Meet Warwick Business School’s MBA Class Of 2020

Damian Manire

Warwick Business School

ā€œGlobe-trotting professional and outgoing networker.ā€

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Fun Fact About Yourself: I lived in Prague, Czech Republic for 10 years

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor / International Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: PwC / Senior Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Iā€™m very proud of my ten years of experience working and studying overseas. Gaining exposure to different viewpoints, cultures, and working styles have enriched my career and given me a global outlook on issues affecting business and society.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates youā€™ve met so far and why? Teamwork. There are 120 students in the cohort hailing from 42 different nations. Despite this wide range of backgrounds, the cohort is very open, ready to share, and supportive. We are like one big international family. The Warwick MBA culture is truly amazing!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Warwickā€™s network was a decisive factor. As an American with a background in Europe, I wanted to attend a school with an international profile located in the UK/EU. Warwick has a top-ranking online MBA, full-time MBA, and Executive MBA, which means that alumni benefit from a broad network across many nations and industries.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? ā€œTell me about a time you recovered from failure.ā€ Itā€™s not always easy to talk about past failures, but answering this question reveals a candidateā€™s ability to be resilient, manage change, and grow ā€“ qualities that all demanding MBA programs require. Iā€™m glad I was able to give a good answer!

How did you determine which business schools best fit you? I created a shortlist of schools by prioritizing my selection criteria and assigning them values. Rankings helped, but they were only one of many factors I considered. International reach, the potential to network, and career growth were also important factors I considered.

I found out about Warwickā€™s culture by speaking to WBS alumni working at PwC (my former company). I emailed six such people on one Friday afternoon ā€“ from consultants to directors to partners ā€“ and within one hour, each one of them had responded with a glowing endorsement of Warwick Business Schoolā€™s culture and career impact. I was sold!

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