2018’s incoming class of MBAs have a wealth of entrepreneurial experience and business skills between them. But, there’s more than meets the eye with this year’s standout candidates.
From a MasterChef contestant to an international twist dance champion, an avid trekker to an aspiring wildlife photographer—our list has it all.
So, just who are the next generation of business leaders destined for the c-suite, entrepreneurial adventures, and all-round business success?
We’ve rounded up 2018's MBA students to look out for:
1. Hans Stauch, Smurfit Graduate Business School
A recent addition to the MBA course at Smurfit, South African Hans Stauch has experience running a top modelling agency in Australia. He’s even represented models such as Gigi Hadid.
“I’m pursuing the MBA so I can focus on further developing my leadership and management skills, to build up my international network, and to transfer my career progression into a new industry,” says Hans, whose post-MBA goal is to work in consulting.
And, if he wasn’t doing an MBA?
You’d find the former manager of IMG Models “driving around the Maasai Mara and Serengeti in a Land Rover, head to toe in khaki clothing, taking pictures of wildlife.”
2. Dr Faheem Ahmed, London Business School
Dr Faheem Ahmed is an NHS doctor now studying for an MBA at London Business School. His entrepreneurial talents have been on show from a young age—aged 13, he would sell pick & mix from his classroom locker.
He says his main motivator has always been to address the inequalities we face as a society. He is hoping the London Business School MBA helps deliver on that front, transforming him into a successful healthcare leader able to make services more sustainable and fit for the people he serves.
“As the one of the only Londoners in my year, I am very fortunate to have so many countries of the world represented in my course, bringing fresh ideas and perspectives for me to benefit from.”
“I hope that the MBA will teach me how to effectively design, fund, and manage processes that create the greatest social impact,” he says, “and to lead a high-quality and affordable healthcare system for disadvantaged populations.
3. Radhika Bahl, University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business (USC)
Radhika hails from India, and was a consultant for Deloitte Consulting in Bengaluru for three years until she decided to take the plunge and pursue the MBA at USC.
Heading for Los Angeles, Radhika aims to improve her leadership skills and grow her business network and skillset.
Aside from her career, Radhika has engaged in numerous volunteering projects for organizations including Oxfam India. She was also a life coach for ten months, mentoring children from shelter homes in slum areas of India.
4. Safa Ismaeil, European School of Management and Technology (ESMT), Berlin
Egyptian by birth, Safa recently worked in Cairo’s Ministry of Health and Population. Now, she’s studying for an MBA in Berlin with ESMT.
Her favorite aspect of the program?
“I love the diversity of my class. On my...
But, business skills aren’t the only thing Safa has learnt through the MBA: “I actually learnt to ride a bike on the ESMT grounds. I’m definitely ‘going places’ in more ways than one!” she laughs.
5. Sergio Navarro, Oxford Saïd Business School
As a future practicing surgeon, Sergio Navarro believes the MBA from Oxford Saïd augments his experience in medicine and engineering.
“For physicians, management and business leadership may be just as important as medical and surgical knowledge. I hope to become a leader in my field, by both being an entrepreneur and engineer."
And he has some advice for business school applicants: “Be true to yourself. Create a purpose that represents and stands for who you are. That story will help your application stand out and stick in the minds of individuals.”
In his spare time, Sergio loves a good hike. He’s hiked in six of the world’s seven continents. He plans on reaching lucky number seven one day.
6. Andrew Lawson, Australian Graduate School of Management at The University of New South Wales (AGSM)
“What’s the cliché? It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. As contrived as it sounds my MBA experience so far has been about expanding my learning and capability, reframing my mindset, and developing new skills," says Andrew.
Andrew entered the MBA at AGSM this year and comes with a background in advertising and marketing—he aims to further develop his skills as an executive coach.
He currently works as a consultant for a public broadcasting radio, online, and television network but, on the side he’s turned one of his hobbies into a profitable business—his own sock business, Piccolos & Pedals.
7. Valerie Turner, American University: Kogod School of Business
As well as studying for an MBA at Kogod, Valerie is also an intern at Human Rights First, responsible for researching and documenting human rights violations on an international scale.
As a young student on the program, Valerie says the cohort structure at Kogod helped her to “build a family away from home; we eat together, we study together, we support each other.”
She says her future goal is to “use the business and management skills learnt throughout the MBA, as well as my heightened finance and accounting knowledge, to focus on education development in areas of conflict.”
8. Farhana Bharos, Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
Farhana is a psychologist currently working in the Netherlands; she’s always one for a new challenge though, which is why she’s enrolled on the MBA at Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
Last year, Farhana worked as a psychologist for undocumented immigrants and for the homeless, also in the Netherlands. With her MBA in International Healthcare Management, Farhana hopes to grow her international network while still retaining her passion for healthcare.
9. Stacey King, Berkeley Haas
Studying for an MBA at Berkeley Haas, Stacey wants to make the fabled MBA career triple jump—moving from manufacturing to a more strategic role where she can implement her creative ideas.
Her favorite class, she says, is Leadership Communication. “It intentionally encourages you to be vulnerable, and I have already noticed how much more comfortable I am speaking in front of others, networking and building authentic relationships.”
