Adaobi Y. Chine 

University of Washington’s Foster School of Business

“I am either passionate or nonchalant about something; there is no middle ground for me.”

Hometown: Nibo, Anambra State, Nigeria

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am surprisingly witty. Apparently, I don’t look like a funny person.

Undergraduate School and Major:

• Undergraduate: American University of Nigeria (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration)
• Graduate: Cranfield University, England (Master of Science in Finance and Management)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

• Employer: Diamond Bank Plc (Now merged with Access Bank Plc)
• Title: Head, Manpower Planning & Talent Acquisition

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Creating an internal recruitment policy, which was approved by the Executive Management team and implemented nationally by my team. The policy resulted in a significant reduction in the attrition rate bank-wide.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The best quality is in their support. During the welcome weekend, I met a few classmates who had contacts in companies I am interested in for an internship and they all offered to connect me to their contact and help in any way possible.

What makes Seattle such a great place to earn an MBA? Seattle is home to several Fortune 500 companies and it is a thriving startup hub; the combination of these two factors exposes MBA students to a diverse network of business leaders and professionals who they can connect with and learn from. An added bonus is that Seattle is a beautiful city with no shortage of fun activities.

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? The unique content of the full-time MBA curriculum at Foster, particularly the Applied Strategy Project and the MBA Mentor Program, is the key factor that influenced my choice.

The Applied Strategy Project will give me hands-on experience in developing innovative solutions to critical business challenges early on in the program and the MBA Mentor Program will expose me to successful business leaders who I can learn from.

These two unique aspects of the curriculum were important to me because they will help to hone my management and leadership skills, equip me with the practical skills I need to assume an executive management position in my family business post-MBA, and ultimately, prepare me to succeed as a young female business leader in Africa.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to serving on the leadership team of the Tech Club and starting a speaker series on technology and business in Africa.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I honestly did not find any question challenging because I was quite prepared for the interview.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? The opportunity to assume an executive management position in my family’s currency management business inspired me to pursue an MBA now. An MBA will help me to successfully and seamlessly transition from a middle manager position in human resources to an executive management position in a business development role.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? University of Chicago

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized the following factors listed in order of importance: curriculum content, culture and location. The tools I used to evaluate the schools are the schools’ website, business school editorials like Poets&Quants, and discussions with current students and alumni. The information that these tools provided helped me to determine my fit with Foster School of Business and Chicago Booth School of Business.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I like to refer to it as my defining phase; it was losing over 45 pounds within three years during my late teenage years to my early twenties. The weight loss process taught me discipline, determination, and patience, three qualities that have significantly contributed to my professional and personal growth.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In ten years, I see myself in the CEO position in my family’s business; I see myself working with the executive management team to constantly push and redefine the boundaries of our services to commercial banks in Nigeria using technology.