Sergio Antonio García Moreno

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“Analytical but enthusiastic; Relaxed but competitive; Travel addict and sports maniac; Family-oriented and loyal friend.”

Hometown: Morelia, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: My biggest passion is traveling. Since I was a kid, I have dreamt of traveling to as many countries as possible. So far, I have been able to visit 45 countries, and I am already making plans for #46…

Undergraduate School and Major: Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Morelia, Mexico. B.A. in International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Supply Chain Corporate Strategy Deputy Director at Cinépolis (the world’s 2nd largest cinema exhibition company with 367 million annual attendees)

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of the school’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?  After working in the education, tourism and entertainment industries, I look forward to starting a career in international development. McDonough presents a unique platform for this path, thanks to its international spirit, its great relationship with the World Bank and other multilateral institutions, and the close links with Georgetown’s world-renowned Schools of Public Policy and Foreign Service.

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC?  It is a cosmopolitan, diverse, and vibrant city with amazing cultural offerings. It is also a place where you can easily move around – walk, bike, metro –- and enjoy beautiful neighborhoods and great sights. I have a 2-year old child and will love to see her grow in DC.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why?  So far, I have only been able to meet them on virtual spaces and conferences, but I could instantly identify two things: their great positive energy, and their authentic collaboration spirit. In my experience, energy and collaboration are the two key ingredients for success. With them, all obstacles become easier to overcome. I can’t wait to meet my classmates in person.

What club or activity excites you most at this school?  I look forward to joining the Emerging Markets Network (EMN), where I will be able to network and collaborate with other students who are interested in making a positive impact in the most-needed regions of the world. As a Mexican student and Prospanica Fellow, I am also eager to become part of the Latin American Business Association (LABA).

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  I have been part of multiple projects and ventures, but I am especially proud of the organizational transformation I led at Cinépolis to integrate local procurement & supply chain teams and functions into a global structure, with all business units reporting directly to the corporate office in Mexico.

The project included a reengineering of the functional structure, the creation of a new global policy and processes, the design of standard and comparable metrics and goals, and the implementation of technological tools in the area. I led a multicultural team based in countries as diverse as India, the United Arab Emirates, Spain and Brazil, which required me to use every soft and hard skills I had. At the end, the organizational transformation was a success. With the new global strategy, we achieved double-digit savings in bids and negotiations throughout the world and designed a Supplier Quality Management program that was implemented globally.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? It all started with the objective of acquiring new skills that helped me move forward in my career. After a lot of introspection, I realized I wanted to challenge myself in a different industry (international development) and that the MBA would provide me with the experience, knowledge and network to do so.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Chicago (Booth), MIT (Sloan) and Stanford

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? When they asked me, “Why now?” If I could, I certainly would have applied to the program a little earlier in my career, but one of the few things we cannot alter in our lives is the passage of time. Therefore, I focused on the learnings and skills I acquired in the last five years, when I grew to higher-responsibility managerial positions.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I would say the most important thing I considered was the experience and advice of different alumni I talked with. I reached out to alumni from different business schools and asked about their opinions, not only about the academic program but also about the school’s culture, the community, and the city itself. I obviously also read a lot of reviews and was able to visit some schools, but the interviews with alumni were the key part of the process.

What have you been doing to prepare yourself for business school? After deciding Georgetown was my choice, I have devoted most of my time doing introspection and deciding what path to follow. Now that it became clearer, I am reading articles and news to increase my knowledge in international development. I am also refining my resume and interviewing skills with the help of the coaches at the MBA Career Center – which by the way is great – to start right away with the internship search process.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? This happened many years ago, but it really strengthened my character. I was 11 years old – attending the final year of primary school – when I was postulated by my classmates to run for President of the Students’ Society. I, with a nonchalant attitude, said “Thanks, but no.”

The next day I told the anecdote to my father, so he took me out for breakfast, asked for two cups of coffee (this was the first time I ever drank coffee) and explained how disappointing this was for him. Then, he pointed out all the characteristics he noticed on me that showed I could be a good leader. This intimate talk with my father completely changed the way I viewed myself, increasing significantly my self-confidence.

Three years later, I became the President of the Secondary School Students’ Society and, during college, the Vice-President of the International Business Students’ Society. Since then I have held many formal leadership roles in my career: Director of a B.A. Program, Project Leader, Global Strategy Manager and most recently, Corporate Deputy Director. I have led multicultural teams of as much as 40 people and managed budgets as large as 160M USD.

I think business school is all about fine-tuning our leadership skills and talent to make a difference in our organizations, our community, and why not, in our planet.

DON’T MISS: MEET GEORGETOWN McDONOUGH’S MBA CLASS OF 2022