Aileen Brown

University of Oxford, Saïd Business School

“I have over 6 years of experience working in economic research, investor relations, and finance in both government and the private sector.”

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Fun Fact About Yourself: Ran the Chicago, NY and Mexico City marathons.

Undergraduate School:  Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Mexican Ministry of Finance, Director of Macroeconomic Research. All the knowledge I have gained has been through promoting a strong presence of Mexico in the international markets and improving the transparency and communication of financial and economic information.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My office played a key role in investor relations management during the oil price decline in 2014 and the Mexican peso depreciation in 2016. This challenging position required close interaction with foreign and domestic investors, creditors, analysts, rating agencies, and international institutions (IMF, OECD). As the first female Director in the Research Department, I coordinated strategic interventions to guide and promote women’s leadership and empowerment that resulted in a sharp increase of women in management positions.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Saïd MBA is very good at choosing purposeful and collaborative leaders who want to transform the world to make a difference.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? My professional experience made me aware of the importance of developing economically feasible financial solutions with real-world applications. I strongly believed Saïd’s MBA programme’s combination of management, leadership, analytical skills, and focus on finance and tech would provide a valuable education for my future. Now, I can say that Saïd has improved my core skills and leadership to become a business leader that is able to shape the conversation with a great understanding of the ‘global rules of the game’, as one of the subjects is called.

What is the most “Oxford” thing you have done so far as a full-time MBA student? I am honored to have won two competitions representing Saïd Business School. First, after being selected from hundreds of applicants, my team and I won Houlihan Lokey’s Challenge in Debt Restructuring Negotiation against other top business schools. Second, with the invaluable collaboration of my teammate Ajay Gupta, we took the champions title home again at Amplify’s Trading Floor Simulation against Cambridge Judge Business School.

I also believe that the combination of the MBA experience with the college system is what makes Oxford unique. There are so many great opportunities to explore one of the greatest universities in the world. My favorite memories include running the Oxford Half Marathon, the chance to be part of the Oxford Union parliamentary-style debates, getting involved in my college (Lady Margaret Hall), and exploring all the different colleges with my friends. Oxford allows you to find yourself in incredible and challenging conversations with people from very different backgrounds, countries, and interests.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? Honestly, I loved this part of the process, because it invites a profound self-reflection on your past choices, the inflection points in your life, and the goals you want to set yourself and what you want to pursue in your life. My best advice is to truly take advantage of this opportunity.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Running a marathon proved an extraordinary challenge and a test of my grit. I have run three international marathons, and I expect to run the London Marathon next year. I have found that all a marathoner needs is passion, strong work ethic, persistence, and determination, which is also my philosophy in other aspects of my life. Once I found the right motivation, then followed with discipline, and continued to challenge myself, every goal was within reach. I learned to break large endeavours into small steps, and how to keep on going even in adverse situations.

Life is unexpected and no one can control everything (such as the weather or other surprises during the race), but that doesn’t mean I could leave my dreams to chance: I trained hard, preparing for race day and did my best to account for the factors under my control. As a marathoner, I understand that circumstances are less important than how I respond to the situation. That is, to run a marathon is to face adversity, solve problems, learn to adapt and overcome obstacles. By the end, the runner who crosses the finish line achieved what at first seemed impossible, in the same way that change often seems unattainable at first. This sense of commitment to positive change is precisely what I bring to all my projects.

Where do you see yourself doing ten years from now? I would like to continue to lead change through the promotion of economic empowerment, financial inclusion, and women’s leadership.