
Favorite book: It is hard to choose, but I currently love The Martian by Andy Wehr
Favorite movie: The Avengers – and all superhero movies
Favorite musical performer: Zac Brown Band
Favorite television show: NCIS
Favorite vacation spot: Easter Island
Hobbies? Video Editing, Reading, Baking, Swimming, & Playing Bassoon
What made Lexie such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“At UF MBA students are empowered to take ownership of their experience through involvement. There have been few UF MBAs who have taken this opportunity as thoroughly to heart as Lexie Cegelski. Within weeks of beginning the program, Lexie was selected by 2nd year MBAs and staff to act as the Vice President of our MBA Association with the responsibility of creating and delivering programming to promote a cohesive student body. Lexie excelled in this role from day one – and much of her accomplishment was achieved through successfully influencing others and effectively delegating. Subsequently, Lexie was elected by her peers as the President of the MBA Association. In her role, she continued successfully empowering and inspiring other leaders to achieve more through her “Active Membership” program. Today, we are proud that almost all of our students are involved in at least one aspect of student-driven programming and more than 60% of our graduates are earning a distinction for being highly involved.
Another area where Lexie made an impact has been her successful engagement as a member of UF case competition teams. In Lexie’s first year, she auditioned for three case competitions where her team placed 2nd and was not selected to advance. Lexie was undeterred from these setbacks and used them as learning experiences. This perseverance paid tremendous dividends (literally) as she and her team have won spots to represent the University of Florida at two competitions where they placed first and have earned a total of $20,000. Lexie’s performance highlighted UF’s excellence in preparing students to apply lessons learned in the classroom to actual business challenges.” — Kara Cupoli, Senior Director of Full-time Student Affairs and MBA Engagement, University of Florida, Warrington College of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business
“Izze is just the most optimistic and extroverted member of her class: liked by all, respected by her peers, admired by her professors and welcomed by the senior staff. She typifies what it means to be involved.”
Age: 29
Hometown: Casablanca, Morocco
Education: Bachelors in Marketing – Institut Superieur de Commerce et d’Administration des Entreprises (ISCAE)
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Assistant Brand Manager – Lesieur Cristal, leader CPG in vegetable oil and laundry detergent in Morocco.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Assistant Brand Manager – Unilever, New Jersey, USA
Where will you be working after graduation? Assistant Brand Manager – Procter & Gamble (P&G), Cincinnati, USA
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School?
Honors:
Dean’s Circle within SMU’s Business Leadership Center, focused on promoting leadership and professional development through extracurricular involvement with local business leaders Forte Fellowship, focused on increasing the number of women applying to and enrolling in MBA programs by offering fellowships to women pursuing a full-time, part-time or executive MBA education at our sponsor business schools.Leadership roles: President of the Graduate Business Marketing Club, Vice President of the Graduate Business International Club, Officer in the Women in Business Club
Membership: Strategic Alliances (LGBT) Club
Campus activities:
Was selected for Teaching Assistant position within the Hart Leadership Center in the SMU Lyle Engineering School, focused on improving teamwork and business presentation among undergraduate engineers, Was selected as the Marketing and Analytics Career Coach in the MBA program at SMU Cox Business from among all MBA students based on my academics and my work experience, interviews and involvement with studentsCommunity work:
During my academic years at the business school of ISCAE, I served as the Student President and played a crucial role as the liaison between administration, staff, and students. I enjoyed devoting time and energy to lead many activities, such as the job fair in our college. I successfully carried out my many responsibilities, including event planning, contacting recruiting agencies, and encouraging corporate participation.
I also used the Student President role as a platform for outreach to the other volunteer organizations such as AIPEC and BAYTI to help needy people at large. For instance, I organized an event that helped these organizations by collecting clothes, toys, and supplies for families in need. As a Brand Manager, I also extended the same volunteer program during my career with Lesieur, one of the most prominent consumer oil brands. I coordinated, communicated, and collaborated with all different entities to channel donations to the right volunteer organizations and downstream low-wage communities.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? First and foremost, balancing both my personal and professional life has been my ultimate goal. It is important to me to achieve the goals that I set for my education, professional career, and be an important part of the lives of my family members.
During my education, one of my great accomplishments has been being admitted in the best accredited business school in Morocco. ISCAE is the number one ranked business school in Morocco and is known for its worldwide excellence in education and building talented individuals. Only the best students can be admitted from all over the country and overseas. The admission process is competitive and thus requires excellent grades. I was admitted to the program where only 150 students are admitted from a total of more than 5,000 candidates.
Also, I am very proud of my transition to the U.S. since I have never spoke English before. My first language is Arabic and my second language is French. Therefore, I had to challenge myself to move to a new country with a new language. It was a big decision for me, but I was able to face it and take the GMAT, apply to different programs, and get admitted to SMU with a dean’s scholar honors to pursue my MBA.
On the extracurricular level, I think that being considered as a successful person in my family can be considered as an accomplishment for my personal life. I consider the fact that my sisters look to me as a role model for their lives as proof of my achievements. Being the oldest in my family, I constantly strive to be a good example and to be successful for both of my younger sisters. Also, my parents are very proud of me and of my successes. They are especially proud of my career and were optimistic about my vision and goals when I decided to leave a successful career and pursue an MBA in the U.S. Thus, I am confident that I can reach my future goals. I see my perseverance as the key to my future. To continue to earn my parents and family’s trust is the most important goal which propels my ambition and motivates me.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? A substantial accomplishment was my promotion to a brand manager. I was the youngest member on the team with no experience in marketing, and I had to prove my competency at work to earn trust and show how successful I could be despite these constraints. As such, I set out to learn and grow using my innovative approach, creative thinking, courage, motivation, and passion to succeed. I had the opportunity to conduct a market opportunity analysis for one of our existing olive oil brands, Mabrouka. The Mabrouka brand had been challenged by another competitive brand and lost market share. Consequently, the market growth declined with an increasing trend leading to major deterioration in sales and margins. Mabrouka had only 20% of the market share while one of the competitive brands enjoyed the remaining 70%. The other 10% was fragmented among different small players. After implementing my marketing strategy approved by my manager, I increased internal awareness about the urgency that we needed to save this promising brand. Second, I formed a successful team to support and build a holistic action plan from strategic marketing goals all the way to making the sale and satisfying our customers.
From this experience, I learned that there is no constraint to success and that even young inexperienced professionals can have major successes by using innovative critical thinking and inquisitiveness.
Moreover, I believe that my internship at Unilever this summer and getting hired at P&G are great achievements to be very proud of given my recent integration in the American culture, language and new lifestyle. I am looking forward to achieving bigger accomplishments and reaching higher goals after I finish my MBA.
Favorite MBA Courses? I had many courses I enjoyed during my MBA program. However, I believe that “Customer Loyalty” was one of my favorite classes. Working with a team of 5 other students, I collaborated with American Airlines on a real project to increase their customer loyalty for different tiers in the American AAdvantage Frequent Flyer program. I think this class was very helpful to learn different soft and hard skills. For example, I was able to use my leadership skills as the head of the team to coordinate, and delegate tasks for my team. Also, I was able to use my analytical skills since we had to analyze data for 10,000 customers, each with different attributes in order to formulate our recommendations. I was also able to learn time management since the class was 7 weeks long and our final presentation was in front of high level managers at American Airlines.
Another favorite class was “Web and Social Media Analytics” because this class is very up-to-date with current demand and the increase of social media usage across different ages. I was able to learn NodeXl, Enterprise Miner and other software tools that helped me to analyze many advertising campaigns on Facebook, Twitter and Amazon, and use those insights as a benchmark for our fictionalized product before coming up with the right recommendation on how to launch it in the US market.
Why did you choose this business school? I was very enthused at the prospect of being part of such a comprehensive MBA program that will allow me to learn, prosper, and add value to my professional experience and personal life. I wanted to be part of a world-recognized program. SMU Cox School of Business has differentiated itself in the academic and business communities through its business excellence and proves to be the best fit for my aspirations and goals.
As far as the ranking, SMU has always been among the top programs, but also strong for alumni networking that helps students post-graduation. Moreover, I was able to talk to staff and faculty and I learned about different programs offered at SMU such as the Global Leadership Program, which includes an international trip to learn about new cultures and visit and benchmark companies overseas to see how business is done. Another key differentiator for me was the marketing academy that selects best students based on their GPA, work experience, and involvement with other graduates. I set a goal to be a member of the academy (which I was able to achieve) in order to be in touch with different companies and learn about their work and their industry on a constant level and also take advantage of their experience for my resume and interview process.
Reading about Cox School of Business alumni proved to me the efficiency and effectiveness of the MBA program and how successful alums become after graduation. I felt that SMU would offer me the knowledge and skills I needed to achieve my goals.
What did you enjoy most about business school? Beyond the great academic program that allowed me to land amazing jobs for my career, I enjoyed meeting up with new people from all over the world. Being the first Moroccan in the Full Time MBA program was a scary step in my life since I was going to face a new world, so different from my background and the way I grew up. However, I enjoyed learning about those differences and sharing in the new cultures with other students.
