Charles Bauzerand

HEC Paris

“Seafarer dropping his bag ashore to become more involved in the maritime world.”

Hometown: Marseille, France

Fun Fact About Yourself: Scared by the sea, I chose to become a seaman. Scared by the numbers, I want to become a finance expert.

Undergraduate School and Major: Antwerp Maritime Academy, Master in Nautical Sciences

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Chief Officer, Marseille Fret / Go Capital, Financial Analyst Intern

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of HEC Paris’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? HEC Paris is renowned for excellence – I am a believer; I need to work for something in which I trust, and I want to represent a system of values in which I believe.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at HEC Paris? Everything excites me at HEC Paris! If I really have to pick one, the finance specialization thrills me a lot! I’m currently doing a pre-MBA internship in a venture capital company, discovering all the knowledge I need to learn. I am going to strongly rely on this program to help me advance.

HEC Paris is just 17 kilometers from Paris. What do you see as the best part of earning your MBA so close to Paris? Hmm… I am a little bit afraid to be so far from Paris during the winter. I think it will be a challenging but a unique opportunity to discover what life is like in a wild and remote area! However, I have been told there were walkways and lights along the road now.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026?
It is quite challenging to define my own quality and a little bit pretentious, to tell what I can bring to such a diverse and selected group – that I do not even know. To answer the question, I think I can bring my daring spirit. Admission to this program is an example of this “quality” and I hope I will be able push the group forward.

Why did you choose a 16-month program over a one-year program? How do you see a HEC Paris MBA giving you an advantage in the marketplace? I did not even consider a one-year program. I wanted a 16-month or two-year program to have the time to grow technically, personally, and professionally. The MBA represents a significant personal life change, and I wanted enough room to observe, test, and choose. Moving too quickly is not always an advantage.

If we just look at the facts, the longer duration is a real advantage because some companies restrict their recruitment to graduates of longer MBA programs. I believe this is proof that time is necessary to assimilate learnings, understand the surroundings, and evolve.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far is my admission to the HEC Paris MBA program, including being a recipient of an HEC Diversity and Excellence scholarship.

The admission process pushed me to surpass myself, and since being admitted, it has been propelling me upward strongly. My career now feels like driving a powerful sports car on a mountain road with cliffs on both sides and no brakes—thrilling but… quite challenging!

Looking ahead 16 months, what would make your MBA experience successful? Today, I consider my MBA experience successful if, in 16 months, I have found a position within a VC company and am still traveling, meeting people and exploring projects, and living in a major city like London, Geneva, Singapore, or Dubai—anywhere with walkways, lights at night, and a nice opera.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE HEC PARIS MBA CLASS OF 2026