Amandine Roche

University of Oxford, Saïd Business School

“French-Taiwanese American gourmand who lives to eat and balances this with a healthy fitness obsession.”

Hometown: Washington, D.C., USA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a fledgling wine enthusiast – as a member of the Oxford University Blind Wine Tasting Society, I aspire to be part of the varsity team in the competition against Cambridge!

Undergraduate School and Major: McGill University, Accounting and Global Strategic Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Goldman Sachs, Internal Audit Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Outside my day to day role at Goldman Sachs, I participated in the annual Analyst Impact Fund Competition. This is a competition where the firm awards grants to teams of Goldman Sachs analysts to fund a non-profit of their choice. My team was one of the six finalist teams globally. As a finalist team, we had the opportunity to present our non-profit to the CEO as well as the Partnership Committee, which was comprised of senior management from around the world.

We ultimately won funding for D-Rev to help support their project of designing, developing and delivering a world-class, more affordable neonatal respiratory device to combat Respiratory Distress Syndrome. I believe that professional accomplishment is not only about personal fulfillment, it must also have a broader positive impact on society. Getting behind a cause – be it a project or an organization – which I am passionate about and fuelling its growth through my efforts is what helps me to achieve both of these objectives.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The top quality that comes to mind is “multifaceted” – I am in awe of the fact that everyone comes from a different part of the world, with unique Pre-MBA paths and distinct post-graduation endeavours. This is what makes class discussions and one-on-one coffee chats so fascinating. Our cohort is actually comprised of 64 different nationalities and it makes such a difference in the classroom when you look across the lecture hall and see the richness of different cultures and experiences. I’ve never felt more at home in my life – being surrounded by so many international students.

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? What stood out for me at Oxford was the focus on going beyond cultivating business acumen and reflecting on how each of us can make a positive social impact on our society. There is a theme of going beyond the bottom line, reflecting on how we think about business strategy, and learning how to make managerial decisions in a fast-changing, uncertain, complex environment.

It’s not just one course at SBS. Not only do the professors in our core management courses (accounting, operations management, finance, etc.) integrate examples with an environmental, social, and governance focus, but the programme has specialised courses in which the whole cohort is involved. This includes courses such as Global Rules of the Game, Responsible Business, and Global Opportunities & Threats: Oxford (GOTO). This aspect of the Oxford MBA was important to me when I was comparing programmes. That’s because it is aligned to my belief that, as global citizens and leaders, we cannot ignore the impact of our individual/collective actions and decisions on the environment, society, and governance structures right now and in the future. I strongly believe in actively taking a long-term view and considering the perspectives of all stakeholders who could be affected by my decisions.

What is the most “Oxford” thing you have done so far as a full-time MBA student? Another aspect of Oxford that I love is the richness of its history and the traditions that it holds. The most Oxford thing I’ve had done so far was spending a day first competing for Balliol College Women’s Boat Club (my college’s rowing team) in the Christ Church indoor rowing competition, also known fondly as an “Ergatta.” Then, I ran to change into formalwear for the Merton Ball, a white-tie event that takes place once every three years. I ended up spending a magical evening dancing the night away at one of Oxford’s oldest colleges (established in 1264!).

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I got asked during the admissions process was “Why is the timing right for me?”.

I believe that I was asked this because, at the time of the application, I had only three years of work experience and would be one of the younger members of the cohort. In retrospect, this question was very insightful because there is, in fact, no universal professional experience requirement in order to qualify for an MBA. It actually depends on each person’s professional and personal journey.

Fortunately, I had reflected on this prior to my application to the MBA and my answer was that I was confident it was the right time because of (1) the crystallisation of where I envisioned my career path taking me; (2) reprioritisation of my life goals; (3) desire for further learning; and (4) need to broaden my professional experience beyond audit. I also explained that I feel at ease balancing the benefit of being guided/mentored by those who are more senior than me with my contribution of fresh perspectives and demonstration of my professional maturity built from my experience in the financial industry.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was the summer during which I completed my transition from undergraduate studies to professional life. This was the time when I went from being a fresh graduate who felt she had reached an apex of her business education to a young professional who quickly realised that there was a whole other facet of business to learn outside the classroom. At the undergraduate level, achievement is all about your individual ability to learn new skills from textbooks and lectures. In the workplace, achievement relates to your ability to manage your contribution and relationships in the collective effort of accomplishing organisational endeavours.

When faced with this challenging adjustment, I reflected on which personal development goals I needed to set for myself in order to better manage this adjustment. I pushed myself to set two goals: (1) To cultivate a growth mindset and view challenges as learning opportunities to grow and become a better, well-rounded person; and (2) To better compartmentalise stress factors in my life and deal with only the ones within my control. I felt that I really matured after overcoming this challenging transition. Moreover, I actively aim to maintain these objectives to this very day.

Where do you see yourself doing ten years from now? As I am very interested in the latest trends and best practices related to corporate governance, I aspire to be a Non-Executive Director on a financial services company’s board, leveraging my professional experience to provide guidance and direction on operational strategy and risk management. I also intend on volunteering as a Board Director for a non-profit organization focusing on women and youth empowerment, causes which I am passionate about.