Zachary Wright

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

Ex-strategy consultant;
Mechanical engineer;
Soccer, ski;
Mountaineer.
On occasion wrong, but mostly exZachly Wright.
Puns.

Hometown: Ruckersville, VA

Fun Fact About Yourself: In college, my friend bought a disassembled motorcycle off of Craigslist… and did not do anything with it. So I bought it off of him and after a lot of welding, wiring, and no instructions, I have a working, (almost) road legal 1970s motorcycle!

Undergraduate School and Major: Yale University, B.S. Mechanical Engineering (ABET)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Director at EY-Parthenon

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Chicago Booth’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? When I was looking at business schools, I found a bunch of similar themes throughout possible programs’ websites. The themes of academic rigor, career advancement, and diversity were all talking points (and are extremely important). However, Booth had one aspect that caught my eye: its “pay it forward” culture. Growing up in a small town, I was built by a community that understood the value of helping others. It is something ingrained in me and I cannot wait to both learn from my peers, but also lend my experience to help others. I have already felt the warmth of current students and alumni lending their time to speak with me and I am so excited to continue this unique aspect of Booth.

The Booth MBA is also known for being highly data-driven. Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? I love numbers. Throughout school and beyond, numbers and equations always clicked in my brain. This is probably why the mechanical engineering major made so much sense (and was so fun) for me to pursue in college. When I approach a problem, I still think like an engineer, finding and applying data/numbers to analyze. Throughout my post-college career in strategy consulting, I delved deep into data analysis of digital infrastructure assets, modeling fiber routes in neighborhoods and cell tower coverage forecasts. These models and forecasts were built on large data sets and were extremely granular, allowing us to dig deep into markets to calculate specific insights. On each project, I felt secure in our outcomes and results because of the data backup, and I cannot wait to continue the approach at Booth. Melding my quantitative acumen with overall business decision making is one of the top aspects that drew me to the Booth program. I still have so much to learn about the application of data, but I know that emphasis on quantitative analysis will continue to serve me well in my career.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Chicago Booth? If I had to choose a specific thing, I would say the ability to participate in Polsky Center activities excites me the most. Not only does it host the New Venture Challenge to explore hands-on a potential start-up, but it also hosts a variety of events and classes throughout the year. I am new to the entrepreneurship world, and I am hoping to leverage the world class Polsky Center to develop my foundation in the sector. Additionally, the caliber of the resources draws high quality folks as well, and I am excited to meet these individuals!

What has been your first impression of the Booth MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Booth story so far. My first impression of Booth: I picked the right place. During the admitted student events, as well as subsequent networking contacts, everyone was welcoming and enthusiastic about sharing their perspectives. I was looking for a diverse and genuine student body, and Booth checks that box. However, my best Booth story thus far happened before I was admitted. Since I had never visited Chicago before, I decided to do my Booth interview in person at the Harper Center. As I was walking towards the building, a Booth student came up to me and asked if I needed any help finding my way. I was very nervous at this point and that simple act of kindness set me at ease. I know it was a bit obvious I was there for an interview (I was wearing a suit), but I was still shocked that the student went out of their way to help me. That unprompted kindness for someone who had not been admitted to the school impressed me very much. Sadly, the nervousness of the day erased the student’s name from my head, but I credit their actions for setting me up to do my best in the interview.

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? Before interviewing at Booth, I had never visited Chicago before. I have now been a total of three times and each time has been great! Previously I lived in the Northeast cities of Boston and NYC. In my opinion, Chicago checks the city-living boxes for me: plenty to do, restaurants galore, public transit, and well-kept outdoor areas and parks. I was very impressed by the lake and surrounding parks because I do appreciate a bit of nature near where I live. Additionally, I have learned of the vibrant arts and food scenes, which I am excited to explore in the fall.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment thus far has been my promotion to director. Although the title is nice to have, I view it as my biggest accomplishment because of the work I did to get there. The best work I did was developing my team members in their execution of work, their understanding of the digital infrastructure sector, and their teaming skills. On many tough projects, there were times when it was easier to just get the work done, but I always tried to ensure our teams were learning rather than just doing. I was not always perfect, but my teams always had my back and I credit them for helping me learn as well. For me, seeing many of my teams also earn promotions equaled the excitement of my promotion, and I hope to carry this learning mindset for the rest of my career.

Describe the best memory of your life. Why does that moment resonate with you? There are so many possible answers, but I will pick my senior night for varsity soccer in high school. Before the game, my high school had the tradition of the senior players walking out escorted by their family. Over the loudspeakers, they announced the senior’s name and where they were going after graduation. That night was the first public announcement of my acceptance to Yale (something not very common in a small town). It was even more powerful because I was surrounded by the three people who helped me the most to get there: my mom, dad, and sister. All the years of hard work had culminated into that moment and I felt I was representing my community to the best of my ability. As icing on the cake, we won that night, handing a Northern Virginia team their first loss in two years.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Chicago Booth’s MBA program? Two words: be yourself. Everyone has a unique story, and telling that story will be your best bet for admission. Yes, there are ways to build a superb MBA application by excelling in your career and in other activities. However, I would suggest only pursuing activities if it matches with who you are or what you want to do. When pulling your application together into a cohesive story, it will be easier (and more compelling) if you stay true to your unique you!

DON’T MISS: MEET CHICAGO BOOTH’S MBA CLASS OF 2026