Fernando Klüppel

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“I’m someone convinced that life’s greatest joys are born from its hardest challenges.”

Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil

Fun Fact About Yourself: I speak 4 languages and recently I was learning mandarin.

Undergraduate School and Major: Federal University of Technology – Paraná, Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Business Manager at Red Venture Brazil, a technology company focused on digital products and growth.

UCLA Anderson is founded on the Three Pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? Think Fearlessly resonates most with me because throughout my life I’ve sought out the hardest challenges—not only professionally, but also personally. I believe that once we’ve done the preparation, we should aim high and embrace bold ambitions. That mindset guided my decision to pursue an MBA far from home, at one of the world’s top schools. Fear is inevitable, but what defines us is the courage to transform it into action and growth.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles is the ultimate city to enjoy an MBA to the fullest. Professionally, it’s home to some of the world’s biggest tech and entertainment companies, making networking and recruiting uniquely exciting. Beyond that, LA’s cultural scene never disappoints—you can always find spotlight events to attend with friends and meet fascinating people. And the lifestyle? Unbeatable. Where else can you celebrate surviving an accounting exam by heading straight to the beach? For outdoor lovers, LA has it all: surfing the Pacific, hiking mountain trails, or even exploring the desert—all just a short drive away.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of UCLA Anderson’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? For me, the Parker Career Center was a defining factor in choosing UCLA Anderson. During my visit, I realized Parker was not just about providing resources, but about truly guiding students through their next career steps. That impression has proven true—not only in the structured support for recruitment, but also in the way Parker has expanded my perspective on the professional paths I can pursue. This combination of personalized guidance and broad exposure was exactly what I was seeking to shape my MBA journey.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at UCLA Anderson? I’m most excited about the wide range of AI-focused courses at UCLA Anderson. It’s remarkable how quickly the school has built a structured learning track in this area. I believe we are living through a global transformation in the workforce driven by AI, and I want to be close to this technology to not only understand it, but to be an active agent in shaping how it impacts businesses and society.

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2027?  Having been born and raised in Brazil and lived in Europe, I bring an international perspective to the MBA classroom, always mindful of how cultural contexts shape business decisions. In addition, my most recent professional experience—where I moved seamlessly from coding and product management to commercial proposals—gives me a holistic view of how technology services companies operate. This blend of global perspective and cross-functional experience will allow me to enrich class discussions and contribute meaningfully to my peers’ learning.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment was leading the turnaround of a strategic partnership between Red Ventures and one of Brazil’s largest education companies. When I assumed leadership, the operation had never been profitable, and the team was demotivated—one analyst had even taken medical leave due to burnout. I started by listening: holding 1-on-1s with each member and co-creating a new action plan. I introduced sustainable operating rules, rebuilt the data pipeline with a Customer Data Platform, and implemented OKRs to track and celebrate milestones. Within months, funnel conversion tripled, the partnership achieved profitability for the first time, and the team regained confidence and engagement. For me, the greatest achievement wasn’t just the business results but transforming the environment into one where people wanted to stay and grow.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? After graduation, I hope to work in the technology sector in a role that gives me both decision-making autonomy and a holistic view of the business—rather than being siloed into a single function. I am especially interested in industries where technology is reshaping human experiences, such as education, health, and advertising.

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