Meet The HEC Paris MBA Class of 2017

Martin Sterlicchi 

HEC Paris

Hometown: Clearwater, Florida

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Central Florida, BSc. Molecular Biology & Microbiology

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation (In reverse chronological order):

World Bank Group, Junior Professional Associate – Procurement Reform; Management Sciences for Health, Project Associate, United States Peace Corps, Public Health Technical Advisor.

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? I found it very helpful for myself (and from what I’ve heard from others) to identify weak spots early on in the study process. The alternative would have been to practice a bit of everything every day and then realize a few weeks before the test date that I was lagging in any particular area. Understanding my strengths and weaknesses early on gave me plenty of time to understand what strategy or approach worked best for me to improve in those weak spots.

Based on your own selection process, what advice do you have for applicants who are trying to draw up a list of target schools to which to apply? It is very important to understand that an MBA will not only enhance your career, but also provide you with what could possibly be one of the best experiences of your life. This second part is actually very important, as it is definitely dependent on which program you enter into and how well that program aligns with your own personality and values. Being part of a program that promotes your own personality and values can enhance your own learning and networking experience, ultimately opening up more opportunities for yourself post-MBA. So rather than just looking at a ranking list, take a look at each program’s professors, extracurricular activities, location, and student profiles. If it looks like a place where you think you’d definitely fit in and have fun, then go for it!

What advice do you have for applicants in actually applying to a school, writing essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on your behalf? Reach out to the schools that you are interested in – and this includes more than just emailing the admissions office. I reached out to school alumni in my current geographic region and in industries and regions I am interested in. All the alumni I spoke to were happy to share their own experiences, and this gave me a much better understanding of what each program could offer me.

Also, I took a look at the different clubs and activities each school offered. And I contacted the students or professors who were in charge of them. Not only did I gain perspective on how I could add to the value of these MBA programs, but I also found opportunities to support a few of these student-run clubs through volunteer work that I was previously a part of. Having had these interactions with students, professors, and alumni allowed me to write essays that were actually unique to each program, showing that I knew what I could actually gain from and offer to each program.

In regards to having recommenders write on your behalf, it is never too early to ask. In my own experience, I was a bit nervous of asking my supervisor for a recommendation because I hadn’t even told him that I was thinking about going back to school full-time. Since I had given myself enough time in advance to have a conversation about eventually going back to school, I was able to have him not only agree that it was in my best interest to pursue higher education, but also happily write a recommendation on my behalf.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? HEC Paris states that what differentiates its MBA program from other programs is its access to a strong international faculty, a global alumni network, and a diverse student body. I found that many other programs state something similar, but HEC Paris truly provides this.

Throughout my own professional career I’ve often found myself in culturally diverse environments, and this opportunity to work with others with different backgrounds and experiences is a major motivating factor for me. I’m actually the only American right now in my current department, even though I’m working in Washington, DC, so finding a program that lived up to its claim of being international and diverse was very important for me.

I reached out to HEC Paris MBA alumni based across the globe among a variety of industries, and they all said that it was HEC Pairs that boosted their own international perspective and provided them with the foundation to end up where they are now.

I also reached out to the current students and faculty and found that the program’s opportunities, even in the day-to-day classroom experience, bolstered the students own experiences of working in a global community.

I chose the HEC Paris MBA program because having this access to an international landscape, along with being part a highly regarded business school with a solid curriculum, is the best option for me to build my career as a professional working without borders.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I am coming from working in international development, with a focus mainly on public sector projects. My main goal for obtaining a MBA is to not only learn what is needed to succeed in a business setting, but to gain the legitimacy to transition into a position that can involve both the public sector and the private sector on an international level. I plan to achieve this goal by taking full advantage of the fieldwork and international exchanges that HEC Paris offers. 

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