Meet the HEC Paris MBA Class Of 2019

Rohail Lashari 

HEC Paris

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Good sense of humor, social, hard-working and loves adding value to the society.

Hometown: Lahore, Punjab

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I’ve been playing guitar for the past 13 years and formed a somewhat locally popular band in 2010 called “Jhol.”

Undergraduate School and Major: Lahore School of Economics – Major in Finance

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

The Coca-Cola Company (4.5 years)

• Brand Experience Executive
• Assistant Brand Manager for Juices, Stills and Innovation (Pakistan & Afghanistan Region)
• Assistant Brand Manager for Brand Coca-Cola (Pakistan & Afghanistan Region)
• Assistant Creative Excellence Manager (Pakistan & Afghanistan Region)
• Acting Creative Excellence Manager (Pakistan & Afghanistan Region)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  As Acting Creative Excellence Manager in the Coca-Cola Company, I was leading the creative strategy for the biggest and most loved music asset of Pakistan, Coke Studio. An asset that I dreamt to be a part of since I was a child, pursuing music with his own rock band.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? GIVE IT A SHOT! That is my advice. You will never know what works or doesn’t work for you until or unless you give it a try! Ironically, I would have never discovered I had a knack for marketing if I hadn’t picked Finance as my major in undergrad. It was after I studied Finance that I realized I wanted to work in a field that allowed for more creativity.

I took the GMAT 5 times! The first time that I took the GMAT, I realized it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I’m not bright or intelligent, but sitting in a small room for four hours makes me anxious! So, I tried and tried again and finally reached a score I was satisfied with. For others struggling with the GMAT, I recommend focusing on your essays, recommendations and interviews. But before you jump to conclusions, don’t be afraid – GIVE IT A SHOT!

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 key factor that led me to choose to this brilliant institution was its strong focus on tech-marketing. Last year, the top three recruiters from HEC Paris MBA were Google, Apple and Amazon. In the next phase of my career, I would like to move out of the fast-moving consumer goods sector and learn about the tech-marketing world, so I strongly believe HEC Paris is the ideal choice for me.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  I believe an MBA is a mix of different experiences and opportunities. I would gauge success with my progress in various factors, including but not limited to seminars attended, projects led, friendships developed, networking done and job secured. The more I progress in these various factors, the more successful I would consider myself.