Abraham Tesfu Firdie

London Business School

“A private equity professional passionate about jazz, trivia, and making friends in unexpected places.”

Hometown: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Fun Fact About Yourself: Since childhood, I’ve brewed Tela, a traditional Ethiopian ale. I was taught by the best craftsperson I know: my mother. It’s made by fermenting barley, gesho (a local hop-like herb), and wheat/maize in large clay pots over several days. Beyond being a bonding ritual with my mother, I’ve always loved brewing it because it feels more like an art than a science. The process is entirely natural and requires patience, instinct, and a feel for flavor—no timers or thermometers involved. For me, Tela is a reminder that good things take time.

Undergraduate School and Major: Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Electrical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Cerberus Capital Management, Senior Analyst

What makes London such a great place to earn an MBA degree? To me, London might be the greatest city on earth. Across centuries, it has managed to remain vibrant and globally relevant. For the aspiring frontier market investor in me, London offers unmatched access to global capital, talent, and culture all in one place. For the social butterfly in me who wants to befriend everyone, it is perhaps the ideal place. It’s a city where internationalism isn’t just tolerated, it’s celebrated. Unlike many global capitals where you feel like a guest, London feels like it belongs to world, where everyone is a minority.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of London Business School’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Global Experience course stood out immediately. The opportunity to work in an emerging market, solving real-world challenges with a team of global professionals, mirrors the work I aim to do post-MBA. It was important to me that experiential learning wasn’t an afterthought at LBS; it’s baked into the curriculum.

London Business School is one of the most culturally and professionally diverse MBA programs in the world. What will make you unique in this class and how will it enrich the experience of your classmates? What is unique about me is that I bring the perspective of someone working in a nascent private equity sector who is trying to find its footing within one of the world’s most challenging economies. Doing business in Ethiopia means navigating volatility, bureaucracy, ethnic tensions, and weak institutions—all while trying to build companies that matter. There’s no playbook for this. You need to embrace Murphy’s Law as dogma—everything that can go wrong will go wrong, and then some. I’ve had to be creative, adaptive, and resilient, learning lessons no textbook could teach – and it has profoundly shaped my perspective. I hope to offer a grounded view of emerging markets and share stories that challenge conventional wisdom.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at London Business School? If I must pick just one club that I am particularly eager to join, it has to be the Black in Business Club. The club made a strong impression on me even before I joined LBS. During my application, its members took time to answer my questions and offered support after admission by sharing opportunities and advice. Their community spirit and commitment inspired me, and I’m excited to give back by helping others find their place at LBS, just as they helped me.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Early in my career, I helped design and implement Ethiopia’s first wheat import substitution program. The project not only succeeded in making the country self-sufficient in wheat production, but also led to Ethiopia exporting wheat for the first time in decades. This was a critical national issue—wheat is Ethiopia’s most consumed staple crop, central to the livelihoods and food security of millions. At the same time, importing wheat was rapidly draining the country’s limited foreign currency reserves. Playing a part in a transformation that strengthened self-sufficiency is something I’m deeply proud of doing.

Tell us your favorite memory: On my 27th birthday, I summited Mount Ras Dashen, the highest point in Ethiopia, at the exact hour I was born. It felt like a full-circle moment: closing out a whirlwind year of MBA prep, applications, and interviews with a literal high point.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into London Business School’s MBA program? Focus less on perfection and more on authenticity. An MBA application at any school can be a daunting task, let alone a top program like LBS. Like many applicants, I worried about GMAT scores, prestigious employers, and perfect essays. But LBS isn’t just looking for polished resumes; it’s looking for people with purpose, potential, and perspective. Your story, however unconventional, matters. Be honest about who you are and what you bring—that’s what truly resonates.

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