Meet Cambridge Judge’s MBA Class of 2017

matt-rousseau-cambridge-poetsandquants-classof2017

Matt Rosseau

Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I never want to look back and think, “I could’ve eaten that.”

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Fun Fact About Yourself: Former head coach of a women’s college ice hockey team.

Undergraduate School and Major:

DePaul University – BA, Political Science

American University – MA, International Affairs

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

IBM Corporation – Public Sector Solution Sales Specialist

IBM Corporation – Advisory Client Representative

Oracle – Technology Sales Manager

Workday – Account Executive

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While working at IBM, I led a team of over 15 people across four companies to negotiate and sign a deal in excess of US$13M to implement wireless internet at one of the largest K-12 school districts in America.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? There’s plenty of great advice out there about taking the GMAT and preparing your application strategy.  I won’t pretend to be an expert on those topics. What I do think is extremely important in this process is to sincerely reflect on what you want to get out of your MBA and creating a short list of schools to which you are interested in applying based on your individual situation. Culture and fit are probably the most important determining factors, so make sure you invest the time and effort necessary to really learn about each school intimately.  Talk to current students about what they like and don’t like about the program, and then visit campus to get a sense of the atmosphere before you apply

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I was looking for an intensive, but collaborative, general management MBA programme that would give me the practical and global experience to step into a leadership role in a technology company immediately upon graduation.  Cambridge Judge business school checked all of the boxes.  he Cambridge MBA is one of the most practical MBA programmes in the world, offering the opportunity to work on several consulting engagements with real clients as part of the core curriculum.  Additionally, the admissions team puts great emphasis on building a balanced and diverse class, meaning that Cambridge MBA students come from a range of industry backgrounds from all parts of the world, with no one group dominant. The opportunity to interact with and learn from classmates with such a diversity of perspective, in the global environment that is Cambridge, will be invaluable.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My dream job would be to work as a Michelin Guide Inspector, traveling the world sampling new restaurants and hotels, and writing about my inspections for inclusion in Michelin’s annual publication of city guides. But, alas, my experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry is limited to dining out during business travel and documenting it via poorly taken photos uploaded to Instagram.

Dreams of fine dining and luxury hotel stays set aside, I aspire to continue my career growth in the technology industry, where I have worked for the last seven years. Post-MBA I’d like to take a position in business or partner development for a tech company that is focused on growing their enterprise cloud computing business in EMEA and other new markets. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft continue to dominate the public cloud market, and I feel that my industry and customer-facing experience, when augmented with my training from the Cambridge MBA, will uniquely position me to help drive strategy and customer/partner adoption as these companies continue to seek new avenues for growth. All three of these companies are market-leaders that offer unique opportunities for continued personal and professional development alongside the most talented people in the technology industry. I know I’ll get to meet interesting people, travel to exciting places, and eat delicious foods along the way

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program?  I have a passion for connecting with and bringing people together from different cultures and backgrounds.  I hope that my classmates remember me as a team-player who is genuinely curious about their personal and professional experiences, and as someone who challenges them to think differently both inside and outside the classroom.

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