2018 MBAs To Watch: Javier Rodrigo Mendivil Ramirez, IMD Business School - Poets&Quants

Javier Rodrigo Mendivil Ramirez

IMD Business School

“An enthusiast and an optimist, I believe in doing things with heart and enjoying life.”

Age: 34

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun fact about yourself: My morning ritual starts by turning off the 10 consecutive alarms I set on my phone to wake up on time.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor in Engineering, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Procter & Gamble, Continuous Improvement Leader

Where will you be working after graduation? Hach, a Danaher company – Global Product Manager

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Winner of the Debiopharm-Inartis innovation challenge to improve lives of healthcare patients with a team of classmates. .

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My one year old son had to undergo a liver transplant this year. I am proud and ever thankful to my wife, family, faculty and friends for giving me the support and strength to endure the situation while still carrying on with my studies and team responsibilities. 2017 has been by far the best year of my life since my son is cured now, I graduated from a top B-school, and got a job in my dream function and geography.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career?

• Led the manufacturing of the Pampers diapers business in Brazil and its team of 80 people in a complex, highly technical and very flexible operation.
• Led the implementation of effort reduction projects, increasing manufacturing efficiency by 13%, becoming the most productive plant in P&G.
• Increased manufacturing performance reliability by 5.5%, bringing production line performance to the global benchmark level and reducing stops-per-day by 40%.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? The legendary George Kohlrieser. An inspirational expert on leadership and a veteran hostage negotiator who reinforced in me the importance of bonding and mindfulness as essential tools in the leader’s toolkit. Also, he was the only professor I know who can recall with humor being held at knife-point by a kidnapper.

What was your favorite MBA Course The course that I loved the most was Marketing. To me, it was a year-long discovery journey of my passion for this art, which eventually led to a career change. Perhaps the most important learning that I received this year is the necessity to capture the customer’s insights and use them better than your competitors, otherwise you will be disrupted.

Why did you choose this business school? Before the MBA, I took part in the IMD open program “High Performance Leadership” in Brazil. It was the best and most intense leadership training of my life up to that point. The program focused on introspective analysis, learning about myself and what made me perform at my best.

My work group was comprised of people coming from various disciplines, sectors, and nationalities. I thrived during the program and contributed with my own experiences and learning.

I realized during the HPL program that the characteristics I described above were factors of the IMD difference. I was sure then that participating in the top ranked full year IMD MBA would allow me to reach my full potential as a business leader.

Thus, I did not apply to other MBA programs since IMD was my preferred and only choice.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? When preparing for the assessment day, don’t waste time thinking negative things like “What if I don’t make the cut?”. This will derail your efforts and affect your state of mind.

Focus your mind instead on the good things that will come your way once you start the IMD MBA program, the amazing people that you will meet, and the life-long friends that you will make. And have Fun!

What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth was that our study rooms were located deep underground, were affectionately called “The dungeons.” They had no coffee machines, and had a big sign on the door with an inscription that reads: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Turns out in reality, that the study rooms were equipped with coffee machines.

What was your biggest regret in business school? Because of family priorities, I didn’t have sufficient time to bond with all classmates and professors.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My brave classmate, Sergiu Geamanu, who endured excruciating episodes of back pain and would still keep his spirits high and good sense of humor.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My wife, who has supported me from day one to pursue my dreams and who has been my secure base through the ordeal.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…continuing my career in Supply Chain at P&G and perhaps asking myself “What if?”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience?

I would reach out to the multinational companies near our campus and have them participate in the MBA career panel.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

• Going to Machu Picchu with my wife and son, and showing him the greatness of his heritage.
• Taking acting lessons and performing on stage.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? A good friend who leads with heart and never loses hope.

What is your favorite movie about business? Startup.com, a film that chronicles the rise and fall of a nascent company. The biggest lesson for me was how internal power struggles and an unfavorable strategy can asphyxiate a business.

What would your theme song be? “Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen. Works better than coffee as a pick-me-up.

Favorite vacation spot: The splendid beaches of the Ilhabela archipelago in Brazil. Many beautiful memories with my wife eating seafood and drinking cold refreshments in front of a lovely blue sea.

