Meet The Berkeley Haas MBA Class of 2018

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De Clercq Wentzel

Haas School of Business, University of California-Berkeley

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Innovator, achiever, reliable friend, loving father and husband, humble scholar, technophile and aspiring entrepreneur.

Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am an avid mountain biker.

Undergraduate School and Major: B.Sc. Economics and Statistics at North-West University, South Africa; Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, UK

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Head of Client Capital Management, Barclays Africa; Market Risk Analyst, Barclays Africa; Data Modelling and Mining Consultant, Barclays Africa; Actuarial Technician, GE Frankona RE

Describe the biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Being promoted to Head of Client CapitaI Management in the trading business of Barclays Africa has been a highlight. Through teamwork we managed to create a new trading desk on the floor that ultimately became Client Capital Management.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? As passed on to me by MBA alumni, start early enough so you can execute each of the sections to the best of your ability. Writing the essays takes time, so don’t underestimate them. Furthermore, try and submit your application(s) during the first round.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I spoke to the alumni of a number of schools and noticed that the Haas program was uniquely placed to help me pivot into technology and entrepreneurship. After further investigation I realized that I would really flourish at Haas due to the diversity in the program and the Haas Defining Principles: Beyond Yourself, Students Always, Confidence Without Attitude, and Question the Status Quo.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life. My dream job would be one where I work alongside people passionate about solving humanity’s challenges through the use of technology. I am especially interested in the applications of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and biomedical engineering.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like them to say that I lived the Haas values and in doing so enriched their experience at Haas. Lastly I would like them to say we had fun.

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