Kelly Huapaya

University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business

“Genuine, independent, avid traveler, passionate about dancing and driven by social causes.”

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun Fact About Yourself: Despite my 5’3” height, I played volleyball during high school and even achieved the team captain position.

Undergraduate School and Major: Ricardo Palma University, Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Teva Pharmaceuticals Peru – Head of the Accounting and Tax Department (2016-2019)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I started my career at KPMG Peru as an intern and became the youngest audit supervisor in the Lima office in less than six years. I spent many long hours at each step of my career at KPMG, but in the end it was worth it. I learned so much in a short amount of time and grew as a professional and person.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? A group of enthusiastic people with a different culture, backgrounds, experiences who pursue the same goal and aspirations: to make a positive impact in the community.

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Ask More of Business.” What is your mission and how will Mendoza help you realize it?  “Ask more of Business.” “Ask more of yourself.” In times where corruption is heavily affecting Latin American society, the phrase “ask more of business” resonates so much for me. I truly believe economic enterprises, public or private, must serve people and always act with integrity.

Studying next to classmates that share this same mentality will help me become a better professional and keep me focused on my long-term goal of going back to Latin America to empower women in low-income areas to pursue careers in male-dominated industries and help them break the glass ceiling through mentoring and education.

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? I was looking for a school with a strong focus in finance, with a small class size which means a tight-knit community and a powerful alumni network. A school that is located far from a big city in order to experience a complete immersion to this incredible MBA experience. I especially enjoy Notre Dame Mendoza’s focus on values-based leadership and leading with purpose and integrity.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am looking forward to the Finance and Investment clubs because I want to make a career transition to Corporate Finance. Also, the Consulting and Women in Business clubs will be critical in my job search preparation. Mendoza has different activities which keep you busy during the week: arts, sports, many events, to mention some of them.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I enjoyed so much my interview that I could not feel a challenging question. Quite the contrary, the more I talked with my interviewer the more I got engaged with Mendoza. I had several questions that allowed me to know that Mendoza was a perfect fit for me.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? As a former financial auditor at a Big 4, I had the opportunity to work in high-profile engagements with several large clients in Peru ranging from traditional mining companies to modern media agencies. Sadly, one thing in common among all those clients was the high level of male chauvinism I saw firsthand.

This is hardly a secret in Peru – or even across Latin America – that over 85% of Director to C-Level executives are men. I want to level the playing field and allow more women from all income levels and backgrounds to feel comfortable working in a male-dominated area, especially in Finance. Throughout my career, I had the opportunity to lead teams with different personalities and skillsets which allowed me to sharpen my leadership and soft skills. After spending a big part of my career in Accounting, now I know that to achieve the next level I need to broaden my area of knowledge and transition into the Finance field.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Although I applied to other business schools, Notre Dame Mendoza was always my first choice and dream school by far. Go Irish!

How did you determine your fit at various schools? By the time I decided to study an MBA, I knew that I wanted to transition into Corporate Finance, so I started by looking at MBA schools with a strong Finance faculty. Another important factor for me was location and community. Coming from beautiful and noisy Lima, I wanted to spend two years away from a big city. After talking to Mendoza Latin America alumni and visiting the school for my interview, I knew this was the right place for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I started at KPMG Perú as an intern and became the youngest audit supervisor in under six years. I was so passionate about my work that my dream was to become an Audit Partner. I knew that I had to break gender barriers in such a male-dominated career and be ready to be held at a higher standard than most of my co-workers. I thought those were going to be my only challenges but soon learned life can change in a minute.

Shortly after being promoted to Audit Supervisor, my father got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is unbelievable how fast this horrible illness transforms someone you love. Fortunately, I got a good job at Teva Pharmaceuticals Peru that had a much better work/life balance; this ordeal helped me get closer to my family. Before my father got to the final stage of Alzheimer’s, he told me that life is very short and there is no reason to postpone my dreams.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Working in a Finance leadership role back in Latin America. With the experience obtained at Mendoza and its tight-knit alumni network, I also see myself starting a venture related to women empowerment in the finance field and starting an association to help people with special needs in abandoned situations.