2018 MBAs To Watch: Reemon Silverman, Georgia Tech (Scheller)

Reemon Silverman

Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology

“I’m intrigued by people and their stories.

Age: 28

Hometown: Calais, Maine

Fun fact about yourself: As a teenager, raking blueberries during summers on a local farm in Maine inspired my pursuit of education.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor and Master of Laws, Bar Ilan University, Israel

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? I was an attorney at Fischer Behar Chen Well Orion & Co., specializing in commercial law, and working with local and multinational clients on M&A transactions.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2017? Digital Product & Strategy, Bank of America, Charlotte, North Carolina

Where will you be working after graduation? Senior Strategy Consultant, North Highland

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

      • Co-President of the MBA Women in Business Club: Tripled club membership and offered students an enriching line-up of speakers and events, empowering them to be better negotiators, networkers, and professionals.
      • MBA Peer Leadership Committee Chair: Led implementation of peer coaching program for 130+ MBA students, bridging first-year and second-year students; led events featuring executive leaders of Atlanta-based companies; initiated programs that taught second-year coaches how to professionally advance their students.
      • Selected as Georgia Tech Leadership Fellow: Coached six diverse Georgia Tech undergraduate students on developing their leadership skills.
      • Scheller Student Speakers Founder: Partnering with other MBA students, I established a bi-monthly speaker series in which Scheller students share their life stories or a subject they are passionate about in a Ted Talk format.
      • Co-Instructor, GT: 1000 Startups & Entrepreneurship: Served as a Georgia Tech instructor for a semester-long undergraduate seminar course focused on innovation and leadership. The course aims to increase first-year student retention by increasing student engagement in the entrepreneurial environment at Georgia Tech.
      • Volunteer Arbitrator for State Bar of Georgia: Arbitrated fee disputes between attorneys and their clients; evaluated  evidence and question parties to reach a resolution.

    Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m so excited to have launched the Scheller Student Speakers program. My classmates have inspiring backgrounds and focuses and this platform gives students a unique opportunity to learn from and connect with each other.

    On a personal level, it has been very fulfilling to coach Georgia Tech undergraduate students on leadership development. They are full of ambition and desire to give back to their communities and I’ve enjoyed serving as a catalyzer for their leadership experiences.

    What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Partnering in the execution of international M&A transactions as the youngest attorney in one of the top law firms in Israel.

    Who was your favorite MBA professor? Hands down, Florin Niculescu. His information technology course explores platform business models, crowdsourcing, and cybersecurity issues, among many other topics! The subject matter inspired compelling dialogue on the future frontiers of technology, business, and lifestyle. Our class voted him MBA Professor of the Year at Scheller.

    What was your favorite MBA Course? The Israel international practicum course, during which I led a team of five students in leveraging the US regulatory landscape to develop go-to-market strategies for an Israeli cybersecurity company. In the international practicum program, Scheller students spend a semester working closely with international companies to solve a business problem. During spring break, students travel to the country where their company is based to present their strategic solutions. For me, the international practicum was a transformative leadership experience, as it involved leading a team of students with a wide-range of backgrounds and bridging between two different business cultures.

    Why did you choose this business school? Scheller MBA career advisers are a part of the interview process, which demonstrates Scheller’s investment in the tailored professional placement and development of its candidates. Moreover, the MBA program office looks for students who possess a rare combination of raw capability and integrity. I wanted to immerse myself in an environment that fostered camaraderie and excellence. Finally, Scheller is a unique program because its MBA Program Office supports and cultivates a wide-range of student initiatives. Students are empowered to improve Scheller and turn their ideas into a reality. This kind of autonomy enables students to thrive and implement initiatives that can better the experiences of their fellow students and the communities they will be a part of in the future.

    What is your best piece advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Visit the school, speak with current students and alumni, and meet professors in order to expose yourself to the myriad of opportunities to network, grow, and learn through this school.

