Meet INSEAD’s MBA Class of 2017

Eser Tireli

INSEAD

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Engineer turned consultant obsessed with growing companies

Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey

Fun Fact About Yourself: I locked myself in the fire exit during a job interview. Luckily, the partner interviewing me had a sense of humor and gave me an offer in the end.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Undergraduate: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Mechanical Engineering

Graduate: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor – Industrial and Operations Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Bain & Company – Associate Consultant, Senior Associate Consultant, Consultant

Peek (an online travel startup) – Special projects for the CEO

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I applied my learnings from my time at Bain to help a startup raise $10M in funding. Although a modest sum for my typical clients in Private Equity, the funding was critical to the continuation of operations and growth of the business, which made it very rewarding.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?

• Take the GMAT early on, ideally right after college. Studying for a test becomes harder after a few years as a professional.
• Start writing your essays early on. No preparation is as effective as drafting the first version of your essay.
• Limit the time you spend on each iteration of your essays. Do quick iterations and share your drafts with others for their feedback before spending the time perfecting them.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Here are a few main things led me to choose INSEAD for my MBA:

• I spent most of my professional life in the US and wanted an experience that is more global. There is no dominant culture or way of doing things at INSEAD, which makes it a unique place to get a truly global experience.
• I believe that, although intense, a one-year program is a better fit for where I stand in my career.
• The average age at INSEAD is slightly above other schools and I believe that makes a big difference in the tone and types of conversations that take place in and out of the classroom setting.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I don’t have a “dream” job but I’m interested in roles that would position me well to lead growth-stage companies in the long run.