Meet The Texas McCombs MBA Class of 2019

Tingting Chen 

The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: CFA, former accountant, future venture capitalist. 

Hometown: Hubei, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I worked in different countries, completely different industries and different functions during the past six year. As an accountant, I worked closely with my coworkers from Mauritius, my clients from West Africa and Egypt, and auditors from Nigeria. I worked both in multinational companies and start-up companies. The diverse past experiences make me more certain about my interests and career goals in the investment industry. 

Undergraduate School and Major: 

Beijing Forestry University, International Economics and Trade (undergraduate school)

University of International Business and Economics, Finance (graduate school)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

2011-2013 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd, Accounts Receivable Supervisor of West Africa Region

2014-2015 Beijing Fuscent InformationTechnology Co., Ltd, Business Development Supervisor

2015-2017 Shenzhen Harmony Technology Financial Services Co., Ltd, Senior Business Development Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I consider the biggest accomplishment in my career so far to be my ability to learn and quickly adapt to new environments. As a fresh graduate in a multinational company, I was promoted to be the supervisor of a team of five accountants in six months’ time. I was chosen by the department head to travel to Egypt to reconcile the AR balance with the biggest client my company has in the Middle East Region and succeeded in signing the reconciliation statement with the client for the first time. Switching to startup companies in the Fintech industry, I started from scratch and made it to senior business development manager in two years’ time.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? The importance of getting a good GMAT score cannot be stressed more, but in the end it’s the whole package that matters. Try your best to arrange campus visits, which will help you know the school better and know why you are fit for the school.

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? The down-to-earth style of the program and alumnus made me want to be part of the McCombs community so that I realize my personal and professional growth. The alumnus I contacted always provided me timely and practical feedback about the application and questions I had for the program and school. They shared their personal experiences and encouraged me to pursue my goal. McCombs prepares MBA candidates with hands-on experience through programs such as the MBA+ Leadership program, which can help the candidates improve the soft skills that will benefit their future career. 

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Get to know a group of people from different backgrounds, but who also share the same kind of passion in life and future career. Find an internship in my target industry.

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