2016 MBAs To Watch: Diana Narvaez, Cornell (Johnson)

Diana Narvaez Cornell

Diana Narvaez

 

Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University

Age: 31

Hometown: Armenia, Quindio – Colombia

Undergraduate School and Degree: Northern Illinois University, Bachelor of Science in Accounting

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? I spent six years at JPMorgan’s Investment Bank working in both the finance and the operations department. I had assignments in Delaware, NYC, Sao Paulo, and Hong Kong. In my last role, I served as a marketing sales assistant for the equity derivative options desk.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? McKinsey, Mexico City

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be returning to McKinsey in Mexico City

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School

* Vice-President of Student Council

* Treasurer for HABLA, Hispanic American Business Leaders Association

* JAG, Johnson Admissions Group: assist the Admissions and Financial Aid Office in its promotion of the school and the recruiting and evaluation of applicants.

* JLF, Johnson Leadership Fellow: coach, mentor, and advise a first-year core team

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My role as an elected vice president of the Student Council has been one of the most challenging and rewarding leadership experiences. It was difficult to juggle the rigorous core curriculum, manage the intense recruiting process, and (at the same time) build an effective executive board and plan the Council’s strategy for the year.

I am most proud of our team accomplishments that include improving facilities, participating in the decision making for redesigning and renewing our atrium furniture, influencing curriculum changes, streamlining our student club leadership transition process, and organizing events to strengthen our community.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? One of the projects I feel most proud of involved leading five global teams to implement a JPMorgan Core Processing Platform for the Investment Bank in Brazil. This new infrastructure removed operational constraints and increased productivity by 30% which was very gratifying.

Who is your favorite professor? This is a tough question.

I love Professor Bill Schmidt’s (Data Analytics) approach to teaching. He really cares about his students and is committed to ensure they understand the material and real-life/business applications.

Nate Peck (Management Cases), Risa Mish (Critical Thinking), and Jerry Rizzo (Leadership Programs) brought the practical challenges and realities of the business world and leadership into our classrooms and have helped me improve my skills in problem solving, critical thinking, as well as motivating and leading through influence.

Favorite MBA Courses? Managerial Decision Making, Principled Leadership, Critical & Strategic Thinking, Management Cases, and Negotiations.

Why did you choose this business school? I was attracted to Johnson’s collaborative nature, small and close-knit community, strong leadership programs, accessible location, rigorous academics, and last but not least, Cornell’s excellence in multi-disciplinary fields.

I first visited the school as a prospective student during their Johnson Women in Business event. As I drove back home to New York City, I reflected about the comprehensive, informative, and valuable program they had presented to us. I felt I left empowered and motivated to drive change as a better prepared MBA applicant. They made me feel at home and confident that they had my best interests at heart.

What did you enjoy most about business school?

* Getting to know my classmates and working closely with faculty and  administration as a representative of the study body.

* Leading a Spring Break trek to Colombia, my home country, with 33 classmates and an exceptional faculty advisor, Lourdes Casanova, as well as meeting prominent business and government leaders.

* Patagonia Leadership Expedition: A 10-day hiking and backpacking expedition in the mountains in Patagonia with 10 amazing classmates and two experienced NOLS instructors and wonderful human beings. This is where I put in practice leadership theory presented in the classroom.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from business school? How to build effective teams and use one’s power of influence.

What was the most surprising thing about business school? How much I could pack in in only 24 hours! Also, how far I have been able to push beyond my own limits!

What was the hardest part of business school? Time management: Prioritizing how to best spend our most precious and limited resource… Time.

What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Talk to as many current students as possible, share your interests, and let us know how we can help you. Once here, I encourage you to bring an open mind and innovative ideas, and be ready to face your fears and take risks.

I knew I wanted to go to business school when…as a project manager at JPMorgan I realized the importance of leading cross-functional and global teams and the benefits of mastering more than one business discipline.”

If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as a project manager or strategy consultant in an emerging market with fewer opportunities.”

Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? It would be Warren Buffet, who is an independent thinker, conservative, patient, assertive, composed, trustworthy, humble, and philanthropic.

What are your long-term professional goals? In about 10 years, I plan to start my own consulting firm serving small- and medium-size enterprises in Latin America

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I am standing on the shoulders of two hard-working, selfless, and courageous individuals that migrated to the U.S. 15 years ago to reinvent themselves and start from scratch. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Fun fact about yourself: Planning a 10-month backpacking trip around the world post graduation and before I start working.

Favorite book: The Alquemist

Favorite movie: Motorcycle Diaries

Favorite musical performer: Carlos Vives

Favorite television show: N/A

Favorite vacation spot: Mountains in the Colombian Coffee Region (Salento) or hiking in Nepal.

Hobbies? Outdoor activities: hiking and camping. Salsa dancing.

What made Diana such an invaluable addition to the class of 2016?

“I remember meeting Diana during our Women in Business weekend almost a full year before she joined Johnson. She made an instant impression. To me, Diana embodies the best attributes of a Johnson MBA student. She is intelligent, driven, thoughtful and charismatic. I had the opportunity to observe Diana in a number of leadership roles at Johnson and more recently across the Cornell campus. Diana has done a fine job motivating and inspiring her classmates as Vice President of the Student Council and shared her expertise as a panelist at the Johnson Means Business event. She’s had the opportunity to take her leadership skills and apply them in lots of different settings such as the trek to Columbia and the leadership expedition to Patagonia.

As the University seeks to create a new College of Business combining Johnson with the Dyson School’s undergraduate program and the School of Hotel Administration, Diana is one of a handful of students who were asked to advise the faculty and deans of this new college on how the new College can most benefit graduate students, and her contributions have been invaluable.”

Amanda Soule Shaw

Associate Dean

Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University

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