I will always remember every activity we shared during our program, such as the volunteering opportunities I was offered and the extracurricular time we spent together as full-time students. I also enjoyed spending time with the faculty and the staff who are always welcoming and happy to help students with any specific needs or questions we have.
Academically, I believe that I had amazing professors who shared their passion for their domain and teaching us all the subjects to develop our skills and for the short term and long term.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The biggest lesson I learned is “PURSUE ALL YOUR DREAMS.” Since I started my undergrad program and discovered my passion for marketing, I had a dream to join the prestigious company Procter & Gamble. During my interview for the MBA program, I shared my goal with the admission staff as one of the main reasons why I am pursuing a graduate degree.
My academics and my extracurricular time built a strong personality and a great marketer who applied for P&G and went through the whole process for ABM. As a result, I was one of the one percent of one million applicants in the world who got accepted to the biggest CPG in the world.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? I think the most surprising thing was the diversity and the helpful students that I met in the last two years. I came to the MBA program with the thought that students might be competing against each other, which might affect the quality of the study and teamwork I would experience. However, I was surprised by the collaborative environment and the willingness of students to help other students, even when it came to preparing others for same interviews that we are all preparing for.
We were all driven by the motivation to build a great reputation for our school and support other students to reach their goals on an academic level or even through networking with contacts that might be helpful to other students.
What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part of the business school was the time management between my academic and extracurricular life. I am a very active person who likes to be involved in different activities, which made it challenging for me to balance between the expectations of the full-time program, my role as an officer in different clubs, spending time with friends and having time for my family at home.
I believe that time management was definitely a strong skill I learned because I didn’t give up on any of the experiences that I could get from the program without penalizing my personal life.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? The best advice I would give an applicant to SMU is to be ready for a very busy two-year program, but that it is completely worth it because every minute spent there comes with a lesson that will help you on a personal and professional level.
Every student will be able to live great experiences and build a great connection with the school physically and emotionally that will accompany you for the rest of your career.
Moreover, I would recommend them to get used to the word “networking,” as it is a strong key differentiator in our school vs. other schools. We are more of a community ready to help each other and share all the knowledge we have, and to meet with students whenever we can to answer the questions they have for a specific job, company, industry or even with a personal experience.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I grew up in a business-oriented family and inherited the passion for business from my parents.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…a volunteer at a humanitarian organization to help kids/elderly with any challenges they might encounter on a daily basis.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I admire my dad, CEO of MNM African shipping line. He grew up in a modest family and challenged himself to go to one of the best maritime schools in Morocco to achieve his dream to be a captain. He was able to get the job he has always dreamed of and be a captain for over 15 years. Then, he applied for a Masters in France at HEC Paris. After graduation, he came back to Morocco as the Chief Commercial Executive at Comanav, Casablanca. He spent many years there and transferred this desire to be goal-oriented to his daughters before he decided to start a new company in Morocco as a subsidiary of a big African company. Today, he is one of the highly respected people in his domain and is leading the company in Morocco to a better future as it keeps growing on a daily basis.
I believe that all the skills that my dad used to reach his goal are inspiring me every day for the best career for me and my kids.
What are your long-term professional goals? My goal is to develop seasoned global business skills and universal leadership capabilities founded on MBA experiences and real world-class business expertise.
In the short term, my goal is to become a seasoned business executive equipped with cutting edge and applicable MBA experience. I am looking forward to enriching my global expertise on both dimensions: professional competency and universal leadership skills. Additionally, I love learning, researching, and interacting with other academics. I am eager to participate in team projects, to use my strategic critical thinking skills, and develop creative business concepts. All these skills would help the brand manager that I got the job for and achieve the professional goals that I have for myself.
In the long term, I aspire to gain entrepreneurial skills to allow me to found my own business. This would give me the opportunity to shape the direction of future marketing initiatives and share my knowledge with junior marketing professionals. Eventually, I would like to join a Ph.D. program in order to pursue scholarly research. This would allow me to gain a more in-depth understanding in marketing subject matters and build constructive simple solutions to complex problems.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents for their support and their encouragement to help me become the person I am today. They have given me an amazing contribution facing different challenges on a personal and professional level, especially by helping me stand up after each barrier I face in my life.
Moreover, I would like to thank my husband who believes in me and in my competencies. These past two years have been full of surprises and new challenges that he helped me overcome with his patience and his kindness that inspires me every morning.
Fun fact about yourself: I am a great cook who won first place in three different competitions (middle eastern) and second place in one competition
Favorite book: Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
Favorite movie: Zootopia by Disney
Favorite musical performer: Celine Dion
Favorite television show: Friends
Favorite vacation spot: Brugges, Belgium
Hobbies? Spending time with kids, cooking
What made Ihsane such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Izze Aziz, a native of Morocco, proved herself an invaluable addition to the SMU Cox Class of 2016 after having been instrumental during the first year of her program by helping to coach and send a team to the Babson Marketing Case Competition. She arranged with marketing faculty and student teams to set up a ‘run-off’ so that her classmates could select the best team among her peers to compete. She worked in her summer internship for Unilever and then returned to campus as the Co-President of the International Business Club. She and her fellow international students put on the best event of the year – The International Festival – which will be held at SMU Cox in mid-April.
Given her stature among her peers, she has now been appointed by the Cox Career Office to be a career coach, so she is personally reaching out to her classmates and connecting them with job opportunities with employers. Izze is just the most optimistic and extroverted member of her class: liked by all, respected by her peers, admired by her professors and welcomed by the senior staff. She typifies what it means to be involved.” — Michael Caplan, Assistant Dean, Student Services for Graduate Programs, SMU, Cox School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology
(I am pursuing both an MBA degree and a MS in Civil Engineering degree simultaneously.)
“When I first visited [Scheller], I noticed something unique about the student body. Not only were there students from around the world, from every different background imaginable, and with tremendous intelligence, but by the time they were second-year students, they had become family.”
Age: 27
Hometown: Lexington, KY
Undergraduate School and Degree: United States Coast Guard Academy; Civil Engineering
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? I was (and still am) a Lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard, and was the Section Chief for Industrial Maintenance of all West Coast Patrol Boats, in Norfolk, VA.
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? I was not permitted to attain a paid internship because of my active duty military status, but while taking evening classes during the summer, I was able to secure volunteer internships with Ahlberg Engineering Inc. and a local start-up company called ARMR Systems. ARMR Systems developed a wearable hemorrhage control device designed to stop bleeding in an effort to increase the survivability of traumatic battlefield injuries in situations where advanced medical support is not immediately available. It started at the Advanced Technology Development Center, a technology business incubator on the Georgia Tech campus, by two GT biomedical engineering grads. They moved to Boston to a start-up accelerator in the fall. I have helped them develop a manufacturing strategy and plan. I’ve conducted research about potential manufacturers for both custom first batch orders and scaled production. I have also helped the CEO with broad company strategy and advice on how to meet their sales objectives.
Where will you be working after graduation? I will be returning to the Coast Guard as a Lieutenant working at the Civil Engineering Unit in Oakland, California as a Project Manager.
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School? It has been great to join other students who have a passion for giving back. I am proud to say that I am a founding and active member of the Scheller MBA Veterans Club. We started as a social club, but have become a crucial part of the behind-the-scenes running of the MBA experience. I’ve been active with the Scheller MBA Philanthropy Club, which sponsors a portion of a local Beltline trail and helps keep the park free of litter. I am currently working towards becoming a Volunteer Skilled Supervisor for Habitat for Humanity and have led the Georgia Tech Geotechnical Engineering Club to get involved with Habitat for Humanity as well.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud that I was able to earn two full graduate degrees in two years at Georgia Tech, one in a technical field (M.S. Civil Engineering – Geotechnical Engineering) and one in a management field (the MBA). It was a requirement of the Coast Guard program for which I was selected to attain both degrees, but Georgia Tech did not have a dedicated dual-degree program at the time I started the program. (They have since launched one.) I was not 100% confident it was even possible to finish both degrees when I walked in on day one, but it still felt like the right school for me.
