Meet Columbia Business School’s MBA Class Of 2027

New York City is a magnet. It attracts the best talent and the biggest opportunities.

The city is home to 49 Fortune 500 companies – more than anywhere else. And it only ranks behind Silicon Valley for the size of its startup ecosystem. Most consider the Big Apple to be the financial capital of the world – and it competes for the same title in media, fashion, entertainment, and advertising. With the United Nations headquarters overlooking the East River, you could argue that New York City is the capital of the world too.

“There’s nowhere else that packs limitless possibilities, endless energy, and world-class networking into one zip code,” says Julianne Nordhagen, a first-year MBA at Columbia Business School.

“New York City is a city built for creatives to collaborate, bankers to deal, and entrepreneurs to build,” adds Mimi Ikediobi, a classmate of Nordhagen.

DISTINGUISHED ADJUNCTS & GUESTS COME TO CAMPUS

New York City is also built for business school. That’s one reason why Columbia Business School frames itself as being “At the Very Center of Business.” Here, students enjoy access to all the top companies and best minds, along with exposure to all the leading industries and cutting-edge practices. Hugo Wehe Ramirez, a Queens native who studied Psychology as a Columbia undergrad before joining the MBA program, frames the city in terms of “abundance.”

“The city truly is a melting pot of all cultures, backgrounds, and industries,” he continues. “There’s never a shortage of new things to try, new people to meet, and new places to go.”

And CBS MBAs don’t even need to leave the comforts of Kravis Hall or Geffen Hall for all of that. Among the adjunct faculty, you’ll find Angela Lee (Founder of 37 Angels), Hitendra Wadhwa (Founder of the Mentora Institute), Neal Masia (Former Chief Economist at Pfizer), and P. Sean Gupta (Senior VP at TEGNA). If you take the Media Mergers & Acquisitions course, you’ll probably be taught by Jonathan Knee, a senior advisor at Evercore and former co-head of the media group at Morgan Stanley. Among the fall’s distinguished speaker slate, CBS landed the CEOs of Accenture, Intel, and Barclays and the Co-Founder of Andreessen Horowitz. This spring’s lineup includes the CEOs of The New York Times Company, Warner Music Group, and Deloitte and the Chief Economist for OpenAI.

“Executives at the top of their fields regularly come to campus to speak with students and share their insights, and many go further by serving as mentors through the Executives in Residence Program (EIR),” explains first-year Drew Rodriguez. “In this program, executives provide one-on-one mentorship and career guidance to students. A program of this scale and caliber simply would not be possible (or as effective) outside New York City.”

IT’S NEVER BORING

It is a place, as business students say, where every company is just a 15-minute cab ride away. What’s more, Columbia’s Manhattanville location makes it easy for students to take on in-semester internships. Along with everything important being concentrated in a 25 square mile radius, there is that energy that radiates from being in the ‘city that never sleeps.’ Caroline Marapese, a first-year CBS MBA and McKinsey senior analyst, describes the dynamic as the “intersection of ambition, hustle, and possibility” – a place where “everyone is on a mission.” More than that, New York City enables MBAs to squeeze more into a day than anywhere else.

“On a single day you might go from class to a coffee with a hedge fund alum, then meet a founder working on AI, and close the evening at a company presentation,” writes Thomas von Lippe. “It is a living classroom where business and global affairs collide.”

And there’s “always something to do, always people to meet, always places to be,” in the words of ’25 CBS alum Gabrielle Darko. Another alum, Serena Moss, raves about sampling lasagnas, taking painting classes, and enjoying a Parisian casino-themed murder mystery night outside class. In other words, there is rarely a dull moment for a Columbia MBA in New York City.

“It’s not only about work—life in New York is fun,” observes Drew Rodriguez. “CBS students truly get the best of both professional and personal worlds, whether it is world-class museums (many free with a Columbia Student ID), Broadway shows and concerts, and some of the best restaurants anywhere.”

A TRUE MELTING POT

Question is, do New York City’s distractions take away from the sense of community at CBS? Does the pace and demands of the city make for a cutthroat culture? Alumni answer with a definitive ‘no’. Instead, says alum Natalie Friel, there is a sense that “a win for Columbia is a win for me.” Even more, you won’t find Columbia MBA students racing back to their respective projects or dwellings the minute classes end, either.

“During my first year, I was so immersed in CBS that I barely saw my non-business school friends,” says Gabrielle Darko. “There are endless opportunities to connect, and the intensity of the experience brings people together incredibly fast. NYC is actually the perfect place for grad school.”

In a city where 700 different languages are spoken, CBS also reflects the diversity outside its doors, adds Natalie Friel.

“Columbia Business School has one of the highest percentages of international students among top business schools. One of the most remarkable aspects of attending business school here is the constant exposure to various languages. Walking through the halls, I routinely hear at least three different languages being spoken. This is a testament to both CBS’s commitment to diversity and New York City’s status as a cultural melting pot.”

A FIGHTER PILOT AND A SECRET SERVICE AGENT

When it comes to professional backgrounds, CBS could be described as a melting pot too. Take Julianne Nordhagen. Before business school, she served as a F/A-18 Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy after studying systems engineering as an undergraduate.

