Gintare Petrauskaite

IESE Business School

“Dreamer, restless learner, fearless pursuer and empath that wants to change the world.”

Hometown: Kaunas, Lithuania

Fun Fact About Yourself: Although tall and thin, weighing 60kg, I eat like 3 grown men!

Undergraduate School and Major: Copenhagen Business School, BSc International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

Intrum Group (Financial Services industry)

Business Controller (headquarters based)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Somehow, they used to seem big, yet they no longer do. Excitement about admittance to IESE must have overshadowed the past accomplishments.

Yet if I had to mention one… It’s that despite the fast track of my career in finance, I have never thought that it’s all about me. It was always us – the team, the department, the company. The long nights spent on new financial structures and models, quarterly presentations and reports, performance analyses, mergers and acquisitions were all very significant at a point in time, yet all I remember now is what a great team I had and how we succeeded together.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Open-minded and kind. It’s a well-travelled bunch with lots of international experiences on their records. This exposure to diversity really opens one up to the notion that there are no rights and wrongs. It all comes down to perspective. In addition, the classmates I have met always had enough time and more importantly desire to help, consult, recommend, and in any other possible way assist me in the journey towards starting an MBA. Despite these commonalities, every story is somehow different, and every profile has something exciting about it. Can’t wait to meet the rest.

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 of IESE. Humility, fun, professionalism, open-mindedness, excellence, diversity. I believe that learning is at its highest through interaction, thus culture was a key factor in my decision making.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Entrepreneurs club. My prior background is solely finance/corporate based, so I am very excited to expose myself to this new environment and way of thinking.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? It was my dream for years and the timing was perfect. I was starting to feel too comfortable in my finance job and that was a clear indication that it is time for change and new challenges. Magic happens outside of our comfort zone.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? A calculated decision is for rational people. I just had a feeling that it was going to be one of the best investments of my life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? ESADE MBA

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Being a people person, I surely met a lot of MBA students from both schools. Real life examples are somewhat more interesting to me than the structured brochures. That helped me a lot. Even though both schools seemed great, I did feel a stronger connection and fit with IESE. My decision was made during the final interview with Pascal Michels. I thought that if someone as inspiring as him oversees the MBA admissions, then I can’t wait to be part of the class that will be created.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Skydiving. You are up there, standing on the airplane, 4 kilometer high looking down, and it’s so scary that you even start questioning your own sanity. But…you summon all your strength and jump anyway. Then, it’s the best feeling in the world.The scariest moments in our lives tend to be followed by the greatest. So, whenever I feel afraid or in doubt, I remind myself ‘jump anyway’!

What do you plan to do after you graduate? My MBA application says consulting, yet it couldn’t be further from who I am right now. One thing I am sure of, is that it’s ok to be ‘wrong’ as change is the only constant in life. My current aspirations lie with entrepreneurship. During my world travels over the last four months, I was inspired with a business idea. For now, I can only say, that it is in line with my 15 words description. You can’t change the world unless you change or awaken the people. The world is people. So that’s what my business will be focused on.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Living with my precious (and yet to be created) family in a seafront house, that is located strategically close to my business. Spending every day with people whose lives I hope to change or at least touch in a positive way. And, continuously dreaming…

As everything around us once started with a dream…