I am proud that I accomplished this while still making time to participate in Adventure Racing. Adventure Races (AR) are outdoor endurance events that can last from 12 hours to several days. During ARs you grind your body through obstacles in the wilderness, navigating with nothing but a map and compass. I love pushing myself to the limit, mentally and physically. This is never more apparent than in my passion for Adventure Racing. I love that every decision you make in training, gear selection and race course strategy can determine if you win the race or even just make it to the finish line. There is something primordially satisfying about being completely mentally and physically exhausted at the end. I love every minute of it. Though it sounds cliché, I learn so much from these races that I can apply to the business world. These races teach you to over-prepare, but also to contend with unexpected challenges. When you find yourself lost in the woods at 2 a.m., alone, hungry, exhausted and running out of battery in your headlamp, what do you do? Is this not unlike a CEO struggling with almost certain failure? How do you deal with the pressure? By keeping calm, analyzing the problem, and determining a strategy to slowly crawl out of the hole. I think these races prepare me for the perseverance and grit I will need later in my career. Last year I participated in the FLX Sea-2-Sea 72-hour AR during which we crossed the peninsula of Florida using only human power and very minimal sleep. It was the single hardest race I have ever completed, but so much fun. This past fall, I completed the REV3 Bartram Wildwood 26-hour AR with several friends, including Dan Murphy (also a Scheller MBA student). I have three races planned for this spring, one of which I will be sponsored by U.S. Military Endurance Sports. I am pretty excited about that.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Being selected as the “Section Chief” for West Coast Planned Depot Maintenance while at the Patrol Boat Product Line in Norfolk, VA. This put me in a position directly responsible for keeping 36 ships (spread out from Alaska to California, and out to Guam) operational with limited resources and only ten personnel to get the job done. With this team, I planned and executed 69 comprehensive industrial maintenance projects worth a combined $7.4 million. dollars. It was an incredible challenge to be entrusted with when I was only 24 years old, and I was humbled by the fact that my superiors trusted that I could do it.
Favorite MBA Courses? Business Strategies for Sustainability. This course has shown me the ways that a capitalistic society can drive towards social responsibility. I have always cared about the environment; it was one of the main reasons I joined the U.S. Coast Guard. But I had no idea about the number of companies that have made sustainability a part of their mission. It’s not just because they think it’s a good marketing strategy either, but because being conscious about sustainability can yield shared value and profits.
Why did you choose this business school? The Scheller College of Business is located at one of the premier engineering and technology universities in the world. The resources Scheller has at its disposal, like the Atlanta Technology Development Center (a technology start-up incubator on campus) and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, means that Scheller can provide a top notch education while also exposing students to the latest problems facing the world and the latest solutions being developed to address them. Scheller is unmatched in its academic prestige and business exposure due in part to its location in Atlanta, the economic hub of the southeastern United States. I knew that this was the College that had the most access to understanding the problems facing the Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Atlanta, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that.
What did you enjoy most about business school? The community at Scheller. When I first visited the school, I noticed something unique about the student body. Not only were there students from around the world, from every different background imaginable, and with tremendous intelligence, but by the time they were second-year students, they had become family.W It’s the community at Scheller that makes you dependent on your classmates to help you get your dream job, or to pass the Strategy exam that is 60% of your grade. But then after it all, you can still have a beer with them at Cypress Street Pint & Plate every Thursday night or go to a surprise baby shower for the wife of one of your classmates. The people who make up Scheller are so friendly, motivated, and passionate about what they do, it has been a blessing to be a part of it.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? Learning about the importance of networking. Coming from an engineering and military background, I didn’t believe in networking. But I see now how crucial it is for not just the obvious reasons, like getting a job, but also for making deals that determine whether your company succeeds or fails.
What was the hardest part of business school? Managing my time. There are so many opportunities to get involved, to meet new people, and to learn about new ideas, events and companies. It’s easy to forget that you still have to do your homework and make sure you graduate.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Sign up for everything! This may be the last time where you have so many resources at your disposal. Take advantage of it! I signed up for the 2015 Vanderbilt Latin Business Challenge Case Competition, sponsored by Deloitte, where we contemplated ways to make a start-up food supplement company more successful in rural areas of Central America. I wasn’t really sure what a case competition entailed prior to the weekend event, but I went in with an open mind. It ended up being one of the most challenging and stressful activities I experienced while in school, but also one of the most rewarding. It was such a great experience to learn how I perform under pressure and in a group. Our team ended up taking 2nd place in the competition, something the whole team was very proud of.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I was put in charge of $7.4 Million of taxpayer money at the age of 24.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would…be the Engineering Officer of a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, responsible for the safe operation of all machinery onboard and ensuring the cutter is equipped to meet the demands of life at sea.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Elon Musk. I have his book sitting on my nightstand waiting to be completed. His passion for innovation, business foresight, and intelligence, continues to blow me away. Can you name any other entrepreneur who has changed the course of so many different industries, all at the same time?
What are your long-term professional goals? I am excited to return to the military after graduation. I want to continue to serve my country as a Coast Guard Officer, and I look forward to bringing what I’ve learned in school back to hopefully change the Coast Guard for the better. However, I’m not sure if I want to make the Coast Guard a career. If I decide to get out, then I would like to pursue a career in management, probably first getting my feet wet in consulting and then hopefully transitioning to senior management within a company.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my high school best friend, Matt, for his service to our country and for giving me the drive to get me where I am. I met Matt during sophomore year of high school. We had both just transferred to a new school, and neither of us knew anyone. We found ourselves sitting at the same table at lunch and started talking. Our friendship began as we discovered a mutual love of the outdoors. Throughout our final years in high school, we completed a number of adventures together, but what I am most thankful for is his encouragement to apply for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. I was accepted and soon found myself headed to Connecticut, while he went off to the U.S. Air Force Academy. We were both very successful during our academy time as well as in our subsequent military careers. Matt became an elite Special Forces operator while I became a naval engineer and ship operator. We each stayed in touch despite our busy military careers and travel around the globe, always trying to one up the adventures and stories of the other and planning the next time we would meet. Tragically, in August of 2015, I was informed that Matt was killed in action while on a mission overseas. This was a truly devastating blow to me and our close friends and family, especially since I was supposed to see him in only a few weeks’ time. I am incredibly proud of Matt, who he was, and what he did to protect our freedom every day. I was honored to give the eulogy at his memorial and honored to meet those with whom he served. It has certainly been sad grieving, but I’ve tried to learn from him throughout this process as well. He was such an incredible soldier, leader, brother and friend and what I took away most from him was how much he gave of himself to others and how he lived life to the fullest every day. I would like to thank Matt for my success, for the example he set for me, for the friendship that pushed me to where I am today, and for the courage he gave me to propose to my fiancée. I have so much for which to thank him, but was never able to tell him.
Fun facts about yourself: I am passionate about adventure racing!
Favorite book: The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. This book gave me so much respect for those who came before us, the sacrifices they made and what they did for our country. It made me realize just how much I take for granted, but also how thankful I am for the world we live in today.
Favorite movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It never gets old.
Favorite musical performer: Jack Johnson and the Zac Brown Band.
Favorite television show: Suits. What I would give to have a professional relationship like that which Mike and Harvey have.
Favorite vacation spot: Currently it’s Australia, partly because it’s a beautiful country, but mostly because that’s where my fiancée lives!
Hobbies?Anything that gets me outside. Skiing, sailing, mountain climbing, mountain biking, Adventure Racing, travelling and photography, to name a few. To this day, I still feel like a kid and the world is my playground.
What made Trevor such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“I have been Trevor’s career advisor since he entered the program in the fall of 2014 and have seen his true commitment to excellence in every task he undertakes.
Trevor Clark graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in 2010 with a degree in Civil Engineering, with Honors. He spent the next two years serving aboard a ship in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where he performed humanitarian missions and counter narcotic operations. After an exemplary two tours of duty, he was recognized as the sole Coast Guard Officer selected to pursue dual graduate degrees in Business Administration and Civil Engineering. Trevor is unique in that he is a U.S. Coast Guard Officer, attaining two graduate degrees in two years, and he is obligated to return to military service after graduation. While most of his peers in the MBA program are seeking corporate management careers after graduation, Trevor will return to military service with the intent to help improve government operations by leveraging his MBA and Civil Engineering degrees. Trevor has really taken this to heart, making every attempt in his two years to represent the military and look out for his fellow veterans.
Trevor has built strong friendships among his MBA peers through his involvement in the various social events and athletic activities, but with a particular focus on fellow veterans in the program. He helped to found the Scheller MBA Veterans club, which has brought military veterans together and harnessed their unique skill set to make a positive difference in the Scheller experience. He has also worked hard to become the best qualified Officer he can be by pursuing concentrations in Strategic Management and Operations Management and certificates in Management of Technology and International Management. He has also participated in competitions that challenge his business acumen, including the 2015 Vanderbilt Latin Business Challenge Case Competition, sponsored by Deloitte, at which his team achieved 2nd place. He has also sought out challenges that strengthen his engineering skills, like interning at Ahlberg Engineering Inc., a local geotechnical engineering firm. Finally, he has also sought out challenges that test BOTH his strategic foresight and management capabilities, like working with a local military medical device startup, ARMR Systems LLC, as a strategic advisor and manufacturing lead.
Although Trevor will return to the Coast Guard after earning his degrees, his impact on our program at Scheller will long be remembered.” — Barbara Lindquist, Corporate Relations Manager, Jones MBA Career Center, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business
“The greatest service students can do in their two-year tenure is to help their fellow students…Austin took it upon himself personally to spend countless hours with any student who wanted coaching to review management cases in order to prepare for interviews. He made himself available whenever students requested help, day or night. This is what separates Austin from his peers and what exemplifies his dedication to his classmates and to the school. Selflessness, dedication, effort: this defines Austin’s leadership.”
