Monica Vargas Rojas

Warwick Business School

“A human being, passionate for impacting the world with a curious mindset.”

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Fun Fact About Yourself: If you see a woman making funny sounds while petting a stranger’s dog on the street, it’s me! I am a pet lover!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of San Martin of Porres, Major in Finance and Banking

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Banco Sabadell, Vice-President, Credit Risk Manager – Peru and Chile

What word best describes your classmates and give an example of why? Supportive is the best word that describes my classmates. We are 116 people from around 38 countries who are constantly helping and encouraging each other during this challenging but amazing WBS Full-time MBA journey.

A good example of this supportive team work is when, as co-president of the Women in Business Club, I invited the Marketing Club to do a joint event for International Women’s Day. Since the idea was launched, both Clubs are working in a collaborative way to share marketing skills and motivational experiences for women in business.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Warwick Business School’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? An important factor that boosted my decision to choose Warwick Business School’s Full-time MBA is its well-known entrepreneurial specialization. During my research talking with different alumni and comparing the curriculum with other universities, the good reviews about the entrepreneurial electives and the opportunity to do an entrepreneurial project dissertation moved me to choose WBS.

The entrepreneurship specialization is important to me because my long-term goal is to run my own Fintech company. Having worked in banking during the last 11 years, I have come to realise that many Latin Americans lack knowledge of personal finance. I would like to contribute with my company to reduce this knowledge gap.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Warwick Business School? I enjoy being the Co-president of the WBS MBA Women in Business Club. Having worked in a male-dominated industry such as finance, I have experienced different challenging situations related to gender bias. As a result, I am really committed and motivated to contribute towards changing this perspective of women in business. I also enjoy working with a committed team of seven members from the Full-time MBA who share this passion to empower women.

After a long reflection on how to guide the club, we decided to include a man as part of the team as the Diversity & Inclusion Vice-President. With this organisation structure, we want to contribute to women and men understanding their respective perspectives, changing their mindsets, and helping each other reduce gender bias.

What has been your best memory at the Warwick Business School so far? Why? My best memory was winning runner-up of the MBA Group Strategy Challenge as part of the Strategic Thinking module. This challenge demanded a lot from all of my syndicate group. While doing the research, analysis, strategic planning, and recommendations for the case, we struggled with episodes of tension and frustration because all of us wanted to have a good outcome. Nonetheless, the whole effort of the team was valued because in the end we were recognised by our teachers.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As Risk Manager of Sabadell Bank’s new Peruvian branch, I created a risk department from scratch. To do so, I leveraged contacts from my professional network who had passed through similar experiences. I also led work meetings to receive feedback from multinational Sabadell departments, which would work with my area. Furthermore, I hired personnel and validated guidebooks and policies with stakeholders. I succeeded in complying with all local regulations, ensuring the department’s continuing operation. Consequently, I lead a formal Risk Department, a global team, which evaluates around 50 proposals annually worth USD 1.2 Billion.

Through this experience, I learned about the power of strategic and creative thinking. I also boosted my decision-making capacity under challenging situations, strengthened my problem-solving and leadership skills, and empowered myself.

What do you hope to do after graduation? Leveraging the skills and networking developed during my MBA, I envision working in the Fintech, Crypto, Blockchain or Technology industries as my short-term career goal. My target market would be initially the UK because it is the country with the second most Fintechs globally and innovative sector advancements. My goal is to gain practical knowledge and develop skills to run my own Fintech in the long-term. I firmly believe the WBS MBA will be a steppingstone to achieving my career goals and positioning myself as an entrepreneur who creates social impact.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Warwick Business School’s MBA program? “Be authentic” is my advice to the potential applicants for WBS MBA. This way, you can expose your best strengths and recognise the weakness that you are working on. Also, you will be consistent in all parts of the application process (essays, interviews, CV, among others) allowing the Admissions team to get to know you in-depth and your reasons for pursuing the MBA and your goals after graduating. Being authentic will contribute to a successful application.

DON’T MISS: MEET WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MBA CLASS OF 2022