Meet Arizona State’s MBA Class Of 2019

Sergey Chipilenko 

W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Go hard or go home.

Hometown: Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to be a rapper when I was young.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Wales, Industrial Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

TQFM (Founder)

SBAM Trade (Stock Trader)

Freelance Consultant 

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Despite all my achievements, I believe that the positive change a person could make in the lives of others is far more important than his accomplishments. When I started freelance consulting, I focused mainly on profits. I worked hard and wanted my clients to be overjoyed. With time, I saw great changes in the life of my clients: one entered the top business school in Germany, another started his own business, and a third greatly increased profits of his company and started donating money to charity. These achievements made me feel proud and, as a result, I decided to create my non-profit organization, which focuses on consulting for entrepreneurs and farmers of my region. Everyone has a valuable talent that other people may need.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? 

• Dream big. This is the first step. You should believe that you deserve the best: best school, best career, and best future. Research the top 100 schools; make a list of your top 10 according to factors that are most important to you (faculty, rankings, salary, culture).
• Motivate yourself properly. Every time you start preparing for an application, believe it is the best day for doing it.
• Be honest and critical. Imagine you are on the admission committee. Challenge yourself, ask questions, work on your weaknesses, and employ strength.
• Visualize the moment you have received a message that you are accepted! How do you feel? Keep this feeling during the entire application process.

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? During my research stage, I communicated with many business school admission committees. This is when universities started to differentiate themselves. Some answered questions without enthusiasm or just provided uniform answers without an attempt to understand what was being asked. The admission committee of the W. P. Carey School of Business stood out of the crowd and made me feel that the words “Where business is personal” are not just a stylish motto. Compliance with the school’s values and overall consistency of university employees, in combination with a culture of innovation, made this place desirable for a person like me.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  Find a successful tech startup.