Age: 28
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
Education: Vanderbilt University, BA in History with a minor in Biology
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? United States Navy, Surface Warfare Officer
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Deloitte Consulting, Dallas Office
Where will you be working after graduation? Deloitte Consulting, Senior Consultant
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business United States Navy Reserve – Officer in Charge of a unit at the Naval Operational Support Center Fort Worth; Consulting Club – President; Awards – Business Dean’s Scholarship; Cox School of Business Merit-Based Scholarship
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of the time I have spent serving as the President of the Consulting Club for three reasons. First, I have had the privilege of putting together a highly functioning team of top achievers in our class who also share a passion for not only giving back, but also for helping students achieve their professional goals. My team was selected because the team members had all successfully attained a consulting internship the prior summer and were uniquely positioned to provide feedback and guidance for the new class of students. Second, my team and I were able to adapt our consulting preparation at SMU to better reflect what firms are looking for. Understanding the need for individualized attention and mentorship, we shifted our model from primarily group preparation to one that highlighted primarily individual preparation, where my team and I could sit down one-on- one with students and focus on important aspects of interview preparation, case analysis, and resume strength. My team’s hard work saw a great return, yielding an increase in participation of 150 percent over last year, but more importantly an increase of 200 percent for placement of students in consulting internships. Third, my team and I were able to continue to strengthen bonds with not only the administration, but also the career center and our SMU Cox alumni. Continuing to solidify our coalition, we have made great in-roads to work hand-in-hand with our career center to not only better serve our students, but to create more continuity from year-to-year now that my team and I see our short tenure as the club’s leaders come to an end.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I was very proud to be selected as an Operations Officer for a squadron of ships in a forward deployed unit and as the aide to our Commodore as a young Lieutenant Junior Grade, a position typically reserved for officers with many more years of experience. Throughout my time with the Commodore, we established an extremely strong rapport which allowed him to vest many responsibilities to me that should have been far beyond my years.
This experience was transformational in many ways. First, it allowed me to not only become experienced in the board room setting, but also to become comfortable briefing CEO equivalent leaders in the military on a frequent basis. Second, it allowed me to further develop my communication skills, needing to articulate the Commodore’s orders to all levels of sailors, from deck seaman to commanding officers, as well as to articulate their feedback to him in a manner that allowed us to quickly and adeptly make real time updates to plans. Third, it allowed me to gain a multitude of experience working with multinational coalitions and foreign governments as we served as a forward deployed unit in an active theatre of operation. This international experience peaked my interest in the world of business. My position as the Commodore’s aide played a strong role in my path to business school.
Who is your favorite professor? It’s hard to select just one professor, but I would have to say Helmuth Ludwig has left a strong, lasting impression on me. Helmuth, unlike many of our professors, is an adjunct and still works full time as an Executive Vice President here in Dallas. From Germany originally, he was the perfect person to teach our International Business Strategy course. His well thought out structure to the class enhanced our learning of the material as he used a Socratic approach to discussing cases, intertwined with guest speakers to bring the concepts alive after a discussion.
On day one, he started by teaching five to six frameworks from which one could dissect a problem approaching a firm engaged in international business. The following seven class periods were then applications of those initial frameworks in a variety of situations. At the end of the course, my classmates and I could confidently look at each other and say that we felt comfortable not only with several new frameworks, but also in how to apply them in a real world scenario. What always impressed me about Helmuth is that he had a strong gift for taking ideas out of the classroom. He was excellent at connecting the dots between the theoretical and the practical sides of the implementation of ideas in real world scenarios.
Favorite MBA Courses? I would have to say that my favorite MBA course is a toss-up between courses in Strategy and Analytics/Big Data. The strategy courses are fascinating because of the conversation that ensues from a seemingly terse question, especially when the ‘what if’ scenarios become introduced. The Big Data courses are fascinating, though, because they are at the cutting edge of what is relevant in today’s business environment. A mentor once told me that when he started in business (about 60 years ago), you could learn one thing a month and stay ahead of the competition. The pace that one is required to learn new material has exponentially increased as time has progressed and we see that being illustrated brilliantly in the work of Analytics.
Why did you choose this business school? For me, the Cox School of Business was a natural choice. Not only was I born and raised in Dallas, but my family still lives here. Additionally, my father had earned his MBA from SMU Cox after he had completed his service in the Navy, so I had already been able to see firsthand how impactful a Cox MBA is. In addition to the strong alumni network Cox touts, the ace up the school’s sleeve is its location in the vibrant business landscape of Dallas, one of the fastest growing job markets in our country. SMU Cox seemed like the perfect choice.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow classmates and hear about the diverse array of experiences and backgrounds that we all brought to our conversations. Coming from the military, I was more or less used to being around people with similar approaches to scenarios. What was fascinating to hear in and out of class was the approach that everyone would take to the same situation – same information, same parameters – and take starkly different approaches. What was great was that very few approaches were ever wrong once you were able to further dissect the respective answers and understand their approaches. This realization highlighted further for me the necessity of diversity on teams to allow natural synergies to help lead us to the best solution for a problem. I thoroughly look forward to keeping up with my classmates and seeing the heights that they are all able to achieve.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The most surprising thing about business school was that a large majority of our class came in either not knowing what industry they wanted to pursue a career in or changing that potential career from what they initially thought they wanted to do. It highlighted to me that the first several months of business school provide a great opportunity to survey as many industries and careers as you would like. I know coming from the military, I was at first apprehensive of being undecided as to what career I wanted to pursue on day one. I had little private sector experience and thought that would put me far behind the power curve. It was reassuring to know that I was not only not alone in that feeling, but that many from the administration were encouraging us to pursue many different avenues to meet with as many alumni as possible to give us the tools we needed to make the most informed decision possible. I am very thankful for all of my meetings and experiences and for everyone who took 20 minutes out of their day to talk to a first year MBA student. All of those engagements have made me fully confident that I have selected the right career for me.
What was the hardest part of business school? The hardest part about business school was most certainly mastering time management. Especially during that first year, you really feel like you are drinking from a fire hose – you’re trying to get a handle on a difficult course load, having a plethora of info sessions to attend, becoming active in clubs, trying to balance your home life, all while trying to remember how to be a student again after years in the work force.
The long days and intense preparation paid off though. And that is the message we try to pass along to the next year’s students. Hard work now can have long lasting rewards down the road. But between second year students, the alumni, the career center, and the administration, there are many resources there to help you learn to manage an overloaded schedule, and also help you succeed as students further developed their time management skills.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I saw the positive impact that my dad was able to have on so many people’s lives. As I will mention shortly, I had originally planned on going into healthcare for that very reason – of being able to help people. But when I began to understand the role that business truly has, not only in our country but also in the world, I knew this was the right path for me.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…a cardiothoracic surgeon.”
What are your long-term professional goals? My long-term professional goals still take the form of larger ideals versus specific points. I absolutely loved my work over the summer and cannot wait to start in the consulting world full-time after graduation. Not only is the work extremely rewarding, but I find it extremely exhilarating to have the privilege of being around so many great, interesting people on a day-to-day basis. I hope to still be as enthusiastic 30 years from now as I am today about the work I am doing. I always hope to be able to provide for my family on a level that allows us to enjoy time together. I still hope it will be impactful and meaningful and more than just a paycheck. I think most people want to help others – not only is it an admirable goal, but it is something that we grow up being taught is the pinnacle of success. Until just a few years ago, my understanding of ‘helping people’ was primarily relegated to the field of health care, where you could make a quick, tangible, and positive effect on someone’s life. It wasn’t until a conversation with my dad years after undergraduate school that I realized that same ability to help people was even more prevalent in the business world – where you could create jobs for people and truly impact their quality of life through not only employment, but also innovation. I am extremely enthusiastic about the prospects of my role in consulting, and I look forward to helping many top tier companies and am anxious to see what path this work leads me down.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’d like to thank my family – my father, mother, brother, grandparents, and fiancé – for their unwavering support not only throughout my entire MBA experience, but my entire life. From my parents’ hard work throughout their life to light a great path for my brother and me to follow to their continued sound counsel and guidance, I would neither be who I am or able to accomplish the things that I have without their strength, support, and direction. My family truly is the center of my world and I will always be thankful for their continued role in my life.
Fun fact about yourself: Prior to joining the Navy, I worked in a radiation oncology research lab and am a published cancer biologist.
Favorite book: Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger
Favorite movie: The Big Short
Favorite musical performer: Randy Rogers Band
Favorite television show: Shark Tank
Favorite vacation spot: Destin, Florida
Hobbies? Spending time with my family, working out, and trying to become handier at home repairs
What made Austin such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Austin Ayres is someone who has led by example. He arrived at SMU Cox with a strong naval officer background and little business experience, but he soon found a strong niche in consulting. His hard work and dedication to academic excellence has been an inspiration. Despite his minimal business background, he took every challenge head on and did very well in all of his course work. Ultimately, he parlayed his degree work and volunteer experience into a great summer internship at Deloitte, followed by a stellar post-graduate job offer, and a key Cox leadership position as President of the Cox Managing Consulting Club. He has made it a key point to work hand-in-hand with students, alumni, and the administration to form a coalition for success that has helped set our consulting club on track for success for years to come.