    What is the biggest myth about your school? The biggest myth is that Scheller is for engineers. Scheller seeks students with diverse backgrounds, and this program gives everyone the opportunity to flourish.

    What was your biggest regret in business school? That is has to end! This program is full of professional and educational opportunities. If there’s something that interests you – there is a club, case competition, course, or extra-curricular activity that will enable you to explore that interest further. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to study at Scheller and be a part of this amazing ecosystem.

    Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I have three! Anya Babinets, who is originally from Kazakhstan and Co-President of Women in Business, is a true powerhouse. She embodies one who drives results through excellence. Declan Nishiyama is extremely creative and smart – he resolves ambiguity through creating structure. I love brainstorming ideas with him and together with another impressive student, Chris Bergman, we developed the Scheller Student Speaker series. Sachin Khare is a true giver: he helped countless students prepare for consulting interviews. He is incredibly smart, articulate, and humble.

    Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My husband, Aaron, inspired me to pursue business school. He believed the extracurricular opportunities, diverse academic challenges, and professional development would propel my post-MBA career growth.

    If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be a…corps member in the Teach for America program. I was accepted to business school and the Teach for America program at the same time. I decided to pursue the MBA at Scheller because of the experiential learning opportunities and business strategy tools that would enable me to have an impact not only on individuals but on organizations and their broader culture.”

    If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the MBA experience? I would dedicate a day to having the professors and administrators take interested students out for lunch or coffee. I think people work and learn best from those with whom they develop a strong personal connection.

    What are the top two items on your bucket list?

    • Creatively find ways for senior citizens to take a more active role in society. They are projected to rise from 8% to 17% of the world’s population by 2050, and their ability to meaningfully contribute is often overlooked.
    • To take my elderly parents back to the Madeleine Islands, a set of French-speaking Islands near Prince Edward Island. We used to travel there when I was a kid – the cliffs and nature are beautiful.

    In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? To be remembered as someone who enabled my peers to perceive the very best in themselves and act upon it.

    What is your favorite movie about business? The Founder, because it brought home the point that leading a successful professional life isn’t an end in and of itself. Success extends to the quality of products sold to customers and the way one treats the people closest to themselves.

    What would your theme song be? The Sound of Bells, Ozeri & Cohen

    Favorite vacation spot: Israel and Maine – I feel at home with the people and nature of these contrasting worlds.

    Hobbies? Photography, reading, travel.

    What made Reemon such an invaluable addition to the class of 2018?

    “Reemon Silverman is an exceptionally involved student committed to making the experiences of her classmates and future MBA students stellar. She is the Co-Leader of the Women in Business Organization that has increased programming throughout this year, hosting programs in Effective Networking and Negotiations as well as industry and company events and tours. WIB serves a vital role both in skill development for women students and building community among women at Scheller. In addition, Reemon has served as the Peer Leadership Chair, leading the implementation of a peer coaching program for 140+ MBAs. She is an essential part of our community, tirelessly working to help students connect with each other and partnering with the administration to enhance the overall student experience.

    Reemon grew up in Maine but traveled to Israel to pursue her Bachelor and Master of Laws from Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel. While there, she competed in the ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition in Paris and advised over 60 low-income residents through a legal aid clinic. Her professional legal career began in commercial law with ISCHER BEHAR CHEN WELL ORION & CO. in Tel Aviv where she managed due diligence teams involved in transactions with multi-national clients, advised clients on asset acquisition, and analyzed risks inherent in large financial transactions. She also provided legal counsel to Social Finance Israel, a non-profit organization, on issuing social impact bonds in Israel.

    Reemon will join North Highland as a Strategy Consultant after graduating in May 2018. Undoubtedly, her intellectual curiosity, commitment to others and zeal for life will follow her throughout her career.”

    Lauren Porter

    MBA Corporate Relations Manager

    Jones MBA Career Center, Scheller College of Business

    Georgia Institute of Technology

     

    DON’T MISS THE FULL LIST:

    100 MBAS TO WATCH IN THE CLASS OF 2018

     

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