Meet the Babson Olin MBA Class of 2018

Ali Eldessouky

Babson Collegem  F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Out of the box thinker with a passion for connecting with people.

Hometown:

Rochester Hills, Michigan (grew up there)

Cairo, Egypt (born there and lived there until I was 6)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I sometimes dance to random jams in my head—no music necessary. I am usually alone when this happens.

Undergraduate School and Major: Michigan State University, Supply Chain Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

TransMedics, Inc.

Customer Supply Chain Manager (10/2013 – 8/2016)

The Dow Chemical Company

Supply Chain Improvement Specialist (7/2012 – 9/2013)

Supply Chain Internal Improvement- Internal Consultant (7/2011 – 7/2012)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far is taking an idea to market. During my undergraduate studies I filed a patent application for a floor sweeper with a pivoting joint that facilitates cleaning under furniture. After taking a leave of absence during my junior year to develop this idea and countering three office rejections, I was not able to obtain the patent. I had started production and reached market but could not compete with players such as Procter & Gamble and Bissell without the protection of a patent.

Although I had nothing to my name but a 1,000 floor sweepers in a storage facility, this experience is my greatest accomplishment because it led me to the path I am on now. I currently hold a US utility patent for a hand tool innovation and have four patents pending. I plan to one day have the industry knowledge and network to bring world changing innovations to market.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? Start early and execute! Know your end goal, determine which schools will best equip you for achieving those goals, understand what you need to do to get into those schools (GMAT score, networking, recommendations, etc.), and make it happen.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Babson’s curriculum, teaching style, and culture align with my aspirations of becoming a successful entrepreneur. After comparing them to many other top ranked MBA programs I found that their unique focus on entrepreneurship would provide me with the best education for my goals.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? My dream job is to stimulate the economy and promote education by launching and operating a product innovation firm that involves children in innovation at an early age.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? He played a positive role in my Babson experience.