The greatest service students can do in their two-year tenure is to help their fellow students. This is where much of the learning in business school takes place. Austin took it upon himself personally to spend countless hours with any student who wanted coaching to review management cases in order to prepare for interviews. He made himself available whenever students requested help, day or night. This is what separates Austin from his peers and what exemplifies his dedication to his classmates and to the school. Selflessness, dedication, effort: this defines Austin’s leadership, and it’s why SMU Cox nominates Austin Ayres.” — Michael Caplan, Assistant Dean, Student Services for Graduate Programs, Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2019: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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ESADE
“There is no right or wrong. Everything depends on your expectations, perspective, and current situation. I believe this is important because in the MBA we learn to be better leaders, which means you must know your facts, your people, analyse situations critically, have a vision about where to go, and be brave enough to make decisions.”
Age: 35
Hometown: Brasília, Brazil
Undergraduate School and Degree: Universidade de Brasília (UnB) – BA in Architecture and Urbanism
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Brookfield Incorporações – Customer Relations Coordinator
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? WerfenLife – Barcelona / Gas Natural – Barcelona
Where will you be working after graduation? Still deciding on the best offer …
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Head of the Class Gift Committee – I led a team of 3 volunteers to collect funds for a Full-time MBA Scholarship for a student in the Class of 2018 (details in the next question)
Vice-President of Careers, Design & Innovation Club – Responsible for events connecting directly companies with students and creating an accessible network to seek information and advice about career opportunities in Innovation.
Director of Events, Women in Business Club – Responsible for events for the relaunching of the Women in Business Club at ESADE.
Class delegate, MBA Class of 2016 – Actied as a bridge between students, faculty and staff to facilitate the academic experience for the ESADE Full-time MBA Class 2016.
Student Fellow for Latin America, ESADE Admission Office – Selected by the LATAM Admissions Director to ensure the academic, professional and cultural fit of prospective candidates coming from Spanish/Portuguese-speaking countries with the ESADE Full-time MBA
Women of the World scholarship award –Scholarship dedicated to support female MBA candidates with significant international exposure and with unique intercultural perspectives.
Head of the Yearbook project for Class 2016 – I led a team of two volunteers to put together the yearbook of MBA Class of 2016 and the profits were donated to the Class Gift initiative.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Building on ESADE´s core value of collaboration and continuing an initiative started by the class of 2015, I led the class gift project for my class. As we all know the financial burden that comes with an MBA, the goal we set was to raise funds to create a scholarship for a student in the class of 2018. As a group of four volunteers, we challenged ourselves to raise 10,000 euros in just one month. We quickly put together a plan of fundraising activities. Among them were social events, such as “Casa Crawls” – student organised parties and brunches in the form of a pub-crawl, events at ESADE and donation campaigns (e.g. branded sweatshirts and the classbook). After a lot of hard effort from the team and outstanding support from students and the ESADE Foundation, we surpassed our goal by 20%. I will be very proud to announce the result to our whole class and the public at our upcoming graduation. It moves me that we came together as one enabling a student to study at ESADE and maintain the legacy of ‘building a better ESADE’ for future generations of MBAs.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At Livraria Cultura, I ran a project to review all the processes related to customer services, redesign the interactions and information flows, leverage synergies, downsize the organisational structure, and align the new process across all 14 stores. A multidisciplinary team and I worked intensively for six months and the results surpassed our expectations. I was very proud to present to the CEO and the board of directors results that included: substantial R$ 1M (€400k) annual savings; 40% reduction in customer complaints; 20% efficiencies gains in customer services; and a training programme for 1,000 back and front office employees. I am very proud of this project in terms of results, and for all the learning experience I gained. I really pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. I am very proud of the personal growth I achieved through this project.
Who is your favorite professor? Oriol Iglesias, associate professor in the marketing department, is my favourite professor as he involves the students in the learning experience and really challenges everyone to think strategically and globally. His interactive and fun teaching style makes his classes so engaging that I was always looking forward to the next class.
Favorite MBA Courses? International Business Strategy with Constance Lütolf-Carroll
Why did you choose this business school? I chose ESADE for its diverse and flexible programme. Since I have a BA in Architecture and Urbanism, I wanted to complement my experience with business studies to propel my career. ESADE offers a wide portfolio of classes that provides a unique learning experience and many extracurricular activities to develop a strong set of skills. Also, the collaborative spirit and welcoming culture at ESADE was a perfect fit for my profile. Most importantly, I had always wanted to live in Barcelona for a while, and so everything fitted perfectly.
What did you enjoy most about business school? Being with people from more than 40 nationalities and different backgrounds was such an enriching experience. We could learn from each other inside and outside the classroom, and there was so much to discover about different cultures and ways of doing things.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? That there is no right or wrong. Everything depends on your expectations, perspective, and current situation. I believe this is important because in the MBA we learn to be better leaders, which means you must know your facts, your people, analyse situations critically, have a vision about where to go, and be brave enough to make decisions.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? Realising that you can do so much more than you thought you could. The MBA challenges you every minute to cross your boundaries and prove yourself. And you know what? You can do it! It is an amazing discovery.
What was the hardest part of business school? Making choices. At ESADE we have many optional and extracurricular activities (such as clubs, labs, case competitions, and treks) that it becomes difficult to make choices. You learn to set priorities all the time.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Your MBA starts long before the classes start. To make the most of the experience, be prepared and focus on your goals so you can make smart choices, but at the same time have an open mind to explore new paths. That is what the MBA can provide: new experiences and the opportunity to change your life completely… if you want to, of course.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that the growth and the opportunities in my professional life back in Brazil were too limited for what I expect to accomplish.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…still be looking for a way to go to business school!”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Walt Disney for his passion and drive to make his dreams come true.
What are your long-term professional goals? When I think about the future I see myself fighting to make the world a better place. I would love to work for a charity, or have my own venture for projects that have a major impact in local communities. I believe that changes start on a small scale where you can change behaviours and open minds. I also think a lot about the kind of legacy I will leave my children, not only in words, but in putting beliefs into practice.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I thank my parents for giving me a great education, even in tough times, and teaching me important values from childhood such as discipline, commitment, hard work, and respect for people. I truly believe that the foundation they provided helped me through life. Looking back, I am really proud of what I have achieved so far.
Fun fact about yourself: I practiced ballroom dancing for many years and my favourites are zouk and west coast.
Favorite book: All the books from ‘The Tudor Court Novels’ by Philippa Gregory
Favorite movie: Dirty Dancing
Favorite musical performer: I am listening a lot to Adele.
Favorite television show: Currently addicted to Scandal and House of Cards.
Favorite vacation spot: Japaratinga, Alagoas (Brazil).
Hobbies? I love reading a good book, learning different artwork techniques (I recently learnt felt art), discovering new and exotic cuisines, and walking around.
What made Paula such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Paula has been an extremely committed student and has shown a very genuine interest ever since she joined the MBA back in September 2014. She has played a leading role in the programme with an outstanding impact on the experience of all her classmates.
She was elected student representative by her class during the first months of the programme. In this extremely challenging role, she performed an outstanding job as the main point of contact between her classmates and the programme administration. She always worked for the common good – benefitting the student body as well as the MBA Programme and ESADE.
In addition to class representation, she also excelled by leading voluntary but very ambitious projects throughout the programme. She led the organising committee of the Innovation Summit (an MBA flagship event that brings together companies and top talent in a dynamic problem-solving environment). Paula also led the Class Gift Campaign (a very challenging initiative that raises funds for a scholarship for an MBA candidate in the next intake and her team managed to surpass the ambitious objective). Paula also coordinated the Graduation Yearbook – summarising 18 months of academic and non-academic activities in a single album with the contribution of the entire student body and subsequent editing work.
In each of these projects she has far exceeded expectations, showing great self-discipline and incredible organisational skills, continuously proving to be an empathetic, passionate, and engaged professional with excellent leadership skills.
We are extremely grateful for having had a student like Paula in the Class of 2016 and hope that many more candidates with a similar commitment to the school will join the programme in the future.” — Neus Marcet Risa, Programme Director, Full Time MBA, ESADE Business School
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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Babson College
“Babson does not have a shortage of ideas, but few students so effectively take action as Sid did while an MBA student in our two-year program. He identified the needs of our students—access to programming, low-cost yet high caliber opportunities, and effective promotion of new initiatives and campus traditions.”
