Katiza Mitrovic

University of California-Berkeley, Haas School of Business

“People describe me as a smiling 100k-race runner; passionate, dreamer, challenge-seeker.”

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Fun Fact About Yourself: My incursion into the business world started in kindergarten – I sold bugs with my best friend. We only accepted beautiful rocks as currency and money was not allowed.

Undergraduate School and Major: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; BSc Business & Economics, MSc Economics mention in Public Policy

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Consulting Group, Consultant

Berkeley Haas is founded on four Defining Leadership Principles: Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself. Which principle resonates most with you and why? Beyond Yourself. Often people share that I have a never-ending energy source, and it’s true, I have this burning drive to give. From big decisions to everyday choices, the drive to go beyond myself and generate a positive impact is always the core motivation in what I do. The passion I put into my work as a consultant or the naturalness of choosing a bike instead of a car, are examples of how I enjoy pushing myself to serve a greater good.

When you think of UC Berkeley, what is the first word that comes to mind? Why? Adventure. Surrounded by hills, forests, and the sea, for me UC Berkeley represents the pleasure of choosing to defy the status quo and to question myself. UC Berkeley represents the power of dreaming about new possibilities with people from all around the world. It provides constant exposure to novel ideas in an environment where you are surrounded by passionate people.

Aside from classmates and the Defining Leadership Principles, what was the key part of Berkeley Haas’ MBA curriculum programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The fact that Berkeley Haas is located in the Bay Area, a world-class epicenter of innovation, permeates the whole curriculum and enables students to get firsthand experience with new ideas that are shaping the world. This entrepreneurial environment extends to courses with applied experiences, to clubs, to classmates and to faculty research.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Berkeley Haas? Since I arrived, I’ve continued to discover exciting activities and opportunities. Just recently, I learned about the co-ed Haas MBA soccer Club, which has strong representation among my Latin American (LATAM) classmates. I really look forward to the MBA soccer tournament that’s being held in Los Angeles this year.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led the design and implementation of a new digital product to foster financial inclusion in Latin America.

At this point, what do you hope to do after graduation? I want to become a leader who dramatically impacts how we live and the environment that surrounds us. I would like to be a consultant leading interdisciplinary groups to generate disruptive innovation and create robust new solutions that tackle global inequalities in commercially viable ways.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Stanford and HBS

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Berkeley Haas’ MBA program? Three pieces of advice. First, just go and take the GMAT! Stop thinking about it. Second, genuine stories that show your true essence are enough: don’t stress out by comparing yourself with others. Third, talk to other Haasies to get their advice and to help motivate you during the process.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE BERKELEY HAAS MBA CLASS OF 2025