2017 MBAs To Watch: Miguel Cardoso, Boston College (Carroll)

Miguel Cardoso

Boston College, Carroll School of Management

“Enjoy every moment as if it were the last.”

Age: 31

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Fun fact about yourself: Like many people, I started running as a way of eliminating stress and working out. Now, I am not only hooked on running, but also I have discovered one of my passions. With my sneakers, I have had the opportunity to exercise at the same time that I discover new cities and cultures. So far I have run in more than 20 different countries.

Undergraduate School and Degree: I earned my bachelor degree in Business Administration at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE).

Where did you work before enrolling in business school?  I started at PwC in Assurance. Then, I transitioned to Deloitte Spain where I worked as an experienced senior in financial advisory services doing restructuring, due diligence, and business valuations. My résumé also includes experiences in internal consulting and in a new venture firm.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2016? I interned at Amazon in Seattle.

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working at PwC Advisory as a Senior Associate in the Delivering Deals Value (DDV) department in Boston (MA).

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: My community work was mainly on campus, helping teenagers with their homework after school. During the MBA, I was also involved in some competitions. My team was a finalist at the Credit Suisse Investment Banking Competition in 2015.  I was also a recipient of the Dean Scholarship during both years of my MBA degree.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m proud of balancing my MBA degree and extracurricular activities with my personal initiatives and hobbies. I really enjoyed working in different team settings and assuming different roles for classes and outside activities such as cases competitions. I also loved to be the leader of a running club with MBA students.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I led a debt restructuring project for a Spanish listed company. My role in the team required building a complex financial model with scenarios to repay the debt to the syndicated lenders, as well as integrating data that could affect the business plan for the company. There were many stakeholders involved in the deal, including the management, our firm, and the syndicate lenders. As I worked on the project, I guided and mentored junior analysts while testing how the financial assumptions could influence the enterprise value of the firm and addressing the involved banks’ restructuring proposals. This experience taught me the importance of having a big picture of the transaction in order to address all stakeholders’ concerns and value to the client.

Who was your favorite MBA professor?  I had many favorite professors.  Professors such as Mr.Taggart, Ms. Hotchkiss, and Mr. Sengul helped me hone my hard skills in Finance and Strategy. Mr. Radin also made a great impact on me. From his class, I learned about my leadership style and values, a tool that will be invaluable in my future endeavors.

What was your favorite MBA Course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? My favorite course was Corporate Valuation and Restructuring. Even though I worked in Financial Advisory Services before business school, this course helped me dive deep into the different implications of a transaction from multiple perspectives. It also focused on Corporate Restructuring in the U.S., which it is very different from my professional experience in Spain.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Boston College because of the extended network in the U.S. and the small class sizes, which allowed me to have a more personalized education and get to know all my classmates. As a graduate of a Jesuit business school in Madrid, I felt strongly attracted to BC’s focus on Jesuit values of community, integrity, and excellence.

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? There is not a unique factor that was my favorite part about business school. I would say that the program as a whole — including my classmates, the faculty, and the institution — is what I enjoyed the most. Also, it was nice having some time after years working to reflect on myself and on my career goals beyond graduation

What was the most surprising thing about business school for you? I was impressed by the diversity of personal and professional experiences of my classmates prior to attending business school. My interactions with my peers made every day unique and enriched the overall learning experience.

What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? The class size at Boston College is small and the classwork is very demanding. To succeed in the program, it requires time, effort, and motivation. If you feel strongly about dedicating yourself to a two-year program, I encourage you to apply to BC. You will never regret the investment. The results will benefit your career perspective and personal achievements.

What is the biggest myth about your school? One of the myths at Boston College is that the MBA program’s is only focus is on Finance. However, the faculty in Management, Information Analytics, and Marketing are equally superb. Boston College is investing in new faculty talent and that it is benefitting the MBA program.

What was your biggest regret in business school? I regret not being involved in more extracurricular activities during the MBA.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I love many of my peers. They brought a diverse set of skills and experiences. However, the one I admire most is Jesse Hagar. Before business school, he worked as an engineer for almost 15 years. He came to BC to earn a dual master (MBA+MSF). Not only has he succeeded in that, but also he is working as a part-time. Besides his professional achievements, he is very well-rounded person and a good friend.

I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I realized that all job postings in which I was interested required an MBA. Also, the majority of my senior connections also had an MBA despite their background and industry. I waited to apply until I had earned enough professional experience to make the best of it.”

If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working as a manager in Financial Advisory Services.”

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? I would keep the second year of the MBA program electives but instead of being on semester basis, I would encourage offering quarterly classes. I feel that your learning curve is decremental after a 7-week period. It also would allow you to have more classes that you might not be able to explore in a semester period. This factor is crucial as you may regret taking a class that does not fulfill your initial expectations.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My long-term professional goal is setting up my own business or leading a division of a multinational corporation.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my family and my girlfriend. Thanks to my family, I am the person who I am today. My parents have encouraged the value of education throughout my life and helped me in every decision. My parents and sister always supported and believed in me. My girlfriend has been supportive throughout the intense recruiting process and MBA dynamics.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? I hope they have come to know me as a cheerful, charismatic and thoughtful person. I strived to be a good contributor, but most importantly a good person and friend.

Favorite book: Tuesdays with Morrie

Favorite movie or television show: Friends

Favorite musical performer: Bruce Springsteen and Los Secretos

Favorite vacation spot: Baleares Islands and Andalucía, Spain

What made Miguel such an invaluable member of the Class of 2017?

“Miguel came to BC as a seasoned professional with Big 4 experience and an accomplished background in finance. Miguel joined the MBA program from Spain where he worked in professionally progressive roles both in the service industry and ultimately, in an operating company, all while continuing to further develop his quantitative and analytical skills. Miguel’s focus while in the BC MBA program was to further develop critical and strategic thinking skills while also being actively involved in professional activities both on and off campus. He understands the value of hard work, and has demonstrated dedication to networking, and engaging with fellow students, alumni and professionals.

Miguel’s summer internship brought him to Seattle where he worked for Amazon in their Finance Leadership Development Program. Post-MBA, he will be returning to the Big 4 environment with PWC.”

Marilyn Eckelman,

Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Student Services

Boston College Carroll School of Management

 

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: THE STORIES OF 100 EXTRAORDINARY GRADUATES FROM THE CLASS OF 2017

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