Jerome Delmotte

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

“Citizen of the world, passionate about discovering and bringing together people and cultures.”

Hometown: Limoges, France

Fun Fact About Yourself: In the past ten years, I have lived in nine different cities, four different countries, and on three different continents!

Undergraduate School and Major: French Ministry of Higher Education & Research, Accounting (undergraduate) and Business (Master’s)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Diageo, Finance Lead Latin America—Working Capital & Balance Sheet

What has been your first impression of the Tuck MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Tuck story so far. Supportive. Tuck’s alumni network really lives up to its reputation. When I was applying to business schools, I reached out to two dozen current and past Tuck students, thinking that I would get maybe a handful of responses. Imagine my surprise when I got an email back from all of them! I was overwhelmed with responses, and I believe it represents perfectly what Tuckies are willing to do for each other.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Tuck offers a unique experience when it comes to community. Thanks to the small class size and location of the program, everyone gets a chance to know everyone else very well.

As a husband and father, it was also of utmost importance to have my family involved in my MBA experience. Tuck families have their own very active clubs (Tuck Partners, Tiny Tuckies), but they are also incorporated into the MBA programming. For me and my family, it was key decision factor.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Dartmouth Tuck? I’m excited about TuckGO. Having the opportunity to travel internationally with my classmates and a professor to discover new places and learn more about the global economy is something I do not want to miss, especially after the past two years.

Tuck’s efforts on diversity and inclusion, led by Dia Draper—assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion—were also a key factor in my decision to join the school, and I am excited about the prospect of working on diversity and inclusion with my fellow classmates.

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hanover? What is the one activity you can’t wait to do? Living in Hanover was one of the reasons I applied to Tuck. Having lived in major urban centers for the past seven years, being in Hanover feels like a breath of fresh air (literally). There are so many outdoor activities one can do both in the summer and the winter. I can’t wait to teach my kids how to ski!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My last role at Diageo was to be the owner of the cash flow processes in Latin America. Taking the job was a serious challenge at the time. This position was the first of its kind at Diageo and there was no clear roadmap on how to be successful and make a positive impact on the business. Besides, we were facing low accuracy and consistency in our cash forecasts due to a lack of knowledge and strong processes.

After meeting with several senior stakeholders in the region, I designed and coordinated the implementation of a strategy consisting of structural changes in processes and a large-scale training program. These actions allowed Diageo Latin America to go from worst to best globally in Diageo for cash flow forecasting accuracy and led the group to consider the Latin American region as a benchmark for the rest of the organization.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? An overall piece of advice that you will find maybe obvious – and one that is written almost everywhere, but is nonetheless important – is to dedicate time for self-reflection. It will guide you not only during the application process but also during your time at business school. Knowing yourself, your motivations, and being able to explain your life story and decisions will help you convey a much stronger message for your applications. It will also guide you during business school and help you decide how to spend your time and where/how to recruit. At Tuck, we are constantly encouraged to self-reflect and I found it truly helpful to navigate the challenging b-school landscape.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? After starting my career in audit, I pursued opportunities to gain exposure to new markets and areas of corporate finance more closely tied to strategic decisions. These experiences exposed me to different cultures, languages, and challenges that helped me develop as a leader and teammate. After seven years abroad, the time had come for me to invest in a more well-rounded business and leadership skill set that would complement my past experiences and prepare me for the challenges and responsibilities that lie ahead. After my MBA, I am looking to continue that shift toward strategic roles either via consulting, or by taking a strategy or leadership position. I’m particularly excited to use my time at Tuck to learn about all the employment opportunities that are out there for MBAs.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Harvard Business School, Chicago Booth, Yale SOM, HEC Paris, INSEAD, Esade

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA program? Connect with current and past students! You will never find people more willing to talk about their school than Tuckies. I found it helpful to understand what Tuck’s essence really is and that makes your application much stronger.

DON’T MISS: MEET DARTMOUTH TUCK’S MBA CLASS OF 2024