Age: 28
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Education: Bachelors of Engineering, Thapar University, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Siemens Ltd., India and P.K.Astir & Co., India
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? VaynerMedia, New York
Where will you be working after graduation? VaynerMedia, New York or P.K. Astir & Co., India
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Executive Vice President, Graduate Student Council
President, Design Thinking Club
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? The proudest moment for me was when I pulled off a campus-wide event thereby helping various parties involved. RECESS (national pitch competition) and Babson were trying to build a relationship for a long time. And I, with the help of a few other MBAs, was able to bring RECESS to Babson for the first ever student-run forum with a networking fair, speaker series, and a pitch competition. The winners of the pitch competition were given the opportunity to pitch at the RECESS Field Trip in LA to investors like Mark Cuban, Tim Draper, etc. Leading the event and working with various stakeholders to ensure its success on a tight timeline, helped me grow as an individual. Babson and RECESS benefitted from this relationship and are doing another event in April 2016. The winning teams got exposure to investors that they might not have had access to otherwise.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The proudest moment of my professional career was when I successfully grew my company’s (P.K.Astir & Co.) revenue by more than 100% in less than 2 years of taking the reins.
Here, I applied my previously-acquired marketing and engineering skills at Siemens and tried to reorganize the company structure. I actively involved myself with the business, learned its strengths and gaps, and restructured the coding for inventory management system, as well as various fabrics and designs.
Assigning different codes for different parts of the warehouses helped in reducing the time required to locate specific products. This made cross-functional coordination efficient and reduced the inventory by 10% in less than one year. Different design coding for different designs and makes of products helped the customers to identify the products easily along with the content ratios of nylon, cotton, rayon or polyester. Systemized coding has reduced customer order errors by 90% and the delivery time and labor required by more than 50%. Apart from the enhanced credibility, it also helped us to cater to a broader range of customers that were initially unapproachable.
All these efforts, when combined, helped us achieve 20% increase in sales in less than one year. The end result was that from working with local manufacturers and traders, we start working with big Brands like Lucky, Zara, Forever21, and DKNY.
Who is your favorite professor? Michael May because the learning and discussions in class are relevant to all walks of life. His expansive experience in the Consulting industry and the challenges faced while leading Accenture Strategy were blended so nicely into the course that they have stuck with us forever. Be it interviews, negotiations or even conversations, the concept of Peerism (or arriving at the table as an equal) has been the most helpful learning in life through negotiations, interviews and conversations when meeting new people.
Favorite MBA Courses? Management Consulting for the same reasons as above.
Why did you choose this business school? Babson has ranked #1 in entrepreneurship for the last 23 years and there is a very strong reason for that. All faculty at Babson have either run or are currently running a business. The insights you get from professors’ real life experiences are the best learning experiences. Unlike most business schools, Babson students are very collaborative and are always willing to go out of their way to help a fellow student. The resources like Blank Center (entrepreneurship) and Cutler Center (investment and finance) are very unique, and making full use of these can kick-start every MBA’s journey to success. Making full use of these resources helped me kick start my idea, Cleanzy, through the Rocket Pitch event at Babson.
What did you enjoy most about business school? The Best part of my MBA experience has been the ability to take risks. I have completely transformed as a person and that was only possible because we were in an environment that rewards where taking risks and trying new things. Goiong from being and introvert and risk averse individual to the Executive Vice President of Graduate Student Council has been the most interesting journey. The politics of being in the Student Council, the creativity experienced while being the president of the Design Thinking Club, and the adrenaline rush while successfully executing full-day events have changed me completely as a human being and prepared me for the real life scenario.
My best experience was building a centralized Calendar for Babson Graduate students. Listening to feedback from students and understanding the need for having a central resource to see all that’s happening at Babson, I decided to develop a solution that would be helpful to all students. After months of student interviews, focus groups and secondary research, I, along with the President of the Undergraduate School, proposed a Centralized Google Calendar with Babson wherein various departments can add their events and the students can see it in their Google calendar itself. We achieved an adoption rate of over 80% amongst graduate students. Additionally, I have received multiple emails from college departments asking how they can replicate this process or add their events to our student calendar. All this has proven the success and sustenance of this initiative.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? The biggest lesson I gained from B-School is from my failure. My startup, Cleanzy, was nominated in November 2014 as one of the top 10 Startups to Look Forward To in 2015. The initial buzz around my product was very good and I started working on building a prototype. However, I soon had a lot of doubts about the feasibility of the technology. The doubts clouded my mind and to date I have not been able to develop the complete prototype. The biggest learning here is that execution is everything. From a top-10 startup to a dormant startup, Cleanzy has made me realize the value of execution and now I have learned the value of the word ‘Action’ in Babson’s most important fundamentals – ET&A (Entrepreneurial Thought and Action).
What was the most surprising thing about business school? The most surprising thing about business school for me is high level of collaboration. I always thought that top MBA schools would be very competitive and the cut-throat. However, at Babson, they are looking for opportunities to collaborate within and also outside Babson. The Entrepreneurial spirit at Babson, and with so many Entrepreneurs around you, makes you see the world differently. The belief that people have in themselves and the trust they show in their peers helps in building a strong network and lifelong relationships.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? My best advice to an applicant to my school is to explore your limits at Babson. Put yourself in an uncomfortable position and let your personality take over. The learning from failures is the best, and Babson encourages smart failure. Whenever we are trying to do something, it is important to do your research/homework before you give it all. A very famous quote that I have learned to live by is – “Only those who work, make mistakes.” So never worry about making a mistake, as long as your learn from it. Time management would be very important at B-School and I have learned the art after coming to Babson. Juggling responsibilities with the Graduate Student Council, Design Thinking Club, VaynerMedia and Babson India Symposium has helped me become organized and realize the limits to which we can stretch ourselves everyday.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I was leading a $1 million business and needed to expand it to a greater scale. I felt that I needed to learn certain skillsets to be able to execute on the expansion plans.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…a professional soccer player in the English Premier League.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? Gary Vaynerchuk – Working with a 40 under 40 CEO for the last one-year has changed the way I do many things in life. His philosophy of giving value before asking for anything in return has really changed the way I interact with people around me.
What are your long-term professional goals? Post MBA, in the short term, I plan to focus on my development as an Individual. With Gary Vaynerchuk as a mentor while working for VaynerMedia, I look forward to establishing myself in the advertising industry and helping in the brand recognition of Babson as well.
In the long term, I intend return to my family business where I strive to expand the business on the global level (starting with the South Asian market, wherein my company would be the most sought after and trusted brand for all knitted fabric orders generated there). It would involve catering to orders from the best export and buying houses in South Asia. The learning from my expansion in this market will equip me with the right approach towards expanding in to the unexplored markets all over the world. My vision is to venture into garment manufacturing for the international market, by associating with leading brands simultaneously launching our own fashion line.
The ultimate goal is to build the brand ‘Astir’ worldwide just as today, in India, the word ‘Astir’ is synonymous with quality lace products being one of the first in the industry. This would involve learning the best quality assurance measures adopted worldwide, along with the quality standards present in each country. Also, it would require us to build a strong foundation in manufacturing to ensure timely deliveries along with a knowledgeable logistical network to prevent unnecessary delays and ensure cost effectiveness. All these would require the backing of effective brand management.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? The backbone to my success is my parents. My mother has been the visionary who wants me to achieve the impossible and I have tested my limits only because she believed I could. My father has been supportive from the very beginning of my career, be it at Siemens or at P.K.Astir & Co. He allowed me to take the reigns of the Family business when I had not proven myself. The trust and belief they have in me is the biggest motivator for me to achieve everything I have at Babson and beyond.
Fun fact about yourself: I write inspirational quotes, with over 100 published quotes on Quotes.net. My Favorite being: “ Everyone has a fingerprint, not to distinguish oneself, but to give us an equal opportunity to leave our mark on this world”.
Favorite book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite musical performer: Robin Schulz
Favorite television show: House of Cards
Favorite vacation spot: I love travelling – Most recent is Costa Rica because of Spring Break.
Hobbies? Playing Soccer, Writing, Listening to music, reading about random facts on the Internet, Try new adventure sports, Following the English Premier League, Formula1, ATP grand slams and Cricket.
What made Siddharth such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Sid’s initiative and thoughtful engagement with the college, peers, and staff/faculty has had an undeniably positive impact on campus life. Babson does not have a shortage of ideas, but few students so effectively take action as Sid did while an MBA student in our two-year program. He identified the needs of our students—access to programming, low-cost yet high caliber opportunities, and effective promotion of new initiatives and campus traditions.
Sid brought in the pitch competition RECESS to campus, which supported two Babson startups moving forward to the national competition. He is a founder of the first Babson India Symposium and is a strong influencer among the student leadership team, guided the group to deliver an event with more than three hundred attendees and fourteen speakers. He is also the Co-President of our Design Thinking Club, which is one of our top student organizations in terms of attendance, events, and effectiveness on campus through offerings like a Design Sprint Challenge with executives from Luxottica. As a member of the Graduate Student Council, this role has been a conduit for Sid to foster Babson traditions and leave them stronger that he found them.
