Allen Xu

Yale School of Management

“Solving problems, at the intersection of words and numbers, feelings and ideas.”

Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas

Fun Fact About Yourself: One of my life’s goals is to climb Denali in Alaska

Undergraduate School and Major: Stanford University, Comparative Literature and Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Director of Strategy and Growth at HarrisX

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’ve always been a people person, whether in the classroom, team projects, social settings, etc. So it came as a surprise when, upon starting at BCG after undergrad, the most challenging aspect of the job was client engagement. Through talking with mentors, lots of practice, and pushing out of my comfort zone, I turned the challenge into a strength – first at BCG, and then at HarrisX, where my role actually focused on establishing and growing our partnerships with clients both old and new.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Curious – I’ve been able to have deep, rich conversations with countless peers upon only just meeting because everyone is so focused on hearing each others’ stories – not just sharing their own.

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 connections I made during Yale’s interview day – with my interviewer, admissions staff, and fellow candidates – brought home the fact that SOM’s sense of mission and care for society were more than just branding. Every piece of the community seemed to have the “bigger picture” of university and society in mind, which was a perfect fit for my background and degree interests. I can’t emphasize enough how eye-opening it was to meet and spend time with potential professors and classmates in person.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Something creative – so I can work the other half of my brain!

The Yale School of Management is regarded as a purpose-driven program. What is your mission? How will your MBA at Yale help you fulfill that mission? As a joint-degree candidate with Yale Law School, my dream is to start and grow my own law firm, so I can eventually focus my work on areas like healthcare access, urban policy, and conservation. I believe SOM will expose me to these issues from the business and social perspectives, providing insight into what will matter to future clients; of course, a successful law firm is also a profitable business, of which I’ll need to be the general manager.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far in your career?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After four years in client service industries (management consulting, then a small market research startup), I wanted to shift my approach to a legal and socially-oriented one. But I chose to start with the MBA because I’m eager to learn the soft skills – leadership, teamwork, global perspective – that SOM will offer.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? HBS and GSB

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I only applied to three MBA programs. Ultimately, it came down to a combination of scholarships, the strength of the combined JD/MBA offering, and (most important) where I had the most engaging and inspiring conversations.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I recently had the chance to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with several members of my family – parents, aunt and uncle, and another uncle who joined us from China. Tackling a challenge of this magnitude – together with our local guides and porters – not only renewed my interest in conservation and the outdoors, but also hit home the importance of persistence, teamwork, and good health/self-care. These are values shared by my family, which I will hold dear as I take the next step in my career.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? If I’m lucky, I will be close to starting my own law firm in 10 years! I have a lot of training to go – academic, professional, and personal.

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