Ivan Tapia

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

“Engineer-turned-MBA driven by curiosity, mentorship and a commitment to community impact.”

Hometown: Born in El Paso, Texas, but raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m CPR-certified outside the medical field and have used it three times in real-life emergencies.

Undergraduate School and Major: Rice University, B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Chevron, Competitive Performance Advisor

What has been your favorite part of Houston so far? Why? Houston is where it all started for me. I first moved here for my undergraduate degree and ultimately built my career in this city. What I love most is its diversity of people, ideas, and opportunities, matched by an incredible food scene, passionate professional sports culture, and its endless ways to stay engaged both professionally and personally.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the one key part of the Rice Jones MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? As a twice-Rice alum (first as an undergraduate and now as an MBA student), the low student-to-faculty ratio was the deciding factor in my return. During my undergraduate years, I experienced how accessible and invested Rice professors are, and I wanted that same level of engagement in my MBA. At Rice Business, that closeness fosters deeper classroom dialogue, personalized feedback, and meaningful mentorship that extends well beyond academics. For me, that environment was critical to continued professional growth and long-term leadership development.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Rice Jones? The Consulting Association has been the most impactful part of my Rice Business experience so far. Its structured, peer-driven recruiting support has been instrumental in my development — accelerating my understanding of finance, business fundamentals and strategic problem-solving well beyond the classroom. From interview preparation to real-time feedback and shared resources, the community has been both rigorous and generous. As I progress into my second year, I’m especially excited to give back by mentoring and supporting the next class through the same process.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Restructuring a competitive performance program that reshaped how senior leaders made capital allocation decisions. At Chevron, I helped redesign a cross-functional performance framework spanning more than 70 cost, time, and production efficiency initiatives. By translating complex operational data into clear financial models and confidence-based outlooks, I embedded over $700M in savings into five-year business plans. More importantly, the work changed decision-making behavior, giving leadership the clarity to continue operating assets that were previously assumed to be uneconomic. That experience cemented my interest in strategy and advisory work, where structured thinking directly shapes outcomes at scale.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Becoming a finalist in multiple case competitions has been my biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far. The process is always intense (often compressed into three-to-four days with minimal sleep), but incredibly rewarding. Working alongside three teammates to process large amounts of data and come up with a cohesive strategy, deliver a polished slide deck, and present under pressure reinforced how much a small, aligned team can accomplish in a short time. The experience has been both validating and energizing, as the pace and problem-solving closely mirror the consulting environment I’m recruiting for.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? The relationships I’ve built have been my favorite part of the MBA experience so far. Whether it’s late-night study sessions for midterms and finals (which made studying unexpectedly and genuinely fun) or carpooling to recruiting events immediately after an exam, those shared moments created deep, authentic bonds. The connections feel real and lasting, and I’m excited to see how they evolve as we grow into our careers together.

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