“Earning my Wings of Gold was an incredible milestone, but nothing will ever compare to the first time I soloed an aircraft,” she tells P&Q. “That moment was pure freedom. It was proof that all the hard work, discipline, and resilience had taken flight, literally.”

Thomas von Lippe comes to Manhattanville as a new dad to triplets. His service came in the form of being a special agent for both the FBI and Secret Service.

“Service on the Presidential Protective Division and helping protect the President of the United States was the honor of my career,” he writes. “Beyond the day-to-day responsibility, it taught me how to lead in high-pressure environments, coordinate with diverse teams, and stay focused when there is no room for error. Those lessons have shaped the way I approach every professional challenge since.”

It was an experience, he adds, that will come in handy in the Management Consulting Association. “Coming from the FBI and Secret Service, I am used to building contingency plans and solving problems that carry real consequences. The MCA will give me the platform to apply that mindset in a new setting and prepare me for the consulting interview process and project work that follow.”

WORKING IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Drew Rodriguez considers his biggest accomplishment (so far) to be working in Oval Office operations during the Biden-Harris Administration.

“[It] gave me the opportunity to observe leadership in action during some of the most high-stakes moments. While I may not have spent much time with financial spreadsheets, I have witnessed intense negotiations, rapid decision-making under pressure, and the coordination of teams to achieve shared goals. These experiences sharpened my ability to stay calm, think strategically, and bring people together.”

Not surprisingly, CBS draws MBA candidates from the entertainment industry. That includes Hugo Wehe Ramirez, who worked as a special assistant to the CEO of 5000 Broadway Productions, a firm involved in the development of filmed productions like The Little Mermaid and Hamilton.

“My career so far is characterized by a medley of entertainment, philanthropy, and advocacy work. To that extent, I am most proud of the work I’ve helped support philanthropically, such as overseeing community engagement events surrounding the 2021 releases of Encanto, Vivo and Tick, Tick, Boom!, which allowed for thousands of Washington Heights residents the ability to see screenings for free.”

THE INTANGIBLES BEHIND THEIR SUCCESS

Holding a bachelor’s in Finance and a master’s in Education from Notre Dame, Caroline Marapese started her career teaching middle school math in a struggling Philadelphia school…before moving over to McKinsey. During her time as a corporate strategy director for the Publicis Groupe’s North American video practice, Sydney Peoples launched five products, building the firm’s fastest-growing practice in the process. At the same time, Mimi Ikediobi worked with L’Oréal Paris to launch Beauty Genius, an AI-powered personal beauty assistant. As a PwC consultant, Tia Zhang partnered with senior pharmaceutical executions across functions ranging from finance to human resources to business development. That enables her to bring a unique perspective to her classmates.

“My unique quality is the ability to connect big-picture healthcare strategy with the operational realities of treating patients. Having advised pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies on product launches and compliance programs, I can translate complex operational issues to clear business strategies.”

Julianne Nordhagen, who plans to “disrupt” the defense industry through a startup, believes her biggest contribution to the class will be her ability to thrive in “high-pressure, team-driven environments.” Similarly, Thomas von Lippe will set a bar that “failure is not an option” for his peers. He’ll find common cause with Carolina Marapese, who brings a “can-do mindset” to everything she does.

“[It is] an instinct to see how something can be done rather than why it can’t. With this perspective, I find creative solutions, rally others around a shared goal, and aim to leave every environment better than I found it.”

Christopher Peer views himself as a “natural connector.” In fact, he tapped into his U.S. Army planning background to organize a Welcome Reception for 400 classmates this summer at the Hamptons. While New York City is known for brutal winters, Peer is hardly phased by the prospect of sub-zero temperatures and foot-high snowfalls.

“I lived in Alaska for three years while stationed there with the Army, where I learned to climb mountains and cross glaciers. It was breathtaking and transformative, though I’ll admit I prefer New York bagels to frozen MREs.”

A CLASS PROFILE

The MBA Class of 2027 also represented several records for Columbia Business School. Notably, women account for 46% of the class, the highest ratio in school history after holding steady at 44% for the past three years. By the same token, minority students make up a 48% share of the class, another all-time high. Plus, the 734 GMAT average represents a third record, with the previous high being 732.

During the 2024-2025 cycle, CBS received 7,477 applications, 11 fewer than its high-water mark the previous year.  As a whole, the MBA Class of 2027 consists of 982 students, 758 of whom arrived in September and another 224 who joined in January. In total, 41% of the class hails from overseas, down 5 points from the previous year.

Undergraduate Business and Economics majors represent the largest segment of class at 30% and 19% respectively. Engineering majors constitute another 19% share, followed by Social Sciences (13%), Sciences (9%), Humanities (6%), and Technology (4%). In terms of professional experience, 30% joined the Class of 2027 after working in Financial Services. Consulting professionals make up a 23% share, with Technology (12%), Marketing and Media (10%), and Healthcare (6%) also represented heavily in the class.

Next Page: An Interview With Paul Tetlock, Senior Vice Dean for Curriculum and Programs

Page 3: Profiles of 9 Members of the MBA Class of 2027

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