Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Sergi de Pablo Quesada, CEIBS

Sergi de Pablo Quesada
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“I am a serial entrepreneur born in Barcelona and adopted by Shanghai.”

Hometown: Barcelona, Spain

Fun Fact About Yourself: No matter how long I live in China people still look at me as if I had arrived yesterday.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Barcelona

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: OUT1N – General Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The school philosophy of “China Depth, Global Breadth” matches me perfectly as a foreigner living in China for seven years.

What course, club or activity excites you the most? As an entrepreneur, I am most interested in the Entrepreneurship Club that I have the honor to represent as president and where we will organize activities to connect the school with the vibrant startup community in Shanghai to share and cultivate innovation among our peers.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Perhaps my biggest accomplishment so far is establishing and growing a company from scratch in China as a foreigner. There have been many challenges over the years. One of the most complex challenges has been successfully developing and implementing a cross-border ecommerce solution into our platform while navigating through the complex Chinese regulatory system.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I have recently read Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, and while it is not directly related to our MBA coursework, it can be beneficial for further understanding many microeconomics and macroeconomics concepts beforehand and understanding some of the secrets of China’s economic development and success in the recent years.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into your school’s MBA program? Show your genuine interest and fit in the program beyond rankings and post-MBA salaries.

Read more profiles from the CEIBS MBA Class Of 2024.