Meet the MBA Class of 2023: Emmanuel Omoegbele, Indiana University (Kelley)

Emmanuel Omoegbele

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“I consider myself to be resilient, charismatic, ambitious, and people-oriented. From changing my major from pre-physical therapy to accounting in my junior year of undergrad to meeting and building strong relationships with clients from different industries, these words truly define how I see myself.”

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: During my undergraduate education, I spent quite some time learning haircut tutorials on YouTube. In addition, I would go to barbershops to shadow barbers so I could learn how to cut hair. Doing so allowed me to develop a unique skill and I became my school’s go-to barber. This also funded part of my undergraduate education.  

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Houston – Downtown, Accounting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Finance Transformation Associate at KPMG

In the second half of the year, you will be completing an Academy devoted to areas like Marketing, Finance, Operations, Digital Enterprises and more. Which Academy interests you the most and why? I am most interested in the Consulting Academy, primarily because it will allow me to sharpen my analytical skills and approach complex problems with an entrepreneurial mindset. As someone who began his career in sales, it is very important to know how to provide a tailored client experience while considering all wants and needs of the client (as well as possible risks). In addition, every organization needs individuals with a vision to overcome adversities and to navigate the puzzles of today’s economies. I am confident the Consulting Academy will provide a space for me to learn the necessary skills to be an effective consultant in today’s tumultuous world.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Indiana Kelley’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? What stood out most about Kelley was how the program places significant effort in imparting real-world practical knowledge to students through their in-class collaborative learning setting, their academies, and GLOBASE. This is very important to me because it allows me to stay engaged with organizations regardless of being away from work for two years to complete my MBA. The mere fact that Kelley still allows their students to have the opportunity to learn through experiencing real projects in the US and globally made my decision easy.  With the help of the Consulting Academy and GLOBASE, coupled with a major in management, I will confidently have the skillset and business acumen to analyze an organization and its industry to provide a tailored experience for businesses to accomplish their immediate and long-term goals.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? I really look forward to the Global Business and Social Enterprise (GLOBASE) Program. This program is dedicated to equipping students with real world experience through collaborative global projects. Her, they will learn to provide clients tools to clear barriers to growth, identify expansion opportunities, and find markets for their products in emerging economies all over the world. Being able to mix my love for collaborating with others to make an impact and my love to travel and learning about unique cultures makes this an experience I look forward to during my enrollment at Kelley.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Prior to KPMG, I was recruited from the National Association of Black Accountants organization (NABA) at a conference. I valued every firm that partnered with NABA to increase DEI at their firm, especially through recruiting diverse backgrounds from the organization. I made it my commitment to champion diversity at my firm by being an advocate for promoting DEI through recruiting top diverse talent at NABA conferences as well as holding presentations at the conferences. It has been my biggest accomplishment to see many of the students that I recruited join our firm and apply the NABA mission by addressing the professional needs of the minority professionals to further build leaders in the accounting and finance professions.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? With the inception of COVID-19, I witnessed many businesses take a downturn to the extent that most closed their businesses for good. I saw a need: companies needed someone with a comprehensive understanding of the business vertical as well as industry knowledge to provide expertise and (in turn) truly make a difference. This is of special importance in the financial sector where in the current pandemic, margins are thin and ideas to cut costs and maximize gains are imperative. This experience made a significant impact on what led me to pivot careers. I knew I could truly make a difference in companies and live a more purposeful life coming up with innovative ways to overcome challenges and maximize profits for organizations.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? Before getting my degree in accounting, I always had the goal in mind to obtain my MBA degree. However, throughout my career, I battled imposter syndrome thinking I wasn’t good enough and I couldn’t compete with other prospects. From testing, to essays and even interviews, I felt defeated before I even set out to start my journey to pursue my MBA. However, a conversation I had with Jonathon Amos, an alumnus of Kelley, gave me that extra push to pursue my MBA, especially at Indiana University. I am grateful to have met Jonathon along the way, which allowed me to connect with other students and the Kelley MBA recruitment team along the way. Throughout this journey, I realized my only competition is myself if I truly want whatever goal that is in front of me.

My goal post-MBA not only is to become a strategy consultant where I can utilize my expertise, but I hope to make an impact in the African American community as I truly believe empowering minority populations is one of the many ways to help prosper our nation.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Southern Methodist University and the University of Rochester

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? Some advice I would give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program would be to start the process early! The worst feeling in the world is knowing you want to attend Kelley but your essays and letters of recommendation are not together. This will only cause anxiety and possibly delay the application process. Maintain and cultivate healthy relationships with managers, directors and partners at firms or organizations that you currently work at. When it is time to ask for that letter of recommendation, that request will be genuine and less awkward. Lastly, do not be afraid to talk about your accomplishments in your essays. Be authentic and give life to your essay. You know yourself better than the person reading, so write and tell a memorable story.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2023

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