Hobbies? I was introduced to Tango a few years ago and loved it ever since. My wife and I even travelled to Buenos Aires to take lessons with renowned teachers

What made Javier Rodrigo such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“With a proven track record of delivering operational excellence and optimizing productivity, Javier comes with 9+ years consumer goods experience in multinational supply chain and operational management. Proud father, he managed to balance the heavy workload and challenging family circumstances with resilience, constant optimism and integrity.”

IMD Faculty

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2018 MBAs To Watch: Zehra Ali, IMD Business School - Poets&Quants

Zehra Ali

IMD Business School

“Curious and creative – with a passion for problem solving and finding reasons to dance.”

Age: 32

Hometown: Lahore, Pakistan

Fun fact about yourself: I learnt how to drive at the age 30, became a mother at 31 and learnt what it’s like to take exams again at 32.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering; Masters in Technology & Policy

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Ghonsla (means nest in Urdu) – I founded the company in 2009 to provide sustainable building insulation to underserved markets in Pakistan.

Where will you be working after graduation? Borealis, Circular Economy Integration Manager  

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I was a part of the sustainability cluster and presenter at the Navigating the Future conference.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Starting the program, I was nervous and unsure of being able to do justice to and keep up with the rigorous MBA and of being a ‘good’ mother to my 6-month-old daughter. While it was difficult, it was not a disaster – in fact far from it. I grew not only as a professional, but as an individual and with it my capacity to do more in both roles. However, this would not have been possible without the unfailing support of family (particularly my husband) and the IMD community for which I am extremely grateful.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Seeing the company I founded go on to serve and improve the quality of life for over 1,000 households and providing dignified employment for over 50 people in some of the harshest terrains of northern Pakistan.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I enjoyed the various teaching styles at IMD and appreciated how different professors dissected the business cases and helped formulate our thinking around asking the right questions. While working on the consulting project, I was much inspired by Howard Yu, the professor of Strategic Management and Innovation, whose enlightening insights and contagious energy made it a memorable experience.

What was your favorite MBA Course There is not a particular course that I enjoyed most. Rather, it was the classes, integrative exercises and the projects that required thinking across different disciplines that provided the rigor and holistic approach which I particularly liked.

Why did you choose this business school? IMD’s focus on personal leadership, the unparalleled opportunity to work on diverse teams and the strong corporate learning network.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Be proactive about seeking change and more mindful about what drives you. While experience is important, passion and ability to learn on the go can open up a host of new opportunities and catapult both professional and personal growth.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Alumni had previously warned that the first six months of the program would be extremely rigorous and that it might feel like drinking from a fire hose. Social life and having time to think would be a luxury. While true, the intensive time spent with peers and also opportunities to engage with their families was key for building lasting relationships. Also, though gaining time to think was an acquired art – the leadership stream and the personal development elective were the perfect channel to introspect and think aloud.

What was your biggest regret in business school? While the small IMD class size enables close interaction, there is always the feeling of only having scratched the surface of getting to know and work with the people one has learnt to understand, respect and appreciate. In that context, I would have loved to have more time to explore, to challenge and to work on solutions to real world problems. I am hopeful that as active alumni we can do more of that.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I have been moved by the generosity, resilience and brilliance of my peers. As a young parent, I was particularly inspired by the other mothers in the program (Abeer and Sophie) and also the amazing partners whose support made it an enriching experience for all.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? There was a latent desire to pursue business education in a more formal context. I ventured into the realm of business with the attitude of learning on the job. While most startups have their growing pains, I soon saw that there was also a need to bolster my leadership. I saw the MBA as an opportunity to refine my thought process around business. More importantly, it was a gateway to joining a community of others who were committed to reflecting, understanding and reorienting to what it takes to lead and manage today.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…continuing to manage the company that I founded and more proactively seeking advice from individuals leading change in the space and partnering with organizations that have a similar vision to grow the footprint.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? The MBA program takes pride in the strength of the IMD network. There is so much that can be learnt from and also shared with one’s peers. It would be great to see more interaction between the various MBA and Exec MBA classes. While there may be a difference in the level of experience, there is a common affinity for personal and professional development and an opportunity to nurture collaboration and create synergies in the future.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? I don’t have a bucket list as such, but hope to be more mindful in the present. One thing though that I have been meaning to try is sky-diving,

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? A friend with passion to make a difference, a believer in collective strength and a willing volunteer to help in any capacity.