Sid is leaving a lasting impression on Babson and his peers. He is a model student who is leaving a legacy with the college, and I have no doubt that Sid will continue to be an extraordinary person throughout his career.” — Chuck Collins, Associate Director, Graduate Student Affairs, Babson College
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2019: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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UC-Berkeley, Haas School of Business
“Here is why Sarah is such a powerful leader: She asks smart, great, clear, concise questions and there is no way you cannot answer. She collects data, presents it clearly, analyzes, and develops the best strategy moving forward. She understands the problem, but spends far longer on developing a fleet of solutions. She presents these solutions with so much gravitas, data, and logic- and mixes it with emotional intelligence, grace, charm and persuasive communication acumen. We will see her on a national ballot some day.”
Age: 28
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Education: New York University, Stern School of Business, B.S. Finance and Management and Organizational Behavior (Magna Cum Laude)
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Bloomberg- Analytics Team Leader; Kiva – Kiva Zip Marketing Intern; HotelTonight- Market Manager
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? Branch International, Nairobi, Kenya
Where will you be working after graduation? Branch International, Operations Manager
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:
Leadership Roles: Co-Chair, Week Zero (MBA Orientation); Co-Leader, Gender Equity Initiative; VP Finance, Net Impact Club; Berkeley Leadership Fellow; Graduate Student Instructor; Team Lead, Haas Impact Investing Network (HIIN); Berkeley Board Fellow; VP Social, Latin American & Hispanic Business Association
Awards: Haas Leadership Fellow Scholarship; MBA Impact Investing Network & Training Program (MIINT) “Best Due Diligence”
Community: Reading Partners tutor
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? While I have had a number of meaningful experiences at Haas of which I am very proud, I am most proud of my work with the Haas Gender Equity Initiative (GEI). We have reached university leaders, faculty, staff, and students through a model that was so effective that it is being adapted for other initiatives now, such as an initiative for underrepresented minorities.
In the Spring of 2015, I worked on a team with two other student leaders to analyze how gender played a role in social programming at Haas and in our learning culture. In response to survey and focus group data, we collaborated with faculty and staff to launch a new learning culture component during first-year MBA orientation week. We also worked with Challenge 4 Charity to reconceive our November fundraising events to make them more inclusive. For example, we turned “No Shave November” into “No Limits November” to invite all students to fundraise in creative ways. The semester culminated in a presentation to the Dean and Chief Strategy & Operating Officer of our work and suggestions for next steps.
In Fall 2015, I worked with two other student leaders on gender equity within the context of admissions, as well as with our academics team (there was a great deal of overlap with learning culture and the academics work). We focused our work on producing strategies and potential solutions for the admissions team to implement in order to bring even more high-achieving women to Berkeley-Haas. At the end of the semester, I presented our work related to academics with two other GEI members to tenured faculty. We continue to make Haas a stronger and more inclusive environment, in and out of the classroom.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my work in Kenya during my MBA internship with Branch International, a mobile micro-lending startup. For three months, Branch trusted and believed in me to launch the Nairobi office and operations, hire and manage a team, and reconceive and design the features of our product.
Who is your favorite professor? This question will get me in trouble! 
I have many favorite professors, including Kellie McElhaney, Yaniv Konchitchki, and Richard Sloan. They are experts in their field, lead breakthrough research, are warm and inspirational in the classroom, and support me in extracurricular projects and research outside of the classroom.
Favorite MBA Courses? Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Financial Information Analysis, New Venture Finance, Business Case for Investing in Women
Why did you choose this business school? Haas was my first choice because of its well-renowned social impact programming (Institute for Business and Social Impact, Center for Responsible Business, Center for Social Sector Leadership, etc.), its small class size, and the global reputation of Berkeley academics.
What did you enjoy most about business school? I most enjoyed the spirit of personal development among my peers. I was constantly impressed by their healthy, respectful debate in and out of the classroom. In addition, we push each other to grow in terms of interpersonal skills and self-confidence.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? MBAs are more than just generalists. Certainly, business school provides a well-rounded skill set. However, you get two years to go very deeply into new fields that might not have been readily available to you before. It’s your chance to break into a new industry, build a network of mentors and allies, and develop expertise that is valuable immediately.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? My classmates must be the most thoughtful, caring, and inspiring group of MBAs in the world! I was surprised – and delighted – to learn how much Haasies help one-another. We share notes, help each other prepare for exams and interviews, and generally lift each other up.
What was the hardest part of business school? There are many challenges in business school, including the academic rigor, job search, and competing extracurricular opportunities. The hardest part was acknowledging that I would not have time to do it all, and then prioritizing all of the amazing opportunities Haas has to offer. In order to make tough decisions on how and when to participate, I reflected often on why I came to business school. I prioritized experiences that would increase the breadth of my knowledge of social impact and round out my skillset. I found ways to socialize with my classmates that allowed my partner to be included in the friendship-making. I asked staff, faculty, and alumni for advice when I felt overwhelmed or needed direction.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that the purpose of business was to invest in the future, and that I could marry social impact with financial sustainability.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…less confident, less well-rounded, less satisfied, and less networked!”
What are your long-term professional goals? I aspire to launch and run a social enterprise focused on women’s empowerment, food security, or financial inclusion. I also want to be a farmer.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I want to thank my partner, Mark, for his unending support. He encouraged me while studying for the GMAT, moved to Berkeley with me, helps take care of our home and our dog, participates in Haas events (on class treks and in costume), encouraged me to intern in Kenya, and listens patiently and actively.
Fun fact about yourself: I co-founded the Innovators Network Bay Area, a networking and fundraising group that supports the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and, in particular, Project Violet. Project Violet is best known for “tumor paint”, a molecular flashlight derived from scorpion venom, which chemically adheres to cancer cells and causes them to light up (currently in Phase II clinical trials).
Favorite book: Harry Potter series
Favorite movie: The Princess Bride
Favorite musical performer: Eric Tait, Jr. (my brother, Owner/Engineer/Producer at The Farm Recording & Production Services)
Favorite television show: South Park
Favorite vacation spot: Cape May, NJ
Hobbies? Walking my dog, playing and watching football, cooking
What made Sarah such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Sarah was in my Business Case for Investing in Women course. I ask the students to go around and say why they chose to take this class. Sarah’s response: “Because I’ve been a bad ass feminist since I was born.”
For one assignment in which they were simply supposed to “role play” a debate on the value of investing in women, Sarah engaged an ACTUAL former boss in an ACTUAL situation to convince him to invest in women in their supply chain. She doesn’t wait one minute to make change. As she got engaged in the middle of the semester, for her final assignment she developed her wedding web site…except she called it Our Feminist Wedding. Even writing about it gives me chills. It looked like a traditional wedding web site. Under VOWS she included real discussions and pacts that she and her partner had made about career choices, childcare choices, and making the last name decision. Under LOCATION she talked about a world in which women and men were equal. Brilliant. Sarah went on to lead the Gender Equity Initiative and took it to a new level, including a presentation to all faculty. Students RARELY get to present to all faculty, and they are in no way an easy crowd. Sarah was undaunted, and wowed the audience. Here is why Sarah is such a powerful leader: She asks smart, great, clear, concise questions and there is no way you cannot answer. She collects data, presents it clearly, analyzes, and develops the best strategy moving forward. She understands the problem, but spends far longer on developing a fleet of solutions. She presents these solutions with so much gravitas, data, and logic- and mixes it with emotional intelligence, grace, charm and persuasive communication acumen. We will see her on a national ballot some day.” — Kellie McElhaney, Adjunct Professor, Faculty Director, Institute for Business and Social Impact, UC-Berkeley, Haas School of Business
“I had the pleasure of partnering with Sarah on planning Week Zero, Haas’ week-long orientation program. From day one of working with her, she blew me away with her determination, grace and creativity. Sarah’s approach to Week Zero mirrored her approach to her own MBA experience – innovative, intentional, and flawlessly executed.
Sarah was instrumental in making our orientation the most successful to-date by shaping and influencing the programming so that the themes and messaging were seamlessly integrated and reinforced throughout the week. This was exemplified by her work on co-creating a session on learning culture. She evaluated the feedback from the previous orientation to identify why this session had not been successful. She pulled in the work she had done for the Gender Equity Initiative to highlight the key issues that needed to be addressed to help the first years create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Sarah helped lead the design/creation of the session and then ensured that each component and detail adhered to our objectives, by providing feedback, creative solutions and leveraging her work and knowledge from the Gender Equity Initiative. This resulted in our first-year students having buy-in to our learning culture and making them committed to creating an inclusive and supportive classroom experience for each other.
Sarah’s persuasive and charming communication style was in full-effect during the creation of Week Zero, and through the week itself. The first year students fell in love with her and respected every word that came out of her mouth from immediately quieting down when asked to listening with rapt attention while she spoke about how she navigated her first year. She is warm, authentic, so funny and wickedly smart. I wanted to end this by naming her biggest power. She’s so versatile and possesses too many outstanding qualities to just pick one. So I’ll say that her biggest power is being herself, Sarah Tait. And we were so lucky to have her!” — Julia Rosof, Associate Director of Student Affairs, Full-Time MBA Program, UC-Berkeley, Haas School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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University of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business
“Dan Fishman made my job easier. And a joy!”
