Muneef M. AlMuneef

MIT, Sloan School of Management

“Curious, intellectual, open-minded, ambitious, self-reflective, focused, meticulous, global and adaptive.”

Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Fun Fact About Yourself: My first name is the same as my last name

Undergraduate School and Major:

Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from McGill University (Class of 2009)

Professional Master’s in Sustainable Electrical Energy from Georgia Tech (Class of 2015)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Public Investment Fund (NEOM Project) –Strategy Director

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Completing my Professional Master’s degree while working on an intense project at work full-time and getting married during the same time

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humble and eager to be part of the Sloan diverse community

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 tech focus of MIT coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit was the major factor in my decision. MIT is the primary source of research and innovation in the tech world and I wanted to be a part of that community.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I want to focus on trying out new activities as well as more outdoor activities – from being involved in sports such as soccer to hiking. Work has been so busy these past few years that I haven’t had enough time to focus on my own development, which I seek to do at school. I am also excited to build lifelong relationships with students from around the world – as I am very interested in global cultures, I believe business school will be a goldmine of cultures, an environment in which I will thrive on multiple levels.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After spending many years in engineering & project management, I felt it is time to embark on a journey to hone my commercial and business skills.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I had consulted with many successful young professionals who had such a positive experience during their MBA enabling them to discover more about themselves and solidify their interests. I am going into the MBA with a similar mindset – an opportunity to develop myself, develop my interests and most importantly discover more about who I am.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? LBS, Wharton, HBS and Stanford GSB

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The factors I factored in were location & environment, tech focus, curriculum flexibility and depth. I had various in-depth discussions with different students from different schools.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My year on secondment in Korea was definitely eye-opening – I was exposed to an entire new culture and it impacted me personally and professionally. I started changing my work habits becoming more disciplined, more focused and came back to Saudi Arabia wholly inspired by their collective push towards cultivating a more innovative society.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I am open to all kinds of opportunities but lately I have developed a strong interest in tech and innovation. I look forward to expanding my horizons in this area through my time at MIT Sloan.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Still happily married and professionally successful!