Raul Carvalho

University of Rochester, Simon Business School     

“Veteran Brazilian sailor and professional Investment Manager ready to bring my ambitions to America!”

Hometown: Fortaleza, Ceará

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was allergic to milk until I was 12 years old. Because of this, I am totally indifferent when it comes to chocolates, ice-cream, candy, etc.

Undergraduate School and Major: Faculdade Farias Brito – Law

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Santander – Investment Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Designed and facilitated a training program focused on structured investments for my team. This initiative resulted in a tenfold increase in capital raised from clients and new investors.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Collaboration. As a foreigner, I was very concerned about adapting to the country and the culture and feeling included. In less than three months, I can say that I have made real, life-long friendships.  Upon arrival, I quickly realized that at everyone, regardless of their backgrounds, was an equal part of the Simon 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 commitment that the career center has to every student’s growth as a professional. Even before coming to school, the students start receiving materials, courses and assignments related to their preferred career paths. Before classes started, I was scheduling appointments with the CMC and meeting with my career advisor. Not only this, the different areas of the school are interconnected in a way that you are constantly working on something related to your desired industry.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am primarily looking forward to Simon Vision Consulting, which is a student-led organization that provides pro-bono consulting services to businesses and nonprofits in the Rochester area. I recently got a project manager role and I’m very excited to work with a startup helping them to achieve their goals and tackle their challenges.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I have always had this plan of coming to pursue superior education in the United States. A desire to shift my career focus towards more strategical consulting roles made apparent to me that I needed to improve my leadership skills, financial skills, and acquire some new ones, such as business strategy and pricing.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? First, it was because Simon has one of the best ROIs for private Business Schools in the U.S. Moreover, after visiting the school, seeing the structure, speaking with the students, professionals, and even the dean, I was sure that they would do everything to maximize my time and financial investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?

Ross, Tepper, Booth, Kenan-Flagler.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First, I wanted a smaller class in which I could connect with my classmates and start creating meaningful relationships with the people who will become the closest portion of my network. I also wanted a school famous for its financial program (and Simon had the “pricing plus”) because one of my objectives is close some knowledge gaps that I have since my undergrad focused in Law. A collaborative culture was of high importance because I see the MBA program as a pathway of growing and I believe that you can always achieve and learn more if you have a diverse and engaged group…which we have! To assess this, the best way is to simply talk to the students, send them a message on Linkedin, or go to a school event to ask about our culture and the way we do things here. I guarantee you will encounter someone interested in your questions and happy to talk with you. Looking at the historical hires on Simon, I could see that Simon graduates are being hired for the positions that I want to be. This gives the confidence that, if I do my work and wisely use the resources that the school provides me, I’ll be able to achieve my career goals and lend my dream job.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Losing my spot to the national sailing championship in the last race because I didn’t focused enough in the final weeks of racing. I learned that, if I wanted my spot, I had to earn it every day. I started to out practice my competitors, to give every race the same importance and attention, to stay on top of game until it ends. This discipline later translated to all other aspects of my life.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I aspire to have a career in consulting and be part of the teams that tackle the most challenging issues that companies face on their day-to-day activities.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself living and working in the United States. I envision myself at work, as a manager for a reputable consulting firm, on an airplane heading to my client’s headquarters to discuss strategic challenges and how my firm and I can help!