Daniel Serpa

The Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

“Hard-working, purpose-driven leader bringing my best to every challenge — whether mastering finance or playing guitar.”

Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia

Fun fact about yourself: Beyond the MBA classroom, I’ve maintained a side job as a professional guitar instructor, sharing my passion for music with others.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with Minors in Music and Business Law – Universidad de los Andes; Bogotá, Colombia.

Professional Certificate in General Music Studies – Berklee College of Music; Boston, MA

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) – Investment Analyst; Bogotá, Colombia

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? See3D, a non-profit startup dedicated to creating 3D models for blind people – Finance and Analytics Manager Intern; Columbus, OH

Where will you be working after graduation? While I don’t have a concrete answer to this question yet, I am pursuing high-impact roles in Corporate Finance and Strategy where I can apply my analytical expertise as a Finance or Investment Associate within the tech industry. Stay tuned!

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Fisher MBA Leadership Fellow Award Recipient
• Full-Time MBA Student Council – Vice President of Academic Excellence
• Fisher International Graduate Student Association – Treasurer
• Fisher Latino Graduate Association – Vice President
• Graduate Assistant – Graduate Programs Office
• Teaching Assistant – Business Lab Challenge

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of my work on the MBA Student Council, specifically leading the growth of our MBA Mentorship Program. This year, we achieved record-breaking participation with 28 mentors and 32 mentees

This year the program focused on strategically connecting incoming MBA students with second-year peers who shared their specific professional interests and personal passions. Navigating the rigors of an MBA can be daunting, and seeing these connections provide a roadmap for the next generation of Fisher leaders was incredibly rewarding.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Prior to my MBA, I spent two years at the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) structuring a landmark Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the rehabilitation of the Pan-American Highway in Panama. My proudest achievement was successfully navigating the financial complexities of this pioneering infrastructure project—the first of its kind in the country’s history.

I worked with a team of brilliant people that helped bring this project to completion in record time. Even more rewarding was knowing that this project would help improve the quality of life and road infrastructure network for the people of Panama, and that I was able to contribute with my financial skills to its success.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Fisher for the connection that only a close-knit community can provide. In our small cohort, not only do I know every classmate by name and last name but I also know their backgrounds, goals, and stories. This environment has afforded me a deeply personalized MBA experience where faculty and staff are available to help and stay invested in my progress. Fisher feels like a community where your network of peers authentically looks out for each other and where my impact leaves a big mark in the business school.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Roger Bailey, our Economics and Market Research professor, is one of the most impactful professors I’ve had. His ability to explain challenging topics with ease and enthusiasm is unmatched and his infectious energy sets him apart. He brings a level of passion to the classroom that makes even the most challenging quantitative topics feel accessible and exciting. Beyond the curriculum, Dr. Bailey embodies the Fisher spirit of community. Whether we were discussing pricing strategies or he was giving me pointers on how to coach our MBA intramural soccer team, his door was always open.

I also want to recognize several other faculty members who made my MBA experience invaluable through their dedication and expertise: Drs. Telesilla Kotsi, Mi Kyong Newsom, Lori Kendall, Xue Wang, Lu Zhang, and Elena Plaksenkova, along with Professors Jon Quinn, George Pinteris, and Andrew Piletz. Collectively, they represent the high caliber of academic excellence and personal investment that defines Fisher.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course as an MBA was Business Lab Challenge, the capstone course of our first-year experience. It transformed the classroom into a consulting firm, tasking my team with a semester-long engagement for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, a premier Columbus-based hospitality group with a national footprint.

