Nnamdi C. Obukwelu

New York University, Stern School of Business

“A team-oriented person who is not afraid of a good challenge.”

Hometown: Brockton, MA (a.k.a The City of Champions!)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m the second oldest of five sons.

Undergraduate School and Major: Harvard College, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Hedgeye Risk Management (Equity Research Analyst); State Street Bank (Senior Associate); National Football League (Defensive Lineman)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment came in my previous career as a National Football League defensive lineman. Sitting in my parents’ living room and signing my contract to play for the Indianapolis Colts was a childhood dream come true.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? “Team-oriented” best describes the Stern classmates I’ve met so far. Going back to school is more involved than people think, and there is a great deal of preparation (both mental and emotional) that goes into it. So far, my classmates have been eager to offer words of encouragement and to make professional connections. This quality is also something I saw in the Stern alumni I have had a chance to speak with, and think this goes back to Stern’s focus on IQ +EQ. The admissions team does an incredible job of finding candidates who exhibit both IQ and EQ, and this shines through in the interactions we have as classmates.

Aside from your classmates, 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? Stern’s MBA program is unique in that it offers a wider range of specializations than other MBA programs. This was a key factor in my decision to attend Stern, because as a career switcher, I felt that the opportunity to specialize in something that directly spoke to my career aspirations would better position me for success after school.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m excited for the opportunity to get involved in various student groups on campus. Stern in Africa and the Management Consulting Association are two groups at the top of my list. Additionally, I would love to take part in Stern’s Doing Business In…(DBi) Program. The opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by various businesses operating in other parts of the world is an unparalleled experience.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I knew that I wanted to pursue MBA even as far back as when I was still in college. My goal as a young person was to be a leader, and I realized that many of the business leaders I admired had MBAs. So, I decided early on that an MBA would be something I would eventually pursue.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I thought long and hard about how an MBA would position me for the type of career I want to have. Getting an MBA is not just a two-year commitment – it’s more of a 20-year commitment, as it has long-term implications. Once I was able to articulate what my professional goals were and how an MBA would help me achieve these goals, I knew an MBA would be worth the investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I also applied to Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, MIT Sloan, The Wharton School, Yale School of Management.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When it came to evaluating my fit at various schools, I created a checklist of factors that I wanted to research and I dove headfirst into learning as much as I could about each school. Fortunately, I knew people who were currently attending or had attended the majority of the schools I was applying to, so the network of current students and alumni played a huge role in my evaluation. For the schools where I did not personally know anyone, I leaned on the admissions officers and various liaisons. My list of factors included location, career prospects (as it related to my particular goals), offerings in the classroom, and the students. I knew I wanted to stay in the Northeast; I wanted to stretch myself in the classroom, and feel at home amongst my classmates. Fortunately, Stern checked the box for all of these, and I was able to gain admission.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? To be candid, my defining moment was making the transition from being a professional athlete to having to work a normal job and build a career outside of athletics. Athletics defined who I was for the majority of my life, so having to essentially rebrand myself was a tough transition to make. However, looking back on it, having to go through such a transition relatively early in my life has prepared me for other transitions I will have to make, notably from working full-time to becoming a full-time student.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  I am very interested in how competitive dynamics affect businesses. After graduation, I hope to be working with large corporations to help them combat such dynamics. A career in management consulting first comes to mind, but roles that involve extensive strategic thinking are very appealing to me.

Where do you see yourself in five years?  I like to think of myself as a problem solver, and this characteristic has helped to mold my pursuits. In five years, I see myself working in a consultative role to help corporations find a new steady-state in this ever-changing business environment.