Jose Velazquez

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“A leader who sets an example through inclusion. Firm believer that the glass is always half-full!”

School: UNC Kenan-Flagler

Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela

Fun Fact About Yourself: I grew up in Caracas and learned Spanish with the Venezuelan accent, but after living 15 years in Mexico I can also speak Spanish with a Northern Mexico accent as well as a Central Mexico accent. That’s three accents for one language!

Undergraduate School and Major: Tec de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico), International Business, with a dual degree (master’s) from Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Dell Technologies, Business Unit Finance Controller

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Kenan-Flagler’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

After graduating with two master’s degrees that had a stronger academical/lecture focus, I was looking for a program with a more hands-on practical approach that could allow me to develop my leadership skills through projects. UNC Kenan-Flagler had exactly this opportunity through the STAR program (Student Teams Achieving Results) that runs for 15 weeks with the objective of applying consulting frameworks to real problems faced by companies. Also, the Consulting and Marketing concentrations had the right tools to customize my experience with topics that interested me.

What has been your first impression of the Kenan-Flagler MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far?

If I had to describe them in one word, I would say “collaborative.” Even before submitting my application, the alumni I met were all very helpful in sharing their stories, along with their thoughts on how the school was enabling them to develop their leadership skills trough the different centers, concentrations and clubs that UNC Kenan-Flagler has to offer. Getting to campus hasn’t changed that and I’ve been impressed with how everyone is always looking to help each other, either inside of the classroom or outside of it.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Kenan-Flagler?

As an international student coming from Venezuela I’m very excited about the opportunity to participate and lead within the Latin American Business Association (LABA). I strongly believe that diversity brings a wider range of ideas and innovative solutions to problems, as well as an enhanced globalized view of the world that can allow for better decision making, so joining LABA will definitely help me and the community reach these goals.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

Academically: During my undergrad I applied and was selected to participate in an honors-level dual degree program, which allowed me to take graduate-level classes abroad at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, and I was able to earn a master in international business degree at the same time I graduated from my undergrad.

Professionally: After working for almost three years for Dell’s Mexico office my business unit reached the #1 position in market share for the first time in history. One of my key responsibilities was to identify and quantify the market segments with more opportunities for growth, and we translated these objectives into a three-year strategic plan that gave the team clear and measurable goals to achieve the #1 position.

What do you hope to do after graduation?

Coming from a strong quant background I want to switch my career  to consulting or internal strategy so that I can leverage my academic and professional background, and help create long-term sustainable strategies through different projects across different industries.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program?  

Be clear on what you want to get out of the program, as well as crafting your own personal stories that can relate to the program’s core strengths and values. Look at the recruitment outcomes of previous years and determine if that’s aligned to your post-MBA goals. Also, the best indicator for a culture fit within the program will be the students; feel free to reach out and talk to them to get a glimpse of how we work and what drives us.