Meet IESE’s MBA Class of 2019

Edgar De Chiara 

IESE Business School 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: A team player aiming to improve the world through technology and innovation in business

Hometown: Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: I scuba-dived with sharks on my honeymoon.

Undergraduate School and Major: 

– Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica – M.S. in Aeronautical Engineering

- Universidade de Sao Paulo – B.S. in Electrical Engineering

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

- Product Development Engineer - Autopilot Systems - Embraer

– Systems Engineer - Yokogawa

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far has been to be part of the amazing team responsible for developing the autopilot for the biggest aircraft ever built in Brazil, the Embraer KC-390. During this period I was constantly challenged by complex technical problems. I also improved my teamwork and leadership abilities, since I had to interact with more than 100 engineers from various different backgrounds and nationalities. Moreover, I had the chance to meet incredibly smart people, interact with military pilots, and even fly in an aircraft prototype.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? My piece of advice would be to talk to people. The more you interact with present and former students, the more (and faster) you will understand the school culture, the possible career paths open to you, and the school community. If possible, speak to students and alumni at different stages in their career, so you can hear a variety of views from people. In addition to that, be sure that your application clearly states how the MBA will help you achieve your future goals. I would also suggest showing your application pack to someone who really knows you and asking him or her if your entire application is coherent and if your essays really reflect who you are.

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? For me, the key factor was the class diversity. One of my post-MBA goals is to develop my career internationally. It is a fact that most of what one learns during the MBA comes from the classmates. Being immersed in a class that has almost 60 different nationalities from a variety of backgrounds is definitely the perfect environment for personal growth. Less than 20% of the students are from Spain, so the vast majority of comments made in class come from people of all around the world. It is not just about creating an international professional network. At IESE, I am constantly surrounded and challenged by other cultures and different points of views, something that you cannot find in many other places. Not to mention that IESE gave me the opportunity to live in one of the most dynamic and fun cities of the world – Barcelona.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I will consider it a success if I look back and realize that I have accomplished at least three things:

• Since I have an engineering background, by the end of the first year I hope to have solidified and deepened my knowledge about the concepts of business management.
• To successfully complete an amazing summer internship in a company where I was able to put into  practice what I learned in the first year, gaining practical management knowledge.
• Last, and probably most important, to have developed strong friendships with my classmates and to feel that I have helped them achieve their objectives as well.