What is your favorite movie about business? A few years ago I watched a documentary called Darwin’s Worst Nightmare, which shows how the European consumer’s demand for perch from Lake Victoria was impacting the ecosystem and economy in Tanzania on several levels. It challenged my thinking on business beyond mere transactions highlighting the need for consumers, the private sector, and governments to be aware, accept, and work together to reduce vulnerability instead of exploiting it.

What would your theme song be? ‘Electric Feel’ by MGMT

Favorite vacation spot: Seeking nature, I find the Northern Areas of Pakistan to be breathtaking.

Hobbies? I love to dance. Over the past few years, I’ve been dancing flamenco as I find it to be very soulful and also love the grace and strength that it embodies.

What made Zehra such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“With 7+ years of experience in business development and operations management, Zehra has a passion for disruptive innovation that drives social change. Her vibrant and positive attitude mixed with passion and hard work has confirmed her to be an open, proactive and persuasive leader, an enthusiastic and brave entrepreneur. Proud and committed parent, she has expertly managed to balance the heavy workload and family life throughout the program.”

The MBA Office Team

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2018 MBAs To Watch: Schuyler Weiss, IMD Business School - Poets&Quants

Schuyler Weiss

IMD Business School

“A logical and data-oriented leader who introduces creativity to solve problems.”

Age: 29

Hometown: Barrington, Rhode Island

Fun fact about yourself: I am an art enthusiast who used to volunteer in the membership department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Every time I went in to volunteer, I would arrive 30 minutes early to view a new part of the museum.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Colby College – Bachelor of Arts with Major in Economics – Mathematics

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? 

Morgan Stanley – Vice President (2013 – 2016)

IBM – Senior Consultant (2010 – 2012)

Where will you be working after graduation? REYL & Cie. – Fondé De Pouvoir (Authorized Officer)

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: (Include school awards and honors)

Graduated with Honors (Top ~15% of Class)

Director of the Speakers Committee

Zurich Insurance Group Case Competition (Finished Top 10 of ~80)

Member of Finance and Consulting clusters

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My completion of the Intensive German Course with top marks from the Goethe Institute. One of my goals during the year was to further my language skills, and completing this course was a big step in improving my Deutsch.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In 2012, at the age of 26, I was promoted to Vice President at Morgan Stanley. While I was certainly happy to receive the title, I was most proud of the feedback that I received from others. I was told by my peers and individuals whom I led that I was their role model and that they wanted to model their career off mine. My goal is to inspire others and help others be the best versions of themselves, and my promotion helped me do just that.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Mikolaj Piskorski, also known as Professor Misiek. Professor Misiek leveraged the case method to put his students in the shoes of the case’s protagonists, pushing us to not only consider the circumstances of the case, but also to think through the repercussions of our decisions and how they would affect the final outcome. He was extremely effective in his delivery, and his course was very well designed. Professor Misiek has had a profound impact on the way that I think through and process strategic decisions.

What was your favorite MBA Course? Supply Chain Management taught by Ralf Seifert. Prior to IMD, I knew very little about supply chain, but Professor Seifert’s course certainly brought me up to speed. The biggest takeaway for me was to identify what constitutes the supply chain. I can now apply analytics and process-improvement tactics to areas of the supply chain that I previously would not have identified as areas for improvement. The course has helped me see the bigger picture by focusing on the smaller details.

Why did you choose this business school?

Quality: IMD places a lot of emphasis on perfecting every aspect of its MBAs’ experiences. From the teachers to the resources to the out-of-classroom activities, IMD breathes quality, allowing MBAs to bypass the minutia and get the most out of the year.

