Sergio Bolivar

Yale School of Management

“I am always striving to break boundaries and explore new ideas.”

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Fun Fact About Yourself:

I love to travel. This past summer, I was able to visit different cities across Spain and Portugal!

Undergraduate School and Major: The Ohio State University, Management Information Systems

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: McDonald’s Corporation, Global Technology Strategy & Planning Manager

The Yale School of Management is regarded as a purpose-driven program. What is your mission? How will your MBA at Yale SOM help you fulfill that mission? As a first-generation student at Yale, my mission is to continue breaking generational and educational barriers to help grow the representation of students from non-traditional backgrounds. This mission will empower others to feel seen and give them the opportunity to excel both academically and in their prospective careers. While at SOM, I’m looking forward to taking courses focused on social impact to explore ways to create educational equity for those with similar backgrounds.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Yale SOM’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was drawn to the second-year elective courses offered by different departments at Yale. As someone who is looking to gain a well-rounded, comprehensive education, I am interested in the prospect of attending classes offered by other departments, such as the Jackson School of Global Affairs or Yale Law School. By enrolling in an integrated curriculum, I will be able to explore my interests outside of the traditional business curriculum, which may influence the choices I make throughout my career.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Yale SOM? I’m excited about the opportunity to take part in a Global Network Week course! I enjoy engaging in global experiences, and Global Network Week allows SOM students the chance to study a course intensively at a participating international network school. Through this program, I hope to learn about the societal impact of business decisions within a local community and to understand how the community responds to these decisions.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026? During my time with McDonald’s, I worked with international teams from all over the globe to tackle complex strategic challenges facing McDonald’s restaurants. Through this experience, I built meaningful relationships with colleagues from culturally diverse backgrounds while also working together effectively on various projects. At Yale SOM, I look forward to bringing these experiences with me and collaborating with members of our diverse student body to help them achieve success within their MBA and beyond.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far was leading a financial reporting modernization effort for six international McDonald’s markets. This work required careful collaboration between the strategy team and teams from other departments, as well as ongoing communication with international colleagues. The launch of this report was a resounding success, and business leaders expressed that they gained new strategic insights into their financial and project portfolios.

What do you hope to do after graduation? I hope to join a management consulting firm as a strategy consultant, where I can leverage my knowledge from the classroom and prior work experiences to solve the complex strategic and societal challenges that persist in the business world.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Yale SOM’s MBA program? We all bring such valuable knowledge and experience. I would advise applicants to be open to sharing their authentic story — especially one unique to them. I once heard a podcast say, “You are the only you; that is your superpower!” This resonated with me as I took on Yale SOM’s application. Yale SOM is a program that embraces diverse perspectives from all backgrounds, and by crafting a story that’s unique and personal, a candidate can stand out as someone who can bring something new to the SOM community.

DON’T MISS: MEET YALE SOM’S MBA CLASS OF 2026