Why did you choose UW-Madison and Nicholas?
I was familiar with the Nicholas program because I did my undergraduate work here at UW-Madison. As an undergraduate, I loved the city and the university. I also had the opportunity to meet with a few MBA students. The projects that they worked on for the Nicholas Center intrigued me. I was impressed when I learned that the projects students worked on were not case studies, but real problems faced by real companies. I am excited to work with executives from big-name companies. I know that working on these projects would give me an advantage upon graduation.
Fernando Miramontes Nicholas 2006 |
Would you recommend Nicholas to other students?
Absolutely! There is no other program like this in the world. Because the Wisconsin MBA is very selective, it is a relatively small program. As a result, the students have a greater access to the school's resources.
In addition, Nicholas is an extraordinary program. The opportunity to work on real issues faced by companies ranging from small biotech startups to Fortune 500 companies as a part of class is invaluable. For example, one of the projects a Nicholas team worked on was recommending a specific acquisition target for Kraft Foods so they could become a more significant player in the frozen foods aisle and analyzing how Ford Motor Company should finance its Brazilian subsidiary taking into account the Brazilian economy and other factors. Where else do you get a chance to work with these corporate giants on meaningful projects? I don't think you get that anywhere. These projects give Nicholas students useful real-world experience before graduation.
The combination of individualized attention and real-world projects makes Nicholas superior to the experience I could get at any other school.
What is your most rewarding experience in the MBA program?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of the MBA program has been the opportunities I have had to meet some very interesting and incredible people with varying backgrounds from all over the world. My classmates are all bright and bring something unique to the mix. They constantly challenge me to do my best. The professors are all outstanding and have great ideas and real-world experience. Even the dean teaches a class!
Tell us a little about your internship experience.
I worked in the New York offices of Spanish group Banco Santander in their Global Corporate & Investment Banking Group. My internship experience was quite unique since I was able to spend a little bit of time working for different groups doing everything from structured trade finance and securitizations to M&A deals and debt capital market transactions. Santander has a strong presence in Latin America and I was also involved in the managing and coordination of the deal flow that comes from this region. I even had the opportunity to structure some ideas and present them to some clients.
More Featured Alumni Interviews |
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| Sheldon Liu (2006) | Rachel Nielsen (2006) | ||