Diversity:  My class had 44 different nationalities across 90 students. There are few other MBA programs where I would have had the opportunity to study with such accomplished people from all over the world. I learned as much out of the classroom as I did in it.

Career Services: I wanted a school that did not limit my opportunities following my graduation. IMD opens a lot of doors and its MBAs have the ability to choose their destination after graduation.

Campus and Location: IMD has one of the best campuses in the world. We have views of the Alps from our study rooms and Lac Leman is a stone’s throw away. Switzerland is a stunning country with an extremely high standard of living.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Embrace your points of differentiation. The IMD MBA is an assimilation of worldly individuals who all have something unique to contribute. Getting these points of differentiation through in the application and the interviews will demonstrate added value beyond the resume.

Also, think big and show your ambition. IMD MBAs want to change the world, and the admissions teams are looking for people who will do just that.

What is the biggest myth about your school? That the IMD MBA is too intense. While it certainly is intense and there are eight hours of classes every day, the dynamism and flow of the program make every day exciting and fun. While there are eight hours of classes (and then homework) every day, the classes are very engaging and involve a lot of breakout sessions with teams. Days go by rather quickly during the MBA.

What was your biggest regret in business school? Not participating in the MBA Tournament (MBA Olympics in Europe).

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Giovanni Gazzale. He is brilliant and tireless, and his sense of right and wrong is unwavering. Giovanni overcame a lot of obstacles and made many sacrifices to join IMD, yet he never made it a point of discussion. Having worked with him, I can attest to his extraordinary leadership qualities, all of which will take him far.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My parents – My mother and father have been role models for me all of my life and have taught me so much about business and how to thrive in a business-oriented environment.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…continuing my career at Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley is a great company that is well-positioned for the future. With that said, the Financial Services sector has many challenges ahead, and I would be helping Morgan Stanley overcome these challenges.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? I would create a film centered around the IMD experience. This would not only allow me to show how unique and rewarding a place IMD is, but it would also allow me to share some insight into what it is like to be an IMD MBA.

What are the top two items on your bucket list? 

Give back in a meaningful way to my home state of Rhode Island.

Visit every continent for at least one week.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? As someone who gave significantly more than he took.

What is your favorite movie about business? Trading Places – Never take your position for granted. Always work to prove your worth and always strive to drive unique value for your company. An employee is only replaceable as long as he or she lets themselves be.

Favorite vacation spot: Sunapee, New Hampshire, USA

Hobbies? Art Viewing & Collecting, Cycling, Wakeboarding, Traveling, Reading

What made Schuyler such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“With 6+years of experience in process improvement, crisis management and tech implementation in financial services, Schuyler has not allowed the intensity of the MBA program to disrupt him. He has shown outstanding academic rigor, considerable drive and a dedicated commitment to mastery in all he pursues. We wish him all the best with his new position in Switzerland.”

IMD Faculty

 

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2018 Best MBAs: Valeria Cuevas, IMD Business School - Poets&Quants

Valeria Cuevas       

IMD Business School

“Multicultural and impatient, constantly seeking a challenge, a new place to visit and an adventure.”

Age: 28

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Fun fact about yourself: As a proud Mexican, I’ve had more than 10,000 tacos throughout my lifetime!

Undergraduate School and Degree: 2008-2012 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Affairs (Magna Cum Laude and Honors), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Immediately before enrolling in IMD, I was working as Financial Advisor, Elections Officer and Arms Trade Advisor at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva. Before that, I served as Advisor for Legal Affairs and Terrorism and subsequently for the Human Rights division, with a special focus on gender issues, children and indigenous rights, at the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations in the New York headquarters.

Where will you be working after graduation? I recently joined the Facebook EMEA HQ in Dublin as a Market Specialist for the Latin American market. The role falls under the Community Operations team, whose mission it is to build and preserve the world’s engagement and trust in Facebook by ensuring a great user experience. Through market trend analyses, I will have the opportunity to build scalable solutions to solve global challenges and empower them to build a community.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

IMD MBA Merit Scholarship recipient

Co-lead of Sustainability career cluster

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My entrepreneurship group chose to support an innovative fintech startup based in Zurich, the leading P2P financing platform in the country. We started working with them four months after the website went live and they had already reached 1 billion CHF in debt transactions, outperforming even their most optimistic expectations.

