Meet Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA Class of 2018

Michael Blanc

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Ethical, loyal, optimistic, disciplined, persistent, sociable, tenacious, respectful, listener, practical, empathetic, team worker, teacher, helper, and achiever.

Hometown: Lima, Perú

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love travelling the world! Travelling gives us unique experiences, breaks our own paradigms and teaches us a lot about ourselves.

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad del Pacífico (Lima, Perú) – Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

LATAM AIRLINES

Regional Manager – Northern Airports Perú

Manager – Catering / Supply Operations Perú

Analyst – Catering & Supply Operations International

Analyst – Catering & Supply Operations Perú

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Helping other people to achieve their potential as leaders. In a year where employee benefits were reduced, I worked with other regional managers to improve employee satisfaction which led to client satisfaction and increased revenue.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? The business school application process is not short. It will be grueling at times and will require you to sacrifice free time. Bt the reward is worth it. My advice to potential applicants is this:

Start early. The GMAT might take some time to study for and the applications on the first and second rounds to business schools are almost a year before classes start. On top of that, people start to get more responsibilities at work the more experienced they are, so that means less free time to study.

Know yourself. Know especially your strengths, weaknesses and passions. Everyone has a different objective, so knowing yourself will help in every way, from scheduling time to study before versus after work, to knowing which business school is the best fit for you and what it is you want to do in life.

Do not stop building your career nor practicing your passions. Ehis is true especially when times get hard. The application process is demanding and long. It will be tempting not to work as hard or to stop practicing your passions, whether it is exercising, travelling, reading, community service, arts, etc. Do not let an application process keep you from what you love in life.

Learn to prioritize. At some point, the process will get more demanding, nearing GMAT or TOEFL dates, application due dates, etc. At those moments, it is okay to say “NO” to other activities.

Be driven and persistent. You can get tired or frustrated, but those are the moments when we prove to ourselves who we really are by working hard and being optimistic. Remember the objective and work hard for it.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I chose the Tuck School of Business for many reasons. I wanted to study at a top ranking business school with a global orientation that teaches through experiential methods. I grew more interested in Tuck after learning about Tuck GO and the First Year Project.

When I started talking to Tuckies they all highlighted the faculty and the team at the Career Development Office, which helps students discover their career options. I decided to come to Tuck because of its close-knit community and supportive alumni network. Even before starting school, I already felt supported by the whole Tuck community. On top of that, the scenery is AMAZING!

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? In my dream job, I would like to work in teams and be challenged at every moment to keep learning and to question the established. I’d like to be part of a company that promotes people based on performance and potential, and someday become a C-suite leader or owner of a corporation that improves the lives of all of its stakeholders. Finally, I want to keep meeting people that help me grow in a personal and professional level.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That they will miss me! I would like to learn from my classmates about their previous jobs, industries and problems that they have had to overcome. I want to hear about their ideas, their skills, their passions, their hometowns and their international experiences. And in return, I would like to teach my classmates about life and doing business in Latin America. I want to help my classmates achieve their potential, and to become lifelong friends.