Luis Antonio Jiménez Rivera 

HEC Paris 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less:  Analytical and inquisitive individual who aims to achieve meaningful impact in society through his work.

Hometown:  Mexico City, Mexico

Fun fact about yourself:  I have a collection of shot glasses from every country or major city that I have visited.

Undergraduate school and major:  National Autonomous University of Mexico, Chemical Engineering

Employers and job titles since graduation:  Since graduation, I have worked at McKinsey & Company where I started as a Jr. Research Analyst. Over a period of six years, I have received three promotions, reaching the position of Knowledge Specialist in McKinsey’s Healthcare Practice.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  My biggest accomplishment has been to successfully co-lead a project that improved the quality of health services for tens of millions of patients. The client was a health system that faced quality and performance issues that negatively affected the well-being of its population. The objective was to design and implement programs that would achieve measurable improvements with challenges such as limited resources, tight deadlines and even initial opposition from stakeholders on the client side.

The project was very successful and its results included better access to care, improved quality of services and increased user satisfaction. My professional accomplishments during the project and being witness to how it directly improved the wellbeing of the population on a large scale make this success the biggest accomplishment in my career yet.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Give yourself time to reflect on your objectives and do research on why an MBA is the best choice to help you achieve them. Personal introspection and proper research are crucial for the process. You should carefully reflect on questions such as:

• What is your personal story and what makes it outstanding?
• What are your goals?
• How the program can help you achieve those goals?
• Why an MBA is a better choice for you than other postgrad options?
• Why a specific school is a good fit for you and how you can contribute to its community?

Get to know the culture and characteristics of the different schools by talking to as many alumni as possible. It is also advisable to talk to the faculty and visit the schools. Ask everything you need to know and do not keep any questions to yourself. You will always find people willing to give advice or clear any doubts, no matter how simple those questions may seem.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? There were several reasons for which I chose the HEC Paris program. These included its reputation as a school of excellence and high position in international rankings; its focus on leadership development through hands-on experience; its variety of student clubs; and the flexibility of the program which I can adjust to reach my personal objectives. However, what made the most difference for me was the incredible cultural diversity you can find in the class.

Contact with amazing people from different countries has taught me that cultural diversity leads to great learning and potentially life-changing experiences. The cultural diversity at the HEC Paris MBA is tough to beat with more than 50 countries represented in the class where approximately 90 percent are international students. Even before the program officially starts, I can already appreciate the great diversity of the student body from the conversations and introductions taking place in the Facebook group of the class. I am amazed by the variety of cultural and professional backgrounds and I feel privileged to be part of the class. This makes me feel even more excited about the upcoming learning and personal experiences to be had.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  After the first year of the 16-month program, success would be having an attractive offer for a job in which I can continue to deliver positive impact to society, having strengthened my leadership skills and business knowledge to become a more effective driver of change and having built a network comprised of exceptional and inspiring individuals for future partnerships. On a more personal side, I hope to have created long-lasting friendships, to have lived a year full of fun and enriching experiences and to be recognized for my positive impact during the program.