Camila Sabogal

McGill University, Desautels Faculty of Management

“Passionate problem-solver and gender parity advocate, determined to make a positive impact.”

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun fact about yourself: I collect designer socks – I have around 50 pairs; my enthusiasm led me to launch my own sock brand in 2018 and I have sold around 10,000 pairs since.

Undergraduate School and Degree: I hold a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Lima.

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I worked as a Sales Manager for the Campari Group, the sixth-largest premium spirits distiller in the world.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? I interned as a Senior Strategy Consultant at Monitor Deloitte, in Calgary (Alberta, Canada).

Where will you be working after graduation? After a successful, learning-filled and fun summer internship, I will be taking on a role at Monitor Deloitte as a Senior Strategy Consultant at the Calgary office.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• 2023 President of the Desautels Graduate Women’s Association (DGWA)
• Alberta Cefis Leadership Award
• McGill Desautels Entrance Award
• Winner of the 2023 Desautels Cup Case Competition
• Coached the winning team of the 2024 Desautels Cup Case Competition
• Team lead & volunteer consultant at a national non-profit based in Montreal
• Co-hosted a podcast about women in leadership to promote gender awareness in leadership positions in male-dominated industries
• Elected as 1 of 10 MBAs across Canada to participate in the 2023 Global Business Forum in Banff
• Elected participant in the 2023 MBA World Summit (Silicon Valley, San Francisco

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? As President of the Desautels Women’s Association (DGWA), I spearheaded a number of initiatives to foster gender awareness within the broader community, honing members’ negotiations capabilities, and enhancing women’s interpersonal skills. To achieve these goals, I oversaw the coordination of more than 10 on-campus events and three broad community engagement initiatives. Throughout, I structured the club’s activities in ways which enabled members to forge meaningful connections with influential figures within the Canadian business community.

One of the initiatives I’m most proud of is launching ‘Allies for Equality’, which saw collaboration with male ‘Lead Allies’ that resulted in a 100 percent increase in male participation of gender awareness events. Additionally, the negotiations workshop emerged as a standout event. Through engaging salary negotiation simulations, students gained valuable insights and honed essential skills for navigating professional challenges, providing practical tools for managing diverse negotiation styles. Finally, it was truly special for me to give voice to over 25 successful women who shared insights about their journeys to leadership positions during DGWA’s events, offering valuable tools and networking opportunities to our community.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Two weeks after my promotion to Sales Manager, the pandemic reached Peru which led to a hiring freeze at Campari. As a result, I faced the daunting challenge of assuming my new role as a sales manager, while maintaining my responsibilities as Key Account Manager (KAM), making me ultimately responsible for 50 percent of the company’s revenue.

By developing a collaborative strategy, I reprioritized our KPIs, reassigned strategic accounts, and implemented a process to accelerate information sharing, thus empowering my team to make significant customer-impacting decisions and giving them more exposure within the company. With the help of my colleagues and the company, I was able to surpass the sales targets for the year, prioritizing our accounts development while maintaining healthy inventory levels in my clients, which set the right grounds for business growth in the next years.

Guiding my team through a challenging yet successful transition taught me the importance of self-motivation, adaptability, resilience, and trust-based leadership.

Why did you choose this business school? The McGill Desautels MBA stands out due to its smaller cohort size, enabling personalized counselling and support throughout the learning experience. This, combined with a range of experiential components such as the international study trip to Japan, practical courses focused on innovative business design, and a well-established brand name, provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop holistically. Recognizing the importance of exploring various career paths, I was confident that this tailored approach would make a significant difference in navigating a new job market.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor is Jared Lee. His excellent work ethic, knowledge, and overall tutoring, both in and outside the class, have truly made a difference in my MBA journey. He introduced me to innovative ways of solving problems through design thinking and taught me how to create impressive presentations. I also admire him as a person; he was an exemplary boss when I became his teaching assistant in the Winter 2024 term.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was the McGill Not-for-Profit Consulting (MNFPC). Working with a real non-profit organization improving fundraising strategies beyond Quebec, I gained first-hand experience in the consulting industry and received advice provided by amazing consultants from a renowned global consulting firm. This led me to pursue a career in this industry. I learned how non-profits operate by balancing philanthropic pursuit with financial viability.

Moreover, I had the opportunity to lead a team of three amazing, talented undergraduate students, whom I am now happy to call my friends. The experience enriched my skills in project management and coaching. Helping scale the operations of a client pursuing a good cause was a real bonus and made for an invaluable and fulfilling experience during my MBA.

What is the biggest myth about your school? When talking to people outside McGill, I learned that some people think McGill MBAs are excessively competitive. My experience has been quite the opposite; there is a very strong culture of collaboration. We push each other to succeed and support classmates who need a bit of help. I think that is another benefit of having a smaller cohort: you really get to know everyone’s stories, which, in turn, makes it easier to relate and to support each other on a deeper level. There is also a shared commitment to having fun along the way and to making the most of the time we have together. I consider myself lucky to have met my MBA colleagues and I am confident to say that we all see our individual successes as part of making our extended McGill family better and proud!

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Pierre Martin – He is one of the most empathetic, compassionate, and supportive people I know. He is a true, kind friend to everyone and celebrates everyone’s successes as his own. I admire his resilience and his ability to adapt to new challenges, having worked in five industries.

He is a balanced professional who manages to successfully fulfill multiple commitments while maintaining a healthy personal life. I think his outstanding willingness to lend a hand to whoever needs, coupled with his good nature, resilience, and versatility, will take him far in his professional career.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Contribute to the creation of a more diverse, inclusive and gender-equal world. I would like to continue my work towards gender parity as I advance in my career, supporting women and individuals from diverse backgrounds in securing a seat at the table and creating opportunities for them to grow in a safe, biased-free environment.

2. In the long term, I would like to build an innovative and successful pet-care company that supports animal safety and well-being. My dog is an important part of my life, and I recognize the tremendously positive effect pets can have on their owners. I want to find innovative ways to support these relationships while also respecting and promoting a positive quality of life for the animals.

What made Camila such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Camila is a dynamic and generous leader whose enthusiasm makes her a creative force. She has brought, and shared, her experience as a strategist, sales manager, engineer, and entrepreneur to the benefit of classmates and club members, some of whom have gone out of their way to mention her support to me.

Her consistent hard work and relentless focus brought her success as the President of the Desautels Graduate Women’s Association. In doing so, she was not afraid to step off the beaten path to pursue her goals. This same adventurous mindset helped her land a prestigious internship with Monitor Deloitte which, not surprisingly, she converted to a full-time position that she will start after completing her studies.

As much as I admire the “what” of her achievements, I’m even more impressed by the “how”. In my many dealings with her, I found her work ethic remarkable, her team spirit highly collaborative, and her “can do” attitude contagious. I know that this will bring her success in whatever direction she chooses to take her career.”

Zsolt Kekesi
Graduate Career Coach
Career Services
Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University

DON’T MISS: THE 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST MBAs: CLASS OF 2024