Meet The Oxford Saïd MBA Class of 2016

Leon Zabel

Saïd Business School, Oxford University

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

Undergraduate School and Major (Include Graduate School if Relevant): Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Business Administration

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Senior Consultant, McKinsey & Co., Inc.

Recalling your own experience, what advice do you have for applicants who are preparing for either the GMAT or the GRE? Take as long as you need to prepare – and do not worry too much about the result on your examination day. A relaxed attitude can often do the trick.

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’s great to visit an MBA Day in a town near you. This fair, featuring different business schools, gave me a clear picture of what I was looking for and which school offered the program that was the best fit for me.

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? Do your research – maybe somebody in your network has just visited the school you have targeted. They can challenge your plans and help you make better decisions when drawing up your application.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA?  In my view, Saïd Business School is the unique combination of an innovative, state-of-the-art curriculum, with a diverse student body and a university with long and rich traditions. Topics such as Water Management & Markets or Big Data, address some of the most complex issues that the world faces today, which makes the MBA at Saïd Business School a great preparation for my future career.

What would you ultimately like to achieve before you graduate? I hope to diversify my approach to complex issues by studying and working with students from a variety of nations and backgrounds. As a consultant, I further hope to improve my decision-making capabilities through the MBA course, especially regarding situations with high degrees of uncertainty and incomplete information.