Larisa Olteanu

University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business

“American ambitionist, Moldovian hard worker, Romanian folk dancer, Texas-sized dreamer and a Global citizen.”

Hometown: I was born in the Republic of Moldova and lived there for a significant part of my life. Most recently I have lived in Spring, Texas. 

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am fluent in four languages (English, Romanian, Russian, Spanish) and know another three (Italian, Portuguese, French). However, when I decided to stay in the United States 11 years ago with $20 in my pocket, a bag of clothes and no acquaintances, I had no knowledge of English.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Houston, Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: 

• ExxonMobil: Area Advisor, Project Accountant & Logistics Lead
• ExxonMobil: Project Accountant
• ExxonMobil: Business and Stewardship Reporting Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: After joining ExxonMobil, I quickly discovered I have a knack for building relationships. When I saw how ExxonMobil’s 1,200 coders struggled with coding invoices and how this impacted the company’s books, I analyzed the workflow, wrote up a plan, and presented it to management. Working with their approval across three departments, I found I could unite all stakeholders by listening and then presenting solutions that benefited them directly. I led a team of six in correcting the coding issue and developing two training modules that were delivered to senior managers and over 3,000 IT employees.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I have to name two: Diversity and Humbleness. McCombs has an exceptionally diverse cohort with varied skills and backgrounds. Every student that I have met thus far is eager to humbly share their experiences to support and build each other up. These are traits that I have observed not only in my future classmates, but also in McCombs alumni.

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? Experiencing Austin’s spirit of collaborative creativity interlocked with McCombs’ rigorous curriculum is unique and unmatched. The top city to start a business – with a well-established ecosystem of entrepreneurs and investors sprinkled with Austin “weirdness” – results in an unparalleled life experience that I can only look forward to.

Aside from your classmates and location, 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? I was seeking a program that grows leaders to impact the world via a wealth of hands-on opportunities and an abundant number of organizations. McCombs’ rigorous curriculum with an emphasis on participation makes it the most suitable environment for me to achieve my goals and make a difference in the world.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Net Impact and Graduate Women in Business, which will provide great opportunities for me to serve our community. Networking with national and local businesses, as well as community leaders, will continue to fuel my passion for developing women and underprivileged children into leaders that will make the world a better place. We must invest in future generations to create a legacy of diverse, innovative, and creative business environment.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? There wasn’t one. I believe that if you know who you are and always stay true to yourself, then every question can be easily and confidently answered.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Pursuing an MBA was never a thought of “if”, but a question of “when.” I continuously seek growth in every aspect of my life and challenge myself to achieve new heights. I knew that now I had enough life and work experience to share with my cohort and add value to the program while getting the best out of the MBA.

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

How did you determine your fit at various schools? As an ExxonMobil employee, I had the privilege of observing, working and interacting with alumni from universities across the country. I actively met with them to gauge post-school alumni network closeness and willingness to help. I analyzed my interactions with current students and admission to further evaluate the cultural fit. All these were complemented by extensive reading on MBA programs from numerous online sources, especially Poets & Quants. Further, during the interview, I took the approach of interviewing the university to solidify the fit with my personality and career goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I was six years old, standing in our kitchen on Nicolae Costin Street, watching in horror as my drunken stepfather Serghei dangled my mom outside the window of our fifth-floor Chisinau (Moldova) apartment. Gathering my courage, I edged closer and tried to calm him, just as I’d learned to do every other time, he’d begun abusing her. Looking back at me, he paused and suddenly yelling “You’re lucky you have your daughter!” yanked mom back in.

Saving my mother’s life was my first realization that life is all about choice: my stepfather’s choice to end or sustain my mother’s life, my choice to let my difficult childhood hold me back or use it as a building block to something better. The choices I’ve made since then led me here today.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I try to keep an open mind and embrace great opportunities that will come my way, as long as I am challenged and experience tremendous growth. However, I definitely see myself possessing stronger leadership and managerial skills with vast abilities to impact companies on a global scale.