Victor Castro Fernandez

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

“Former Spanish Project Manager heading into Investment Banking in NYC and proud Tepper MBA Class ’24.”

Hometown: Madrid, Spain

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve visited all EU countries except Cyprus

Undergraduate School and Degree: University Carlos III of Madrid, BSc in Mechanical Engineering

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? General Dynamics European Land Systems, Engineering Project Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Jefferies LLC, New York City

Where will you be working after graduation? Jefferies LLC, Investment Banking Associate

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Finance Officer for Graduate Business Association (Student Assembly), Board of Graduate Finance Association, Marc Onetto Award

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? During the IB recruiting season, I helped to achieve the highest number of candidates breaking into IB for Tepper since pre-COVID

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Being one of the main active parts at General Dynamics in achieving outstanding results for the main test and development milestones of the biggest Land Systems project the company had at that time

Why did you choose this business school? Alumni. I knew I wanted to pivot my career from a non-finance background to IB, and the alumni base would be the main asset. Before joining Tepper, I had the chance to talk to current students who broke into the industry. I received so much help from many of them and alumni even before committing to Tepper that I knew this would be the best place for me to achieve the goal. This tight-knit community makes Tepper such a strong school for every industry out there.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I had a couple of candidates, but I will pick Jim Foster. He was my professor for Investment Analysis. Besides the knowledge he obviously has, he also possesses a lot of expertise in the real world as he is a managing partner in a wealth management firm in Pittsburgh that he was able to transmit during classes. His approach to learning is definitely the best I’ve had during my time in Tepper. He is able to push us to our limits and get the best out of everyone. His detailed and thorough feedback was extremely important to get the most out of the class. Furthermore, Jim was always available to help not only with classes, but with real life advice. Definitely the best Professor I’ve had during my MBA.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? This is tied to the previous question, and I have to go for Investment Analysis for the reasons I detailed before. Also, the concepts we learnt are not only valid for our professional journeys, but also for personal reasons, what made this class a must for everyone with a minimum interest in the Finance world.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Friday Beers! This is an event organized by Student Services and happens almost every Friday. The main goal is to network with all the peers from other Programs (as well as your own classmates). From time-to-time, faculty and alumni are invited, which makes this event one of the best traditions at Tepper.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? From the academic perspective, I would focus on trying to explore other areas besides those that I know I would like (finance in my case). Sometimes, the class content may not look interesting, but the faculty in this school is brilliant and they can make an unattractive class one of the most interesting ones.

What is the biggest myth about your school? The school is full of tech geeks. People in this school are indeed really passionate about the tech world (CMU holds the best CS program at the moment), and the community is one-of-a-kind for the good. Everyone, independently of what program you are part of, is extremely helpful and most of them will step out of their comfort zone to help whenever needed. Taking classes outside the business school made me realize the quality of the people in this school.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Pittsburgh is truly a sports town, and you can feel it every weekend when any of the city teams play. It is awesome to see how bars get crowded when the Steelers or Penguins play, or when Pitt is playing in college sports. The vibe around the city during those times is invaluable.

What surprised you the most about business school? It is difficult to pick one, but this time I’ll go for the people. It was absolutely shocking to see the number of smart people I am surrounded with. I would also cite the faculty and other people outside the business school, but mainly my classmates. It is a very diverse group and it is amazing all the things each one of them can teach you through their experiences and knowledge. Even after almost being over with the MBA, there is not a single day I talk to someone and I don’t learn something new or give me new ideas to think about.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Not easy to answer, but I have to give one: Anushikha Sharma. Do you want to be involved in everything, help everyone, and excel in everything you do? Get some advice from her. She was the President of the Graduate Business Association, among other roles. Despite having no free time during the day, she is always available to chat or help whenever needed. Also, she is definitely one of the smartest people I’ve ever met and she can challenge you to make you better every day. Definitely one of the people with whom I’ve had the most fun during my MBA not only in Pittsburgh, but also in the several trips we’ve done together.

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

First, I want to be able to leverage all my 8 years of professional experience and the skills acquired during the MBA to be a great asset to my company and the teams I will be working on.

Second, I want to learn as much as possible about my future role and industry to help Jefferies keep the successful path they are following already since this will translate into client satisfaction and personal motivation.

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

Victor has been an energetic student and community member during his two years of the program. Coming from an engineering background in Spain, Victor used his time in the Tepper MBA to pursue a career in finance. He also pursued the Tepper Business Analytics track to hone the important quantitative skills needed in today’s world of finance. An excellent student, Victor has taken some of the most challenging coursework offered in the program.

Victor has also worked hard to improve the Tepper MBA community. Elected to be the VP of Finance for the Graduate Business Association (GBA), he helped to reshape the policies, procedures, and funding allocations by working with the Student Services Team.

After his internship, he gave countless hours to mentorship and through the MBA Graduate Finance Association (GFA) helping first years with interview prep. He has also asked to represent the school at events, tours, and prospective student gatherings being a part of identifying and supporting those students who look to join the program.

Victor is going to JEFFERIES LLC, in New York working in Investment Banking.”

Jackie Goslin
Director of the Masters Career Center
Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business

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