Christian Sanders Aspillaga

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

“I’m a perseverant guy who loves his family, his dogs, and learning new stuff.”

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun Fact About Yourself: I grew up in a house with more than 15 family members. I was one of the top ranked players (approx. top 0.1%) in TFT, a competitive online strategy game with close to 80 million players.

Undergraduate School and Major: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), Economics and Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Central Reserve Bank of Peru, Fixed Income Portfolio Manager

What has been your favorite part of Nashville so far? Why? I love going for a walk at Centennial Park; it is incredibly relaxing after a day of hard work!

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? For me, there were 3 key parts of the programming that influenced my business school decision: The quality of the finance classes and professors, the availability of classes regarding ESG investments, and the mod system that allowed me to highly customize my curriculum according to my needs.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Vanderbilt Owen? My favorite course so far has been Managerial Statistics. As an Economics undergraduate, I had taken my fair share of statistics classes, but I have never seen someone explain them in such an intuitive way as Yasin Alan did in his class.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It was being responsible for managing the biggest portfolio of the Central Bank of Peru, which has approximately USD 45 billion of assets under management. Also playing a key role in implementing different sustainability initiatives at the Central Bank, mainly helping it join an international organization of central banks that aims to green the financial system (NGFS).

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Being chosen to be a part of Turner Family Center Committee and being selected as one of the two students who will manage the student-led investment fund.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? Recently, I have been watching a series of videos called “The Economics of” by the Wall Street Journal. They are short videos that explain particular aspects of business and they are perfect to listen after a long day of studying. An example of a video I really liked by them is how Starbucks basically operates as a bank and holds more cash than most banks in the US.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Vanderbilt Owen’s MBA program? Do proper research on what the program offers and how it is different from what other MBA programs offer. Then see how it aligns with your previous experience and future goals. A great application will show in a clear way that you have done your research and that Owen will help you achieve your professional and personal goals.

DON’T MISS: MEET VANDERBILT OWEN’S MBA CLASS OF 2024