Cecilia Fernandes Ramos

HEC Paris

“Charismatic and easy going! Always try my best to leave the atmosphere as light and pleasant as possible.”

Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a travel addict, especially when it comes to adventure and landscapes trips. I discovered this passion at 25 years-old, when I took my first backpack trip through South America in October 2015. During one of my most emblematic hikes, in Atacama Desert, I decided to climb Lascar volcano, one of the most active volcanos from Chile. The climb started at 6 a.m. with one of the most astonishing landscapes I have ever seen. When we were less than 300 meters from the crater, Lascar erupted and we had to run down for our lives. The cloud of ashes reached Buenos Aires, San Pedro de Atacama village entered yellow alert stage and my friend and I gave an interview to TV Chile about this incredible and terrifying experience!

Undergraduate School and Major: IBMEC Business School

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Brand Manager at The Coca-Cola Company in Brazil

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Leading marketing campaigns for Fanta, the second biggest brand of soft drinks in Brazil, has definitely been a major professional accomplishment. As a Brand Manager, I have already led over five integrated marketing campaigns, but I will always remember with affection my first one, that aired in March 2018. I had a 6-month planning with a multi-functional and brilliant team who taught me a lot and was very patient and kind with me, being a marketing-rookie at that time. As expected with such a dedicated team, the campaign results were outstanding for the brand equity and business. Deep diving into market and brand opportunities, getting to know our consumers and their tensions, and addressing a business challenge with genuine consumer-lenses turned out to be one of my passions – and Coca-Cola has been an amazing school on that subject. Being capable of reaching millions of people with a meaningful message is a great responsibility and I believe in the positive impact it can have on people’s lives.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I have been very positively impacted by their collaboration, spirit and intelligent sense of humor. I´m sure I’ll learn as much or more from my classmates as I do in the classroom. Everyone I’ve met with an HEC background has been amazingly sharp, but also generous, exemplifying the school’s supportive, collaborative culture.

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? HEC Paris will accelerate my development across dimensions. As an aspiring business leader, I value the school’s emphasis on diversity, with 50+ nationalities represented and a class that’s 30% women. I’ve learned first-hand the value of hearing multiple viewpoints based on gender, nationality, culture, and others. The HEC Paris MBA provides opportunities that are very aligned with my post MBA goals and I know from alumni and personal research that the school´s faculty is exceptional. I am also a fluent French speaker and have studied all my life at a French school in Rio de Janeiro. Post-MBA, I plan to start an international career, working in France or Europe would be a great step for me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m very excited about opportunities like the Gender Equality Club and Net Impact to continue seeking positive change. Specializations such as Marketing and Digital Innovation are also of great appeal, given I would like to continue my career in Marketing. I’ll grow from classes like Strategic Management and Operations, specifically, while sharing the insights I’ve gained working with one of the world’s most iconic brands. I’m eager to take full advantage of HEC Paris’ cross-cultural opportunities, as well, such as doing an exchange in Asia or Africa with emerging markets where brands depend critically on navigating challenging cultural barriers.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I felt at ease during my interviews. I told the interviewers about my personal and professional trajectory and they responded with genuine and curious questions regarding my decisions and experiences. Actually, it was a very pleasant surprise: all of them conducted the interview with interest and I could see that they were genuinely trying to capture how my achievements so far would make me a valuable member for their schools.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Over the past seven years, I’ve gained deep experience at The Coca-Cola Company, from building strategies and long-term goals to currently serving as Brand Manager. As I’ve gained increasing responsibility levels and learned from strategic discussions and interactions with top management, I’ve recognized how much I could gain from a top MBA like HEC Paris, to achieve impact on even greater scales. My objective is to continue having business/social impact by creating a strong consumer focus. I’m passionate about solving problems by taking the perspective of the consumer to create customer-focused strategies and solutions, as I’ve done at Coke. I´m also determined to start an international career and the multi-cultural experience I will gain at HEC Paris will certainly help me achieve this goal.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? IE and IESE.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I started with the culture. As a former ballerina, I have always valued teamwork and a collaborative atmosphere, so that was something I was seeking in a business school. I dug into the school´s program offerings, specialization and professors’ backgrounds, to really understand the programs. I talked with a vast network of alumni and now I couldn´t be any happier or certain about my final choice – HEC Paris.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I remember it as if was yesterday. When I was 17, still quite young, I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life, which was to abandon ballet. For more than 10 years, I dedicated my life to being a professional dancer. By that time, I had to decide on whether I wanted to pursue a career in ballet or an executive career, which meant going to the university. Even though I always knew I wanted to pursue an executive career, dancing was a huge part of my life. I had to stop dancing to dedicate myself to study for the vestibular (the Brazilian SAT equivalent) since the 15+ weekly hours dedicated to ballet would be an impediment. It was the first big mark on my professional trajectory. Despite the difficulty, I knew I was on the right path to opportunities that led me to where I am right now: a Top MBA candidate with solid experience, who is seeking to improve my leadership skills to keep building positive impact.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself as an inspiring business leader that leads through purpose and example. My main objective as a leader is to merge business challenges into purpose challenges. As an evolving marketing leader, I’ve learned first-hand the importance of purpose (for company and consumer) in building brands and loyalty and its positive impact for business – it is a winning equation. I’ll strive to do that in whatever industry I join, with the broad goal of improving lives and experiences.