Meet Cambridge Judge’s MBA Class of 2017

karl-schwonik-cambridge-poetsandquants-classof2017

Karl Schwonik

Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I am an international performing artist, educator, cultural policy researcher, composer, arts administrator and arts advocate.

Hometown: A farm close to Gwynne, Alberta, Canada

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a certified 8 years and under hockey coach

Undergraduate School and Major:

University of Toronto, Masters of Music

McGill University, Bachelors of Music

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

President / Artistic Director, Wetaskiwin Jazz Society

International performing musician and educator

Non-executive Director, Alberta Foundation for the Arts

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a performer, I have been fortunate to have many highlights and great experiences. I have played the stages of Carnegie Hall, The John F. Kennedy Centre and many major jazz festivals around the world. More importantly, the work that my non-profit has undertaken has reached nearly 20,000 young students in rural Canada to date.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Having a good idea of why you apply to a program and your career trajectory is important. Many applicants are merely looking for a leg up in their career, but for more selective schools (such as CJBS) being more specific can be helpful.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Judge has many qualities which make it stand out amongst the thicket of graduate business options throughout the world. I was looking for a top university where the academics were sufficiently rigorous. In addition, the concentrations on the Cambridge MBA were a draw: their Culture, Arts and Management concentration is unique and is a nice compliment to my background.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? In undertaking the MBA, I am keeping my mind open to any and all new endeavours that may present themselves through this new network of colleagues, faculty and staff. I have a great interest, and background, in the arts, public policy and education. I look to build on this and look for corresponding opportunities that might come about in the next year.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That I hopefully inspired my colleagues to think about the arts (and people with arts backgrounds) as an integral aspect and function of business, government and every-day life. The arts are inspiring and hold great benefits for society as a whole. It is sometimes easy to overlook, but the benefits are exponential in all walks of life.

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