Meet Yale SOM’s MBA Class Of 2020

Ryan Leibowitz

Yale School of Management

“Broke my femur bone when I was two and have been climbing uphill ever since.”

Hometown: Miami Beach, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: I attended a maritime science magnet high school in Miami and had a boater’s license before a driver’s license.

Undergraduate School and Major: Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (Economics major with concentrations in Management and Real Estate)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consultant at Bain & Company

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While at Bain, I completed a pro bono engagement for a charter school network in New York. The client came to us asking whether they were ready to grow, and (if so), how they should do it. After engaging with students, teachers, principals, and community members over a three-month period, we determined the network should in fact grow. As a direct result of our project, the organization’s board of directors signed off on a growth plan that included up to seven new schools that will serve thousands of students and their families. It was phenomenal to see the real-world impact from the project; the first two new schools are opening for the 2018 school year!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The most common trait among Yale SOM students is how down-to-earth they are. While each has their own unique background and has accomplished amazing things, they are all so collegial, supportive, and humble. It’s a great community that I’m thrilled to be a part of.

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? The culture and small size were key inputs into my decision, but another main driver was the design and flexibility of the curriculum. Coming from an undergraduate business program, I was intrigued by how courses are taught in an interdisciplinary fashion from various stakeholder perspectives. I also loved how easy it was to take classes outside of the core curriculum and across the university.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m hoping to join the Yale Nonprofit Board Fellows and ultimately sit on the board of a local nonprofit organization while I’m in school. Sitting on a board would provide a phenomenal opportunity to engage with the local community and apply what I’m learning in the classroom in a real-world context.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I joined Bain full-time as an Associate Consultant right after college. Since then, the role has shifted from being very analytics-heavy to having a broader focus on client engagement, team leadership, and problem solving. As such, I felt that I would benefit from the leadership training that an MBA will provide. Beyond the formal in-classroom training, I am also excited to practice working with classmates from different backgrounds and professions, which I think will help me hone my own leadership style.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I see an MBA as a long-term investment in myself and my career. Beyond financial considerations, I also considered the two-year sabbatical from work and whether that would set me back. I feel that the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term costs and that this was an ideal point in my career to invest in myself and focus on both personal and professional growth.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Dartmouth’s Tuck and Stanford’s GSB

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When looking at schools, I prioritized schools with a smaller class size, tight-knit culture, and focus on leadership and other “softer” skills. Talking to current students and alumni was by far the most helpful tool, and I found that most everyone I reached out to was more than willing to spend the time with me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Pressing “submit” on both my Bain and Yale SOM applications! Bain has been a phenomenal career accelerator and also where I’ve met some of my closest friends. Yale SOM has already proven to be a great decision, and I’m looking forward to the next two years.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I plan to return to management consulting at Bain. What I love most about Bain, and the industry more broadly, is how each case challenges you in a new and unique way. Beyond the subject matter, your role with clients and teams continues to grow. To put it simply, I don’t think there’s a better (or more fun) place to advance your career.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Outside consulting, I have a strong interest in real estate, and actually thought I’d be an architect at one point. Last year, I completed an externship from Bain at a real estate development and investment firm in New York. I’m not sure of the timing, but in the long term, I’d like to build upon this experience and my Bain training and work in a strategy-focused role in real estate.

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