Tori Tan

Cambridge Judge Business School

“Ex-management consultant looking for her next adventure in the tech, media, or fashion sectors.”

Hometown: Los Angeles, California, United States

Fun fact about yourself: I was born in Los Angeles but lived in China as a kid for nine years.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

University of California, Berkeley – B.A., Molecular Cell Biology & Political Economy

Yale University – MPH, Health Management

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Deloitte Consulting, Senior Consultant

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? I was working full-time at Deloitte Consulting prior to starting MBA studies.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Head of Marketing, the Cambridge University Technology and Enterprise Club
• Alumni Chair, the Cambridge Business School Council

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of my participation in the Chanel hackathon in November 2023, where my team took second place for our innovative product idea that aimed to improve fashion sustainability. It’s amazing how an idea can come together in less than two days with a brilliant group of people and tons of creative energy in the room. I’ve learned so much about product innovation and development from this hackathon, and the chance to go on another trip with Chanel due to the hackathon was incredible.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m most proud of my accelerated promotion from Consultant to Senior Consultant at Deloitte during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. As the nature of a management consulting career is heavily client-facing, it was extremely difficult to establish relationships and build your personal brand over Zoom as a new hire. Despite these difficult circumstances, I still managed to deliver above expectations, and I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish.

Why did you choose this business school? I was particularly drawn to the global nature of the MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School. First, the class profile is truly amazing as my peers come from all over the world. The location of Cambridge and Europe also spoke to me, as it is situated in between the U.S.A and Asia, which enables me to explore global experiences with relative ease. Finally, the Cambridge MBA offers a Global Consulting Project experience, which will allow me to work with a global company on a month-long engagement to gain in-depth industry and geographical exposure.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor has to be Thomas Roulet, who taught us Organizational Behavior and Leadership last term. He was immensely engaging, and his sense of (French) humor always brought the class to life even during early morning lectures. His fashion style was also so colorful and made a lovely impression on me and my peers – rumor has it that some students used to dress up as him for Halloween!

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite MBA course has to be Negotiations. It’s a very hands-on class, with half of the time spent outside of lectures where we negotiated with partners and teams each week. Every week, the case assigned to us was engaging and well-planned, with detailed instructions for each negotiation party. I thoroughly enjoyed negotiations with my classmates, and I’ve learned a lot about myself as a negotiator and improved my skillset throughout this course.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA event was the student organized Lunar New Year celebrations. The Lunar New Year committee went above-and-beyond and completely transformed our Business School with decorations that reminded me of New Year celebrations in China. We also had many other cultural celebrations that were all student-organized, which goes to show how vibrant the student body and the wider community are at Cambridge Judge Business School.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why?

Looking back, I would work on better managing my priorities during my first term. The one-year MBA program is extremely intense, and I think the first term was the most difficult for students like me who have never lived in the UK. After learning how to navigate life in the UK and the Cambridge academic rigor, I am now much better at time management and juggling my priorities.

What is the biggest myth about your school? One myth about a one-year MBA or other Master programs in Europe, is that they are extremely easy and just “a reason to travel”. Having experienced the Cambridge MBA, I can confirm that nothing can be further from the truth. The one-year MBA program at the University of Cambridge is rigorous and full of learning opportunities; from class learning to experiential projects to a myriad of events, there are always more things to do than you have time for.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I loved the intricate architecture and aesthetics of the Cambridge collegiate system. Many colleges here such as Trinity or St John’s, are full of history and stories, and almost everywhere you go is picture-worthy. The scenery and buildings are so different from what you’ll see at any college town in the United States.

What surprised you the most about business school? The intensity of the one-year MBA program certainly took me by surprise, and it has taught me so much and enabled me to grow as an individual. Having worked in management consulting where the work intensity is high, I thought I was ready to take on any challenge. However, the one-year MBA program required me to simultaneously manage multiple aspects of life that I was not 100% prepared for at the beginning.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Liana Sherman – She’s a fellow American but like me, she’s also had exposure to living abroad and is extremely open and welcoming of all cultures. Liana has such a sweet and loving personality that it is difficult for anyone not to like her. She goes out of her way to truly connect with you, and you can tell that is beyond the sometimes-superficial small talk.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• To experience what it is like working in China professionally
• To start and grow my own business one day (detailed TBD!)

What made Tori such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Tori Tan is a dynamic ex-consultant ready to rock the world of tech. She is dynamic, entrepreneurial and has made the most of what Cambridge has to offer. She is promised an incredible leadership and managerial career!”

Thomas Roulet
Professor of Organisational Sociology and Leadership Fellow
Director of Studies in Psychology & Behavioural Science
Co-Director of the King’s Entrepreneurship Lab at King’s College, Cambridge

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024