Matteo Memmo

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“I’m an Italian American who really enjoys sports, food, and travel.”

Hometown: New York City, NY

Fun Fact About Yourself: You can see me getting coffee in the background of many NBC sports commentary shows.

Undergraduate School and Major: Tufts University, B.S. Quantitative Economics with a minor in finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: NBC Sports, Decision Sciences Analyst

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC? I am very excited to live and work in the country’s capital. For the last three years, I have enjoyed the experience of living in New York, the financial capital of the world. Now I am excited to be in D.C. where I can learn about public policy, politics, and how these factors affect each industry. As a bonus, I am looking forward to being in D.C. during the 2024 election cycle.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? One of the main reasons I chose to come to McDonough’s MBA program was to join the real estate program. I am pursuing an MBA to transition into real estate investments, and the real estate program is a great way to expand my financial skills and real estate network.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Georgetown McDonough? I am excited to join the Real Estate Club, which will be a great way to meet other students with similar interests and career goals. I am also excited to join the EVC (Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital) Club) because I have always had the long-term goal of starting my own company and want to learn more about the process and experiences of other students before me.

Georgetown McDonough programming focuses heavily on instilling a global mindset. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? Global diversity is critical in bringing together a wide variety of ideas, experiences, and business practices. I was able to see first-hand how having a global mindset can yield better results when I interned at a windmill turbine manufacturing company in Bologna, Italy, called Bonfiglioli. Bonfiglioli was able to expand into a major global company by dedicating substantial time and HR resources to customizing their business models, vernacular, and etiquette based on the country they operated in. They also subsidized language courses for all employees to support a more global mindset. To this day, Bonfiglioli remains one of the most global and successful companies in Italy, with the likes of Nutella.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my first year working at NBC, COVID-19 lockdowns led to the temporary cancellation of all major sports programming. In response, I was given the opportunity to work on generating new forecasting models and analyzing the current sports portfolio. I built a comprehensive analysis on the NHL broadcast deal and presented my work to the President and CFO of NBC Sports. I argued that we should consolidate some of our portfolio by not renewing the NHL deal and instead focusing on sports properties with more cohesion within the portfolio. My analysis helped executive leadership make the decision to not renew the NHL deal and instead look to acquire rights to Big Ten College football – a $7 billion multinetwork deal that was finalized in late 2022. This deal offers millions of new viewers, supports the already existing Sunday Night Football broadcast deal, and positions NBC to have a major foothold in Saturday sports broadcasting.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? In two years, I hope to have gained experience, a stronger network, and future prospects in both my professional and personal life. First, I hope to secure a job that aligns with my goals and build a professional network that will help me through the rest of my career. Second, I would also like to build a social network among my classmates, professors, and local D.C. residents that I will have for years to come.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA program? The most important insight that I gained through my application process was to recognize that my story and background was unique, as is everyone’s, and that it was better to find the value in my own experience rather than try to portray myself as something I’m not. The biggest mistake an applicant can make is to believe that there is a standard for a “good” or “bad” candidate. Yes, it is important to write well-thought-out and engaging essays, but it is equally important to accurately represent yourself and your goals. Remember, you pick the school just as much as it picks you, and misrepresentation will hurt both parties in the long run.

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