2021 MBAs To Watch: Anuar Jorge de Saráchaga, ESADE Business School

Anuar Jorge de Saráchaga

ESADE Business School

“Passionate, motivated, and curious human being.”

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Fun fact about yourself: When I was a kid, I was obsessed with cowboys and denim; I would dress in full denim and boots for days

Undergraduate School and Degree: Industrial Engineer from Universidad Anahuac Mexico Norte (Mexico)

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was a senior consultant in Lee Hecht Harrison Mexico

Where did you intern during the summer of 2020? It was not in summer due to COVID, it actually went from Oct 2020 to Jan 2021, Bayer Business Consulting in Leverkusen, Germany

Where will you be working after graduation? Bayer Business Consulting as a Consultant, Leverkusen, Germany

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Bachelor’s:

  • Academic Excellence Scholarship
  • Top of my class

Esade:

  • Fellow student
  • VP Finance for Sales and Business Development Club.
  • Esade’s LatAm Leadership Scholarship Recipient

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I got selected as the fellow student for Mexico and Central América. It involved helping prospect students to answer their questions and share my experience as an MBA student. I’m proud to share this amazing experience with new students and help them transition towards “the MBA life” (This decision involves leaving your “pre-MBA” life and move to another continent, in my experience is cumbersome and I am really happy to I could help during this transition)

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The largest project I had managed at the time (2014, part of a global project, responsible for Mexico) won the global best performer of all time, setting new quality standards moving forward. This happened thanks to an amazing team that worked relentlessly and gave their best, I am proud of enabling this achievement.

Why did you choose this business school? The collaborative spirit.

Most business schools have the qualifications, quality, and “numbers” (post-MBA salary, diversity, certification, rankings, etc.). For me, it all came down to the “vibe” I got when prospecting schools (I took a trip to my top 4 business schools on site). The way they treated me and the experience I got after a day as an MBA student was enough to realize it more than just numbers, the collaborative spirit really resonated in me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? If I must choose only one: Andres Cuneo. Besides being an expert in the field (Marketing), the passion and preparation he displays during classes goes the extra mile. He mixes cases, classes, and teamwork and makes the class dynamic and always interesting. He makes classes relatable and easy going while still challenging us on every step in the way.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Gastrofest. Every year (except with COVID), the students organize (though MBASA) this event where we team up by countries or regions and share with the rest of our peers (and faculty) our traditions; we experience other cultures traditional food, drinks, some epic dance moves, while sharing ours with the rest. This truly reflects the diversity and inclusion Esade stands for. It is an amazing experience that reflects what this experience is about.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Doing it earlier. Pausing your professional life could be tough (even if it’s for an MBA). Looking back, I don’t understand why I postponed this for 2 years.

What is the biggest myth about your school? “Esade is not for consulting”. I heard a lot about this before entering Esade, but after going through the Consulting CAP (Career Acceleration Program) and landing a job in consulting (and seeing others getting offers from top consulting firms) I can completely prove this wrong. Esade is one of the most truly diverse communities I have ever experienced.

What surprised you the most about business school? I thought business school was about an academic experience, while reality it is a full enrichening holistic experience. You connect with people as you are being challenged in every aspect of your life (personal, academic, financial, etc.), only to find how much you can do. This experience is definitely something you cherish for life.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I couldn’t tell. I was very thorough in my process, while being completely open and transparent about who I am and what I can provide for my peers. Sometimes, we might incline to “impress” the selection committee, while the most relevant thing you can do is be yourself.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Melanie Jane Paurus. I have never seen someone so committed in growing and learning while being so humble in the process. Coming from a completely unrelated background, she managed to land an internship exactly where she wanted to, despite taking over a year of long extracurricular hours. It is hard to find people with that level of commitment and strength and I am happy to see her grow.

How disruptive was it to shift to an online or hybrid environment after COVID hit? It was rough, especially at the beginning, assimilating what is happening and how we are going to move forward. I’m grateful of the efforts the faculty, administrative support, and fellow student took to overcome the situation and make the best out of it. Changing the class formats impacts both sides. I’m happy to say the experience was the best it could be.

On the bright side, this also allowed for some epic experiences. As an example, doing the “business simulation” online allowed for a 2 week full immersion (24 hrs a day) working around the clock with classmates spread all over the world; this was a truly global experience.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? Fernando Fernández de Córdova (CEO and owner, former employer). I worked for Fernando and his company for over 8 years. He was the person who challenged me to target for a top tier university and to pursue a career abroad, without his constant pressure and exceptional support (morally and financially) I would not have started this amazing journey.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

  1. Working abroad. I am actually doing it something I will be doing starting July this year (Bayer Consulting, Germany); I still can’t believe this is actually happening!!
  2. Start my own company

What made Anuar such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“If we were to choose a determined student that has shown passion about achieving his goals, that student would be Anuar. Because of his outstanding communication skills, Anuar is able to share and to show all his passion, energy, and always enthusiasm at any given moment. Always with a smile on his face, expending sympathy and soft skills around, Anuar never stresses or feels peer pressure. Instead, he remains focused while staying positive.

Due to his outstanding professional track record and impeccable admission application, Anuar was awarded with the Esade’s LATAM Leadership Scholarship, a clear sign of all the potential he could bring into the MBA Programme. Apart from his determination and energy, which has been key in achieving his career goals, Anuar has always focused on leaving a mark in the Esade MBA, as a legacy of his time spent, by adding value and making an impact on whatever he did. He has been a proactive student amongst our student body, representing Esade in several case competitions, while taking advantage of the Career Acceleration Programme In Consulting to hone on his extraordinary mix of soft and hard skills.

Since he was determined in staying in Europe, he completely visualized an outcome since day one, leaving nothing to chance. Despite bureaucracy difficulties, accentuated by Covid-19 drawbacks, he made it. Not only has he got a full-time job offer in Europe, but also from one of the best European consultancy companies, Bayer Business (Germany).

Since the beginning of his MBA journey, Anuar was eager to help other candidates like himself to thrive through the experience of Esade FT MBA programme. He applied to become a fellow student and guide other candidates’ processes for the programme, not only sharing his experience but also connecting them with other classmates with similar professional profiles, helping them with administrative information regarding homologation of studies, visa processes, and housing. His contribution to the Esade Full Time MBA Class of 2021 is invaluable.”

Jan Hohberger
Associate Dean, Full Time MBA at Esade

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