Age: 29
Hometown: La Canada, CA
Education: Georgetown University (School of Foreign Service), Bachelors of Science in Foreign Service
Where did you work before enrolling in business school? The Philanthropy Roundtable, Director of K-12 Education Programs
Where did you intern during the summer of 2015?
MBAs Across America
MBAx Fellow
Where will you be working after graduation? Startup TBD
Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School
President, Berkeley Haas MBA Association (student government) Co-founder, Hot Topics (organized discussions led by MBA students on challenging issues such as race, class, religion) Co-founder, Berkeley Leaders Lab Fellow, Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, Admissions working group member, Race Inclusion Initiative Graduate assistant, Navigating the Human Pathway (a new course bringing together a dozen+ undergrads and a dozen+ volunteers 65+ years old to design solutions for aging-related challenges) Board member, Alpha Public Schools (public charter school network)Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Over the past year, I was part of a team of six professional staff, students and faculty who developed and piloted a new leadership program for all first year MBAs. While this pilot had a rocky start, it was a chance for us to get scores of core faculty members, Haas leaders, and students together to decide what values and skills we believe every Haasie should command when they graduate. It also challenged us to determine: If we only have a finite number of gatherings, lectures, and simulations to develop “the Berkeley leader,” what qualities do we want that leader to embody? What culture do we want our own to carry forward after Haas, and how do we practice for this, rather than merely talk about it? We’re refining how we get to this point, but jumping out and doing this has had a cascading effect on program culture and academic coursework. It has also allowed us to bring 241 more Haasies into the effort to build a program that reflects this vision.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I worked for The Philanthropy Roundtable, I had the opportunity to help visionary philanthropists dramatically improve the educational course of their cities.
In San Antonio, a combination of factors—including strong philanthropic leadership and huge unmet demand for quality school options—allowed me to support and learn from a cadre of generous citizens who were in the process of dramatically expanding the number and variety of high-quality public school options in the city. I provided these philanthropists and other civic leaders—a core of 6 individuals, alongside a broader group of 200—with guidance to attract, support, and grow the highest-performing school networks (five additional school networks committed and three broke ground by the time I left). Through three conferences and site visits over two years, I also helped them build a much larger consortium of citizens dedicated to supporting this effort, which has now raised over $35 million. Thanks to this effort, the schools flocking to San Antonio include some of the nation’s very best public charter schools. Thousands of students already have exponentially better school options, and tens of thousands more will in the coming years.
Favorite MBA Courses? Entrepreneurship, which affirmed for me that you don’t need to have a genius IQ or flying-car technology to start a thriving business that can improve the life of your customers and turn a healthy profit. While many of the cases we explored dealt with heavy-hitting companies like AirBnB, the discussion that I remember most was about a regular Joe who decided to start his own board game company. He partnered for virtually everything he needed to develop, produce, and sell a new game, which went gangbusters. This class, and in particular this case, made clear that successful entrepreneurship rests on resilience, work ethic, and hustle.
Why did you choose this business school? I really struggled with the decision to go to business school. The cost is high, and the opportunity cost even higher. I also wondered about the practicality of more classroom education. Ultimately, however, I decided that in order to accomplish what I want to in my life, I needed a much broader set of abilities, and more disciplined thinking. I also wanted a program that would embrace someone with a non-traditional background as an equal. Haas offered all this. Business isn’t just good at Haas—it’s meant to be a force for good. I was sold when I came to visit and saw students living out our four Defining Principles (Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself) in pursuit of this end.
What did you enjoy most about business school? Having an unending supply of free tee shirts again! Perhaps more importantly: beginning to understand the complexities and nuances of business challenges I thought I understood. For example, I believed I had a decent command of how incentives influence use of our healthcare system before Haas. However, taking Haas courses on healthcare systems with our dual MBA/MPH students made me realize there’s vastly more than meets the eye when it comes to health care utilization incentives. Of course, I’ve immensely enjoyed social life at Haas. I love my classmates and the friendships we’ve formed over the course of two years.
What was the most surprising thing about business school? How much the personal and political worldviews of professors and classmates shape the business school experience, but how little of this is directly addressed. In many ways, business school is an apolitical space, so students don’t grapple with the political views that drive their opinions about the world we live in. This leaves us in strong shape to found and steer businesses, but in poor shape to navigate the waters of public policy. This was a major shift for me after spending seven years in Washington, DC.
What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Be able to compose a 30-second eulogy encapsulating the difference you made with your life. I’ve found Haas to be much more fruitful as I’ve become clearer on the big, meaty problems I want to solve through business. If you don’t have that sort of clarity yet, it’s harder to suck the marrow out of your two frenetic years at Haas, and it will be harder to make a case for why you belong here.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…enough people I trust assured me it wasn’t a live-action version of The Wolf of Wall Street.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working with schools and organizations to ensure they’re preparing high school students to be career-ready, as well as college-ready, by the time they graduate.”
Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? This summer, my MBAs Across America team and I worked with an Iraq veteran and army helicopter pilot named Kevin McManus. Kevin decided he wanted to start a small business in his spare time. With the help of his wife and daughters, he opened up a recycling and scrap yard just off his base in Alabama. He employs a half dozen locals and provides the town and base with a valuable service. He gets up before 4 a.m. every day to arrive at base and train new pilots, then heads over to the scrapyard around noon and works until evening to support his customers and employees. This is backbreaking work. With his crumbs of spare time, he leads a church youth group. Kevin’s work ethic, integrity, and commitment to his community are unparalleled. I admire Kevin tremendously because this is exactly the sort of pillar of a community an entrepreneur can and should be. (Kevin also let me fly in a helicopter simulator, which Elon Musk never did. Kevin 1: Elon 0.)
What are your long-term professional goals? I came to business school because I wanted to focus on three challenges: creating good, upwardly mobile jobs for harder-to-hire populations like ex-offenders; helping develop more economic opportunity on and around Native American reservations (I was a teacher on a reservation); and changing the way seniors age. I want to tackle each in turn. As such, my goals are to develop companies that create lots of well-paid jobs for employees. I want at least one of these to directly help seniors live more purposeful lives as they age. I plan to start with this senior piece as soon as I graduate.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I’m not sure how much I’d say I’ve found success just yet, but I’d very much want to thank my parents for their unflinching love and their support of whatever career it is I choose to pursue. I’m also deeply grateful to my previous boss, Adam Meyerson, for patiently teaching me how to discern substance from hype, earn the trust of believers and skeptics alike, and be a servant leader.
Fun fact about yourself: I was an extra in the Adam Sandler box office bomb Little Nicky. You can just make me out during the scene where a giant bucket of chicken runs through a crowd of onlookers (that sentence wasn’t a typo). This is both the high and low point of my film career. Note that I’m still waiting on a call from Christopher Nolan to play opposite Michael Cane in whatever movie Christopher Nolan is making next.
Favorite book: This is a tie: Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman and Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand
Favorite movie: Forrest Gump
Favorite musical performer: Florence and the Machine
Favorite television show: Friday Night Lights (I coached high school football while with Teach for America – this reminds me of what I loved about the team.)
Favorite vacation spot: Wherever I can get to with a backpack and a beer
Hobbies? I love to run and am trying to get back into rowing. I really enjoy helping my family with agricultural projects around our farm, and drive down to see them every chance I get. I travel often, visit every history museum I can, and love to read historical and biographical books.
What made Dan such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?
“Dan Fishman made my job easier. And a joy! As the president of our student government, he was a tremendous partner to me in representing student interests and being a thought partner in initiatives and decisions we wanted to share with the broader student community. Whether working with me on strengthening our culture, or working with his peers to launch “Hot Topics”—a community event to bring people together to discuss difficult, emotionally charged issues—Dan was a natural leader who commands the respect of his peers because of his thoughtfulness, grounded perspective, transparency, genuine care for others, and passion and drive to make our program the strongest possible experience for students, faculty and staff. He has a wonderful ability to see all perspectives and empathize, which makes him a credible and inspirational leader. He was also fearless in having the difficult conversations with classmates in service of the greater good. I greatly appreciated his incredible level of self-awareness and understanding of where he could add value and where he needed to ask for help. It was rewarding and educational to observe and experience.
In addition to his role as MBAA President, Dan worked closely with me and other administrators to develop and launch a new program for incoming students to develop softer leadership skills and create a space for reflection during an overwhelming transition. Dan played a critical role in helping us shape the program, in particular how and who we selected to be the second-year leadership fellows to guide first-years throughout the process. As with any start-up or pilot initiative, Dan was able to contribute and be a leader because he was able to move forward even though there was great uncertainty. This is because he understands the larger vision and embraces ambiguity. He embodies our values and culture and is a role model who makes me proud to be a part of this community.” — Stephanie Fujii, Assistant Dean, Full-time MBA Program & Admissions, University of California at Berkeley, Haas School of Business
DON’T MISS: CLASS OF 2016: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST GRADUATING MBAS
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