Yihan (Sophie) Shen

HEC Paris

“Shanghai-born, US-raised, nomad in quest of happiness.”

Hometown: Shanghai, China / New York City, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: PADI certified, proud mom of two cats (Claudette & Akihito)

Undergraduate School and Major: Tufts University, B.S in Quantitative Economics and minor in Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Barclays Investment Bank, AVP Special Situations/Distressed Credit

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of HEC Paris’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? After having worked on Wall Street for three years post-graduation, I am looking forward to exploring entrepreneurial paths forward. The incubator HEC Paris at Station F could offer me the opportunity to jumpstart any startup ideas I have. Additionally, the strong alumni network also paves way for mentee-mentor relationships where I could learn from successful alumni.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at HEC Paris? I am very excited to participate in the MBAT, the largest gathering of MBA students in Europe. Being a part of the MBAT team can not only improve my organizational skills but also create a platform to meet MBA students all over Europe.

HEC Paris is just 17 kilometers from Paris. What do you see as the best part of earning your MBA so close to Paris? Having lived in Paris for 5 months during undergrad, I fell in love with the art scene in Paris. Thursday evening openings at Musée D’Orsay, world-famous exhibitions at the Pompidou, and L’Orangerie (where one can view Monet’s water lilies from such a unique angle) are only a few of many things the Parisien art scene has to offer. As a big modern art fan, I cannot wait to explore more of the art scenes in Paris while I obtain my MBA at HEC.

Historically, over 90% of HEC Paris’ MBA students hail from outside France. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? At the beginning of my career at Barclays Investment Bank, I was able to work with colleagues from all over the world within the Emerging Markets Credit division – Russia, Pakistan, the UK, France and China. The global diversity was fundamental to the department’s success as everyone can bring their prospective perspectives when it comes to market moving macro events. The Russian trader had a record year trading Russian corporates and sovereign debt precisely due to his knowledge of the country and understanding of how geopolitical events could develop. When the China Property crisis took place, my understanding of the Chinese government also helped the desk navigating with positioning that led to success.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Due to my success during the first two years at Barclays, I was able to move teams to special situations/distressed credit and contributed to $250mm in profit after having taken on 40 hedge fund / private equity clients.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? Ray Dalio – Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail,

I think it is extremely important to have a good grasp on macro developments of the world in order to make a well-informed decision on where in the world to push for what product. Ray Dalio’s new book explains the current status of the world’s biggest economies within the cycle of success and failure. This book not only gave me a better understanding of how the world order was developed, but also allowed me to develop a blueprint of what the future world order may look like.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into HEC Paris’s\ MBA program? Give it your all in whatever you’re doing, strive to be better than you were yesterday. Be accepting of new experiences and always keep an open mind.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE HEC PARIS MBA CLASS OF 2024