We worked on developing a strategic framework to guide their catering business expansion. This was a challenging project that balanced strategy, finance, and operations. The highlight was presenting our data-driven recommendations directly to their executive leadership. This course was invaluable because it bridged the gap between academic theory and real-life strategic decision-making, reinforcing my passion for solving complex problems alongside a team of my closest peers.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA tradition was the yearly Thanksgiving potluck dinner that was hosted by Fisher and supported by us at the MBA Council. In addition to traditional Thanksgiving food, everyone was encouraged to bring food from their own cultures, so we always had a great variety of food from all over the world. It was an event that fostered a great sense of community and brought everyone together within the program.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back at the last two years, the only thing that I would do differently was to participate in the Global Business Expedition program in my first year. A few of my peers who took the Market Research course with me had the opportunity to go to Ireland to work on a consulting engagement during spring break. It was an optional program and seeing my peers return from their consulting engagement in Dublin made me realize I missed a vital opportunity for global immersion.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? Speaking of global immersion, the most impactful case study I had during the MBA program came in my last semester as part of my Global Applied Projects course. Here, I spent my last semester working as part of a team in a consulting project with a company from Germany. It was a challenging case that tested my knowledge of strategy, operations, and finance, in a new industry and a new culture. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and led me to grow and improve my skills. The best part was getting to travel to Germany for a week in the middle of the semester and explore the local culture!

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I love that Columbus is a fun, vibrant city with lots of activities to do and places to go. Whether it’s going out for dinner at one of the many great restaurants in the Short North, going to a sporting event, music concert, or exploring the city and its many festivals, there is always something going on around the city for everyone to enjoy.

What business leader do you admire most? I’ve always admired my dad as a business leader. He ran a small business in Colombia for close to 30 years and retired this year. Watching him manage the daily challenges of a business was my first real education in leadership. He showed me the value of working hard, doing your best and supporting others to be successful, which remains the standard I aim for in my own career.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Fisher has proactively integrated AI into our curriculum and focusing on practical application. This is most evident in our coursework, where we are trained on prompt engineering to optimize our AI use, and in specialized AI and Machine Learning courses that explain and demystify AI in business.

The most profound insight I’ve gained is that AI is not just a tool for efficiency, it can serve as a powerful learning companion. I’ve utilized AI as a personalized tutor to break down complex class topics or theories that I initially found challenging. This showed me the value of AI for self-driven learning, which allows me to learn topics faster, explore concepts in greater depth, and bridge knowledge gaps in real-time.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Lauren Springer – Lauren has been an invaluable friend during the program, and a lot of our conversations have helped me grow personally and professionally. She is also one of the brightest and well-rounded professionals I’ve come across. I admire how she’s always willing to help others and how determined she is with her goals. I’m sure she is going to be a great leader soon!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1) My long-term vision is to return to Colombia and create a business that combines my finance expertise with my passion for music. Ideally, I want to build a music education venture that creates economic opportunities and provides a creative outlet for local youth. That would be my way to give back to the community that shaped me.

2) A top priority on my bucket list is to serve as a formal mentor and coach, helping others achieve their goals and realize their full potential. I am driven by the belief that a leader’s legacy is measured by the success of those they empower.

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

“Daniel brings a rare combination of intellectual rigor, creative problem solving, and genuine warmth that consistently elevates the Fisher classroom and community. He is a phenomenal student – sharp, thoughtful, and deeply engaged – yet he never lets intellect crowd out humanity. Daniel listens to diverse viewpoints, elevates quieter voices, and makes complex discussions accessible without diluting their rigor. That blend of analytical excellence and relational intelligence is rare, and Daniel possesses it in spades. Daniel models Fisher’s values of leading with integrity, practicing empathy, and embracing diverse perspectives.

After his exceptional performance in Business Lab Challenge, Daniel served as a peer coach for first‑year teams, guiding them through framework application and presentation preparation so they could deliver clear, client‑ready recommendations. Daniel has repeatedly stepped into leadership roles across student organizations and initiatives and has delivered results marked by thoughtful innovation, clear ownership, and inclusive intent. He volunteers for roles that require both strategic thinking and hands‑on follow‑through, then turns those commitments into tangible improvements in peer mentorship, academic support, and programming that broadens access and belonging. Peers consistently point to Daniel as a trusted connector and exemplar of Fisher’s values.

Dr. Jon Quinn captured Daniel’s impact succinctly, noting, “Daniel is the embodiment of what the best of Fisher represents; whether in the classroom, case competitions, or Fisher events, he demonstrates passion, engagement, and the principles we hold as core tenets.”

Daniel brings intellect, heart, and steady leadership to everything he does, and in doing so strengthens the culture and cohesion of our MBA community. For these reasons, Daniel is one of Fisher’s MBA Class of 2026 Best & Brightest.”

Leanda Rix
Managing Director
Full-Time MBA Program

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