Meet Cornell Johnson’s MBA Class Of 2020

Carlos Acevedo

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University

An explorer who believes that stepping into the unknown is risky, but probably the best way to live.”

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Fun Fact About Yourself: During my travels, I have eaten all kinds of food. One of them was a scorpion, and it was delicious!

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Business & Administration (Msc in Finance)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Banco de Credito e Inversiones, FX Sales Trader

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment has been to lead the hedge operations at the bank’s leasing subsidiary. The project previously experienced difficulties between business units with the major challenge in tailoring the leasing needs both financially and operationally.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would say each classmate has a great sense of community. I had the chance to meet many of them during Destination Johnson and we have been in contact since that event. There are many students who have already started organizing activities for the start of classes.

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? A key factor when deciding which school to invest in was employability. Johnson not only has good numbers, but also offers the immersion programs, which will allow me to better prepare for a summer internship and hopefully land a job offer.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I look forward to participating in the Outdoor Club. My biggest passions are climbing and photography, so I can’t wait to get out there and discover new places.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After completing the CFA program and years of work, it felt natural to pursue an MBA to complement my technical knowledge. I always wanted to take my career abroad, so an MBA in the United States was a great fit.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Every MBA alum I spoke with before applying to business school told me not to worry about the program costs. They shared that all my calculations would leave out the most important asset of the process, which includes the experience and memories, which are priceless.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Columbia, NYU, UVA and UPenn.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The first filter was to narrow schools with a strong finance background. I used tools such as rankings, program curriculums and the market place view of each school. I then researched the culture by reading more about campus events. After visiting Johnson, I just knew it was the place that I would like to invest two years, so the decision came easily.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I believe it was during my exchange in Denmark during my undergraduate degree. It was my first international experience and itallowed me to broaden my perception of life. That was the moment when I decided I wanted to live my life as an outgoing adventurer, looking for new challenges in every corner.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?  Before continuing my career in New York, I would like to sail through the Artic.

Where do you see yourself in five years?  I see myself in the decision making process, a role in which my ideas and arguments are considered and are based on my experiences.