Cristián Valck

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“Chilean, 6+ years CPG/Marketing experience, passionate, goal-oriented. Rugby fanatic, enjoys cooking and traveling.”

Hometown: Santiago, Chile

Fun Fact About Yourself: When I was 14 years old, I wanted to be a soccer star. I tried out for the two biggest soccer clubs in Chile. Clearly that didn’t work out.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, School of Economics and Management Sciences

Bachelor in Economic and Administrative Sciences

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Coca-Cola Andina (Third-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America), Assistant Marketing Manager.

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC? Washington, D.C., has enormous significance, both historically and politically. This relevance provides numerous career and networking opportunities, connecting with experts and peers from different fields. Living in D.C. also offers a rich and diverse cultural melting pot, which is reflected in its museums, architecture, and cultural events. To have this opportunity and to be part of a large and recognized community like Georgetown is a true honor.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Global Business Experience was a decisive factor, as it will give me the opportunity to travel abroad to consult in a specific industry or company. In addition, Georgetown’s relentless pursuit of knowledge and questioning prepares the student community to face challenges with a critical and innovative spirit.  Finally, it was the school’s commitment to cura personalis, one of Georgetown University’s core values that envisions the whole person with a profound care and responsibility for one another.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Georgetown McDonough? Joining the Marketing Association and the Latin American Business Association is a great opportunity to exchange experiences and views, build a strong network, and hopefully create lifelong relationships. In addition, participating in activities from the Baratta Center for Global Business will be great for expanding this network and understanding how Latin American companies can step up their game.

Georgetown McDonough programming focuses heavily on instilling a global mindset. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? I have been fortunate to work with people from all over South America and have seen how having a global mindset can lead to better results and synergies. For example, in my last job at Coca-Cola Andina, we launched flavored water in refillable bottles. As there was no precedent for this type of innovation in Chile, we looked for success stories in our Argentinean subsidiaries, where we gained deep insights including launch pain points, consumer understanding, promotional mechanics, and cannibalization with other beverage categories.

This global mindset allowed us to identify opportunities for improvement and learnings that we would not have otherwise obtained.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Georgetown McDonough was the right program for you? Why? I think my recruitment process started from the moment I visited the main campus in March 2020, before the pandemic, and I could not get the university out of my mind.

After meeting the application requirements, I had an interview that pleasantly surprised me due to its distinctive structure and the innovative questions asked, diverging from those posed by other universities where I had interviewed. It was at that moment that I realized it was the ideal place for me.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Achieving national leadership in the Plain Waters category for the first time in Coca-Cola Andina’s history. Plain Waters is a highly volatile category affected by seasonality and temperature variations, posing challenges in ensuring optimal distribution at each point of sale. The category had been dominated by our main competitor until the end of 2021, when we implemented a winning strategy.

Leveraging our diverse product portfolio, we strategically positioned ourselves in both the entry and premium segments. With competitive pricing across multiple channels and by implementing effective loyalty programs for B2B customers, we achieved national leadership. This achievement translated into US$19.3 million in revenue and 27% growth.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Beyond my professional growth, I want to develop personally, improve my leadership skills, and broaden my global perspectives. I also want to master key concepts and incorporate practical skills essential to my career path. This includes creating a strong network of peers, alumni, and professionals that will enhance opportunities for collaboration and professional development.

Taking advantage of this opportunity and these experiences would help me transition into a new industry, such as consulting, banking, or clean tech, or move into a new position within the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry in the US.

DON’T MISS: MEET GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH’S MBA CLASS OF 2026