Henrique Ramin

IESE Business School

“Nomadic Brazilian finance professional that comes from a multi-cultural background and is a citizen of the world.”

Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I have lived on 4 continents and traveled to more than 50 countries.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Graduated in 2012 – Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) – Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

(2017 – 2018) Ethiopia Investment Limited – Private Equity Associate for Sub-Saharan Africa region

(2016 – 2017) William Blair & Company – Investment Banking Coverage for Latin America region

(2014 – 2015) Votorantim Bank – Investment Banking Senior Analyst for Corporate & Investment Division

(2011 – 2014) Citigroup – Investment Banking Analyst for Latin America Investment Banking Group

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: One of the biggest accomplishments of my career occurred when I worked for William Blair & Company. I was the only member of the bank working at the Sao Paulo office and led teams around the world to successfully finance many multi-million dollar projects around Latin America. I had excellent exposure to clients (CEO and Shareholders) and answered directly to the Latin America Group Head for the bank.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? True Diversity. With each new person I meet, I can’t help but to be continually impressed at how many different professional and personal backgrounds are present in this cohort. This diversity will certainly enhance all student’s experience with IESE’s case method of instruction and will prepare the cohort to be effective managers in an increasingly globalized world.

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? I was blown away by how engaged and willing to help IESE’s alumni and staff were at the initial stages of showing interest in the school. Every single person I spoke with went above-and-beyond the call of duty to ensure they were available and to meet with me, even before I had applied. This speaks to the quality and strength of the IESE network, something that was very important to me when deciding what program I wanted to attend.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Traveling with my classmates to the various international and career treks that are sponsored by IESE.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I am really interested in transitioning into a role with a hedge fund in Europe. While I am an Italian citizen, I was looking for an efficient way to increase the depth of my network on the continent and found that IESE provided the perfect opportunity to do so.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? The school’s 3-year salary statistics certainly were a positive component of my decision, but when considering the international network that the school would provide, the decision to obtain IESE’s MBA was a no-brainer.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? In my opinion, to find the right school, you have to speak with as many people associated with the program as possible. I spoke to 10 or 11 people who were alumni, career services representatives, current students, and professors about the school. Before submitting my application, I attended an event at IESE’s Sao Paulo campus and traveled to visit the campus in Barcelona. At both locations, I had really great conversations with many current students about the merits of the program, life in Barcelona, etc. I repeated this process at other schools and after a 2-year long evaluation period, decided that IESE provided the best opportunity to achieve my personal and professional objectives for the MBA.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? While I can’t necessarily pin point one particular instance that shaped me into the person that I am, I would point to the history of my family. My grandfather immigrated to five different countries, fleeing from multiple crises and wars in Armenia, Syria, Greece, and Egypt, eventually ending up in Brazil. My parents both immigrated to Brazil from Italy and Greece respectively. When you grow up with your parents and grandparents speaking 7+ languages, it really drives you to travel, work, and live among many different cultures.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After earning my MBA, I see myself as an associate or principal at a leading hedge fund working in strategic asset allocation.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My goal is to eventually become the head of portfolio management at a Private Equity firm focused on emerging markets. As I progress in my career, I want to take more ownership of investment decisions and direct management of portfolios. I also want my career to continue on a path that invests in multiple geographies and industries regularly.