Mark Giragosian

Harvard Business School

“Husband, father, former professional dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, and current private equity investor.”           

Hometown: Manassas, VA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I joined the Joffrey Ballet as a professional ballet dancer immediately after high school and continued dancing there for eight years. I went to college while maintaining my position at the Joffrey and retired from dancing after graduation to pursue a new career in investing. I have since remained involved with the Joffrey as a member of the Board of Directors.

Undergraduate School and Major: Northwestern University, Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Linden Capital Partners, Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

Finance Career: I was part of a three-person team that led all aspects of due diligence and execution for the acquisition of a specialty medical distribution business. Following the acquisition, we also led several value creation initiatives that resulted in the addition of over 50 new employees, three completed add-on acquisitions, and a dividend recapitalization all within one year of the original acquisition.

Ballet Career: I represented the Joffrey Ballet at the 2009 New York International Ballet Competition and won the Silver Medal.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diverse: The classmates I have met so far not only come from different professional and personal backgrounds, but also possess an incredibly broad range of skills, interests, and ambitions. Meeting select classmates though HBS-sponsored events such as Admitted Student Welcome has made me even more eager to get to know my whole class better and begin learning from their experiences and perspectives.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? The case method is attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager because it puts the student in the role of the decision-maker in a wide variety of challenging business situations and allows them to practice managing in those situations. As a result, students learn to cultivate many skills that are critical to effective management, including synthesizing information quickly, considering the perspectives and insights of others, debating alternatives, developing an informed opinion, and making decisions with imperfect information. Because each class is a case-based discussion, students also hear each other’s opinions and perspectives which allows them to learn as much from their classmates as they do from their professors. Students also benefit from the fact that all cases are based on actual business situations and cover a wide variety of relevant topics that students are likely to encounter in their own careers.

Aside from your classmates and cases, 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? In addition to the case method and student body, I chose HBS because of the strong community and welcoming atmosphere I observed on campus during my visit. Since I knew I would be coming to business school with a wife and two children, it was really important to me that they feel welcome and included on campus and I had the chance to speak with several families on campus who had really great experiences. HBS not only allows students to live on campus with their families but also has numerous clubs and activities for partners and children that I know will help my family make new long-lasting friendships and feel at home at HBS.

What was the most surprising thing you discovered about Harvard Business School during the application process? The most surprising thing I learned about HBS during the application process was that despite the large class size HBS is still very focused on addressing the individual needs of each student. Since I was admitted, several HBS employees and alumni have reached out to me to ensure I had the support I needed in every area from securing an apartment on campus and financing my education to finding preschool options for my children.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward most to participating in the Healthcare Initiative because doing so will allow me to connect with healthcare-minded students and professors, better understand the latest challenges faced across the industry by physicians and researchers and prepare myself to support healthcare companies and leaders in tackling those challenges.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I was asked how my career as a professional dancer had helped prepare me for a career in investing. This was a challenging question because dancing and investing are very different professions on the surface. However, overcoming the obstacles I faced in my ballet career required the cultivation of many qualities that have been invaluable in my second career including discipline, adaptability, creativity, empathy, and the ability to work as part of a team.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Pursuing an MBA will enable me to continue my career in investing by helping me better understand aspects of business and management that I have not yet been directly exposed to while also providing me with the opportunity to dive deeper into select areas. This will not only help me become a more well-rounded manager but also provide me with the opportunity to identify and address my weaknesses while acquiring skills and knowhow tailored specifically towards making me a better leader and investor.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Stanford and Wharton (Admitted to both)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? To determine my fit at various schools, I visited each school I was considering, sat in on a class, and spoke to several current and former students. I also spent time during each visit sitting in the cafeteria or other common areas just to get a feel for the campus and culture. I prioritized finding a program with a diverse and engaged student body that would be welcoming to students with families. I also conducted research on the career resources available at each school and spoke to former students to understand the extent to which each program helped students secure jobs in my target industry.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment took place when I decided to retire from the performing arts and pursue a new career in finance. After dancing for the Joffrey Ballet for eight years, it was hard to give up the joy of collaborating with world-class artists and the thrill of performing on stage. However, I realized that I had achieved everything I had hoped to achieve as a dancer and was ready for new challenges that only a new career would bring. That decision was certainly the hardest decision I have ever made, but it marked the beginning of a new phase in my career in which I learned and grew even more than I expected. Looking back, that decision not only enabled me to begin a new career and learn new skills but also led me to develop the confidence to embrace other changes in my life and constantly seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I aspire to be a leading healthcare investor dedicated to collaborating with industry leaders and entrepreneurs to accelerate diagnostic and treatment advances and implement those advances into patient care. I also intend to remain involved with the Joffrey Ballet and other artistic organizations to help increase the impact and accessibility of the performing arts.