Meet Cambridge Judge’s MBA Class of 2017

andres-preito-cambridge-poetsandquants-classof2017

Andres Prieto

Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am Swiss-Colombian, lived in 4 different countries, formerly in banking and now I am a full time student

Hometown:  Zurich, Switzerland

Fun Fact About Yourself: I launched my own gin company.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Toronto – B.A in Economics and Political Science

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Johnson & Johnson, The Dow Chemical Company

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I quit my job in banking three months before starting the MBA. I wanted to do something entrepreneurial so I decided to use these three months to bring a product to market. Having a previous affinity towards gin, I set myself the goal to launch my own brand.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  

GMAT: Getting started is the hardest part if you don’t have discipline. If you can, start the GMAT as early as possible. I started early and made a study schedule and stuck to it. I was able to balance long hours at work with getting my target GMAT score. I personally used and liked Magoosh, as I really liked the detailed explanations for each practice question.

ESSAYS: Take the time to reflect on your goals, interests and accomplishments and build a good story around it. Everyone has a unique story, so take the time to think how you will pitch yourself as the essays are the time where you need to make a strong impression among the admissions officers. Be sure to be genuine and true in your story as admissions officers can easily spot this otherwise .

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? The school is integrated with the broader university. This translates into an amazing network and resources available that go beyond what a solely business institution could offer. There are also strong entrepreneurial and management consulting ties, and it is one of the top 10 ranked business school worldwide.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? By nature, I am a very curious person and I have a broad array of interests. I would like to go follow either an entrepreneurial path or work at a top management consultancy. I believe the skills one can learn as an entrepreneur or as a management consultant go hand-in-hand. Such experiences will allow me to accelerate my professional development and prepare me to succeed in uncertainty.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program?   More than saying I was a good drinking buddy, it would be great if at the end of the program I can say one or more of my peers learned something or got inspired from something that I did or said.

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