Antonis Lalazisis       

HEC Paris

“Greek who moved to London at 18, still most energized by facing everyday challenges.”

Hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece.

Fun fact about yourself: Lived in 3 different cities during my MBA: Jouy-en-Josas (HEC Paris), Athens (MBA internship), Philadelphia (Wharton exchange).

Undergraduate School and Degree: BSc in Banking and International Finance at Cass Business School.

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Consultant at Kaiser Associates, London, UK.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Bain and Company, Athens, Greece.

Where will you be working after graduation? Bain and Company, London, UK.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Recipient of HEC Scholarship of Excellence. Served as VP of HEC Finance Club, coordinating club events and sourcing senior professionals from London’s private equity space. As Treasurer of the Greek Association, I organized welcome events to help newly arrived Greek students navigate their transition to life at HEC.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Among 100 students, I achieved the highest grade in the Financial Markets and Investments exam, which is an achievement personally acknowledged by the professor. What makes it meaningful is that I come from a consulting professional background, not a Finance one. Yet, I have always been drawn to the financial markets, and this result validated that passion and curiosity can bridge any knowledge gap.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Landing a full-time role at Bain & Company has always been a long-term ambition, driven by the firm’s culture and commitment to real impact. Getting there was a journey of deliberate preparation, involving building my consulting toolkit through my previous professional experiences and developing my leadership and soft skills throughout my MBA at HEC Paris.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose HEC Paris for its combination of exposure to a new market (i.e., France) and its international environment. Having lived in London for almost 10 years, I wanted to explore something different. What positively surprised me, however, was the campus setting itself, being at Jouy-en-Josas rather than central Paris; the “isolation” fostered a level of community and connections that a city-based campus could not replicate.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Georg Wernicke, who teaches Strategic Management. Every answer that I would give was always met with a follow-up that forced me to pressure-test my thinking and defend my reasoning. Overall, I think his classes sparked the most stimulating conversations during my MBA tenure.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was Financial Modeling, largely because it was taught by active private equity professionals. The hands-on nature of building models, combined with their real-world perspective, significantly broadened my analytical and modeling toolkit and will be proved directly relevant to my post-MBA career in consulting.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite tradition was MBAT, the annual tournament that HEC hosts and brings together students from business schools across Europe. Although a knee surgery prevented me from competing, I loved the energy of people competing in all sorts of different sports, as well as meeting different students and hearing their unique experiences on their MBA journeys. As a lifetime sports lover, it was one of the most memorable days of my MBA.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could do one thing differently, although it may sound silly, I would relearn French more seriously during my time at HEC. I actually spoke French 15 years ago, but had lost it over time. Living just outside Paris was the perfect opportunity to relearn it, yet the international network of HEC made it easy to get by without ever really needing to do it.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? The most impactful case study was the HBS Lego Turnaround case. What made it so powerful was the central lesson: sustainable competitive advantage requires a consistent, well-aligned strategy, not just reactive fixes. Lego’s near-collapse came from losing sight of its core and chasing growth in areas where it had no real competitive advantage (i.e., theme parks, accessories). The biggest lesson I took away was that strategy is not a one-time decision, but it must be revisited regularly, and the organization, incentives, and management systems must all align around it. As a consultant, that lesson will stay with me when thinking about my clients’ problems.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? The name “HEC Paris” might suggest you’re living in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Yet, you are actually living at Jouy-en-Josas, which has its own charm that I came to really appreciate. Being located in a quiet suburb, far from the distractions of central Paris, it creates an intimacy that a city campus simply cannot replicate. It allowed me to build stronger relationships with my classmates.

What business leader do you admire most? The business leader I admire most is Peter Thiel. What sets him apart is not just his track record – from co-founding PayPal to making one of the earlier bets on Facebook – but his ability to think in a way most people simply cannot. His book Zero to One inspired me by reflecting that the most valuable things in business, and in life, are built by those willing to ask questions others consider already answered. As someone drawn to strategy and global markets, the discipline to identify what others overlook and act on it deliberately is the quality I most aspire to bring to my own career.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? HEC Paris encouraged the use of AI across its program, most memorably in our Entrepreneurial Finance and VC class, where we were challenged to use AI to test the hypotheses behind our product ideas. Rather than simply validating what we already believed, AI pushed us to pressure-test our assumptions (especially on the customer side). The biggest insight I gained was that (if used “properly”) AI is not just a shortcut but can be a thinking partner that forces you to ask better questions.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is Juan Pablo Camacho (JP). What set JP apart was his energy and genuine desire to help others. He approached every interaction with positivity that was impossible not to notice. Over the course of the MBA, that translated into one of the best friendships I built at HEC.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first is to help navigate a major corporate crisis or turnaround, by being the person when the stakes are highest, and the path forward is least clear. The second is to advise on a large (and possibly landmark) M&A transaction that will reshape an industry.

What made Antonis such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Antonis Lalazisis was an invaluable addition to the HEC Paris MBA Class of 2026 thanks to his determination, intellectual curiosity, and quietly strong presence that positively shapes those around him. Over the course 16 months in the MBA program, he faced significant challenges, including a serious injury requiring surgery and an accelerated academic schedule to accommodate his Bain Summer Associate internship. Rather than stepping back, he leaned in. He showed a level of discipline and accountability that stood out, maintaining excellent academic performance and even achieving top results in Financial Markets and Investments, despite not coming from a finance background. His journey reflects a mindset grounded in growth, adaptability, and genuine commitment to his goals.

What distinguishes Antonis further is the balance he brings between ambition and contribution. With experience across Greece, the UK, and France, he brings a meaningful European perspective, paired with a clear strength in finance that made him a reference point among his peers. As VP of the Finance Club, he created meaningful connections with industry professionals, and as Treasurer of the Greek Association, he supported the HEC community beyond just the MBA program. He approaches each opportunity with intention and energy, and his progression to Bain & Co. reflects both his capabilities and his character. Antonis leaves a lasting impression not only through what he achieves, but through how he engages with the community around him.”

Allison Brown
Associate Director, MBA Academics & Delivery

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.