They had a specific vision and concrete ideas of where they wanted their business to go next, while IMD’s expectations for the project were clearly defined and did not match the startup´s objectives. As a team, we were in a difficult position – on the one hand, we had an incredible opportunity to impact some of the early decisions that could influence the path of the company, while we also understood that the school´s assignment was directed at helping us contribute the most value to the company.

Creating the bridge to close this gap was one of our earliest accomplishments as a team. Coming up with a consensus idea as a group for how we could best perform – managing the expectations of a real company and achieving actionable deliverables – were important accomplishments that I can attribute to a combination of individual and group dynamics. I am proud to have been able to contribute through facilitating the communications among stakeholders and nurturing the personal relationships we had established within the startup team from the beginning.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? During my time as Human Rights Advisor in New York, my team succeeded in organizing the first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, an unprecedented event that epitomized one important step towards the global community’s recognition of the rights of indigenous peoples.

What was your favorite MBA course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? My favorite is the Leadership stream, which is a clear differentiator of the IMD MBA experience.

The biggest insight I acquired relates to the power of self-awareness. It’s a fact that we all have different styles of working and leading, our own strengths and weaknesses. The leadership stream, however, taught me that in order to succeed, it is imperative that we understand these traits and we use them to our advantage. I learned the power of different leadership frames and how to adapt our leadership style by choosing the most appropriate approach depending on the situation or conflict. I also learned that conflict is not only certain, but also essential in order to grow and develop our leadership skills.

Why did you choose this business school? Early on in my business school research, I came across IMD and realized it would be a perfect fit. I was enticed by the opportunity to learn from a diverse and international class and faculty. I realized that the focus on personal and leadership development throughout the program, combined with a wide array of opportunities to engage with real business challenges and the principles that inspire the program, would highly contribute to my career objectives.

I decided to pursue an MBA in order to transition into the private sector. I knew, however, that I wanted to continue to do something with purpose and that had real impact on people’s lives. The exposure that we gained to different businesses and industries through IMD gave me a better understanding of the real impact that business can have on society. I took advantage of every opportunity I had to learn more about the private sector – in-class debates and discussions, speakers, networking sessions and through the IMD network. With an open mind and through these interactions, I learned about the amount of opportunities in the tech sector and how I could certainly align my personal values with entrepreneurial goals and vision.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Come with an open mind and make a conscious effort to sustain it throughout the program. Many people start their MBA with expectations of what they want to learn and extract from their year. However, applicants must remember that the way to derive the most out of the experience is to understand it as a process. The program is designed to be challenging and to push our limits – the only way to survive is by embracing this.

 What is the biggest myth about your school? IMD is infamous for the heavy workload that is assigned to its MBAs. The fact that it covers a two-year program in eleven months, is a clear indication of its intensity. Most of us expected to be flooded with work, but I can confidently say that all of us found the way to handle it.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire all my classmates who have children. It takes an enormous amount of courage to commit to such an intense experience when there is a family involved.

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…looking for a transitional job that would help me achieve my dream career.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? If I was a dean for a day at IMD, I would design a proactive strategy to attract and enroll morefemale students in the class.

 What are the top two items on your bucket list? Learn at least 3 more languages and dive with whales.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I would like my peers to remember me as a positive and energetic peer and friend.

What is your favourite movie about business? Barbarians at the Gate – the process of negotiation in all of its glorious complexity.

Favorite vacation spot: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Hobbies? Scuba diving, kickboxing, travel, cooking, photography, learning languages, volunteering at the local animal refuge

What made Cuevas such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

“With 4+years international work experience in strategy, finance and communications in the public sector, Valeria has shown great initiative and grit in promoting different initiatives as representative of the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the UN both in the US and in Switzerland. She is a natural networker and manages to see an opportunity in everything that comes her way. Professional and enthusiastic, we wish her all the best at Facebook HQ in Dublin.”

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