Henrique Lopes

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

“Someone who strives to enjoy all the great things life has to offer.”

Hometown: Campinas, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: For my 21st birthday, I decided to walk 500 miles across Spain, a trek known as the Camino de Santiago. It took me 26 days to complete the hike and I met some great people along the way.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Central Florida – Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Siemens Energy – Design Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my rotational program at Siemens, I was always looking for opportunities to make an impact during my short six-month assignments. After only two months into my second assignment, I requested to be the lead engineer of the next generator rotor refurbishment project. As the lead engineer, it was my responsibility to evaluate the incoming rotor condition, decide what needed to be done to fix the rotor, order parts, and follow up with manufacturing to ensure the project was executed in time and without any quality issues. The rotor I was assigned to ended up being the rotor in the worst condition that year. In order to deal with the complexities of this project, I assembled a group with representatives across several functional areas of the company. Together, we found a solution to fix the rotor. Despite all the challenges, the rotor was repaired on time and within budget. The project ended up being featured in our monthly newsletter, highlighting the great teamwork across different functional groups inside the company.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Generous. While traveling this summer, I was contacted by a fellow Darden classmate just before boarding a plane to Nepal. I hadn’t met this classmate before, but she had heard that I was on my way to Nepal where she is hailed from originally. On a last-minute notice, she arranged for her father and sister to pick me up from the airport in Kathmandu. Her family was extremely helpful during my stay in Nepal. This is just one of the many experiences that I have had where my classmates were kind and generous with their time.

What makes the case method so attractive as a means to learn and become a better manager? In addition to being an effective way to learn the subject matter, I believe the case method does a great job in preparing you to work in teams, make decisions, form an opinion, be open to different points of view, articulate your ideas, and be comfortable defending them. All these skills will lead you to become a better manager. I believe I will become more confident in my communication skills via the case method.

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?  Location. Having a sense of community was important to me when choosing a business school. I believe schools located in smaller college towns have much more to offer in that regard. In addition, I preferred schools that had good access to the outdoors and not such harsh winters. Darden checked all the boxes and added a cherry on top of the cake by having a great athletics program to cheer for, Go Hoos!

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?  I am looking forward to creating a deeper connection with my classmates while participating in some of my favorite activities and hobbies. Therefore, I am most excited about joining Darden’s Soccer Club, Outdoors Club, and Running Club. In addition, I look forward to traveling internationally with my classmates via Darden Worldwide Courses.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process?  Why an MBA now? I am on the younger side for most business schools, so I would often get this question.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?  While being exposed to a variety of roles at Siemens, I noticed that I was always more interested and excited about my business-related projects than my technical engineering work. After 3.5 years of work experience, I thought I was ready to make a career change and the MBA was the perfect tool for that.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?  UT McCombs, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Cornell SC Johnson, UM Ross, UW Foster.

How did you determine your fit at various schools?  I started by looking at the employment reports of each school and comparing them to my career aspirations. By doing this comparison, I got a good grasp of how well the school fits with my professional goals. As far as determining a cultural fit, you can call or email several students, but nothing is better than a school visit.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was 14 years old, I had to decide if I wanted to keep living with my father in Brazil or move to the United States to live with my mom. There were a lot of unknowns involved with moving to the United States that scared me. I didn’t know the language and I only knew two people (my mother and stepfather) there. Also, I was happy in Brazil where I had a lot of friends and family members. My decision to move to the United States put me on this journey that led me to Darden. What I learned from this experience is that you grow the most when you get yourself out of your comfort zone. Whether it is a new role at work or picking up a new hobby, I am always looking for new daunting challenges.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?  Hopefully, I will find a company with which I can build a long-lasting career after business school. In ten years, I can see myself in a general management role running a business unit. I look forward to mentoring the next generation of business students and doing some type of international assignment.