Meet Kellogg’s MBA Class Of 2019

Albert Soulier 

Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Intellectually curious and easy-going Colombian-American who tries to enjoy life every day.

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fun Fact About Yourself:  In the past 7 years, I’ve lived in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and now Chicago.

Undergraduate School and Major: Florida International University, Double major in Finance and International Business

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

J.P. Morgan Private Bank – Investment Specialist, Associate

J.P. Morgan Private Bank – Investments Business Management (Latin America), Analyst

Bank of America Merrill Lynch – Alternative Investments, Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Gaining my clients’ trust. When I worked as an investment specialist, I was responsible for providing investment recommendations and asset allocation advice for high-net-worth clients. I never took lightly the fact that I (as an advisor) was being entrusted with people’s wealth and so it was my responsibility to make sure that I was diligent in my research and provided investment recommendations that were both suitable and in line with clients’ goals. There is an emotional aspect to investing and understanding each client’s personality and investing experience was crucial in being able to provide good advice. It took some time and a lot of work, but one of my proudest moments was when I realized that my clients began seeing me as a trusted advisor. There was a line that a co-worker said to me that always stuck with me: “Clients don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? Get started on your research early – Try to establish relationships with current students and admissions officers at each of the schools you are interested in. You can find a lot of the information on each school’s website and on other sites and forums. However, having conversations with students and admissions officers can bring that information to life. For example, most schools say that they have a collaborative culture or that they value experiential learning, but what that looks like at each school can vary widely. Understanding the details and really asking questions that dig beneath the surface-level will help you better understand differences between the schools. The more people you talk to at each school, the better you will understand each school. By doing your research early and thoroughly, you will be able to understand and articulate more effectively the “Why (Insert School)?” question both in essays and interviews.

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? Culture – After much research and a myriad of conversations with current students at different MBA programs, it became apparent that there were very distinct differences between the cultures across the different schools. At most of the top schools, I knew that I would receive a great education, land a good job, and grow my network. However, beyond those things, I wanted to go to a school where I would have a transformational and memorable experience.

During the application process, I thought a lot about not only what kind of professional I wanted to be, but also what kind of person and leader I wanted to be. When I spoke to Kellogg students, I quickly realized that this was the right school for me. When I reached out to both current students and alumni, they would always go above and beyond to help me, more so than what I experienced at other schools. In addition, I started noticing attributes in the students I met: Humble, collaborative, down-to-earth, and accomplished, but didn’t take themselves too seriously. These were all qualities that I strive to embody in my life and that I was hoping to find in my future classmates. Lastly, when I asked alumni about their Kellogg experience, the excitement and nostalgia that came across when they spoke about their time at Kellogg was infectious and I wanted to have a similar experience.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Besides landing an internship in consulting, I would consider my first year in business school a success if I’m able to take on significant leadership opportunities and develop close friendships with my classmates.