Post-MBA, Stacey is interested in a role within sustainable tourism, and hopes that the MBA will equip her with the skills and network necessary to make that career change.
For the upcoming year, she will be co-chair of the Haas Language Exchange, pairing multilingual students with other students who want to learn a language. “It’s been a great way to meet others and improve my Spanish!” Stacey says.
10. Audrey Voorhees, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
After four years working within the AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, Audrey is now studying for an MBA at Georgetown McDonough.
“I equally enjoy three key components of the MBA: the skill and approachability of professors, the diverse backgrounds of my classmates, and the exposure and experience I find in student organizations,” she says.
With a long-term plan of becoming a nonprofit CEO or startup founder, she is building a network of students, faculty, and alumni in a variety of companies and, specifically, contacts working on social change.
If Audrey can’t be found deep diving into her MBA books, you can find her on the dance floor! She is an international twist dance champion with a passion for social dances including swing, blues, and salsa.
11. Harsh Jha, W.P. Carey School of Business
Harsh worked for five years as a senior engineer and project manager for India’s largest manufacturing organization before his MBA.
He hopes to gain a wider global perspective on the MBA course at W.P. Carey, aiming to develop his supply chain expertise.
12. Michael Mudau, INSEAD
Working in the telecommunications industry across three continents in over 20 countries, Michael chose to pursue an MBA at INSEAD to plant him at the intersection of business and technology.
His favorite part of the MBA?
“The fun to be had while mastering complex topics—from building playgrounds for terminally ill children, to designing cocktails, to validating the competitive advantage of a Brazilian juice maker.”
Michael adds that, through the international environment of the INSEAD MBA, he hopes to develop and manage sustainable African enterprises post-graduation.
In his spare time, the ambitious student says he loves reading the Bible, and he even volunteered for a year at a church in Cape Town after his undergraduate degree. “I love being part of a multicultural community in post-apartheid South Africa,” he says.
13. Chibesa Swere, University of Bath School of Management
Chibesa says she chose to study for her MBA at the Bath School of Management because of its world class reputation.
The multi-project suite was also a game changer. “Gaining hands on experience across five different projects over the course of the year instead of one final dissertation is something that attracted me to Bath,” she says.
Away from business and banking, Chibesa is an avid cook—she even made it to the live shows of MasterChef. “It really is a lot harder than how it looks on telly!” She quips.
14. Josefina Pelaez, SDA Bocconi School of Management
Josefina, who was born in Argentina, has built up international experience working in the US, Holland, and Panama. She now lives in Italy, studying for the MBA at SDA Bocconi.
Having worked as a financial consultant at EY, Josefina saw the MBA as “a great platform to acquire skills in problem solving, innovation, strategic thinking, leadership, and team building.”
She says her favorite aspect of the course is the exclusive network and events on offer. After just a few weeks on the course, Josefina says she has already listened to accomplished executives like former Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, and Ermenegildo Zegna, CEO of the luxury fashion house of the same name. She’s also attended presentations by top companies GSK, BCG, and Amazon.
And Josefina isn’t going it alone—her boyfriend is also on the MBA journey with her. "We are the only couple at Bocconi, and I would like to encourage more partners to do it. Being able to share the experience right from the application process has been really fun and exciting for us!”
15. Adam Olivastri, NEOMA Business School
Before embarking on the MBA journey at NEOMA, Adam worked in the sport and services industry for over five years.
He is also an MBA student consultant for the Canadian Olympic Committee, as well as regularly volunteering for Make-A-Wish Canada.
16. Eddie Liu, Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School (CUHK)
Eddie was awarded a scholarship to CUHK for his entrepreneurial experience, and he is combining his MBA study while interning at Google as a mobile solution consultant.
He loves the C-Suite and Entrepreneurial class the most, meeting all kinds of business challenges and having to make rapid decisions which make a real impact.
His advice for applicants is to talk to as many alumni as possible and check the class size. “Bigger classes mean more recruiters, smaller groups mean more individual networking is necessary,” he says.
17. Paul Marshall, Aston Business School
Paul has spent 11 years as an education recruiter and is currently a regional branch manager for Tradewind Recruitment—nominated for office of the year in July 2018.
He has launched himself into the MBA program at Aston Business School hoping to broaden his horizons and strengthen his business skillset, allowing him more exciting career opportunities in the future.
18. Jensen Ren, HEC Paris
Three years as a brand manager for the Coca-Cola Company, internships with Danone and Unilever, and a placement with the Kraft Heinz Company in Shanghai, China; Jensen Ren has done it all.
Now, his sights are set on the MBA at HEC Paris. He is hoping to strengthen his network and build new connections with students from across the globe.
19. Vivian Ephraim, Lancaster University Management School
Vivian is a recent addition to the Lancaster MBA course, and she’s specializing in corporate strategy and M&A. Before Lancaster, Vivian studied at the University of Ghana for four years, and later spent a year at Harvard Business School to complete a short course in management communication.
The leap from Ghana to Lancaster was worthwhile for Vivian, and she’s choosing an MBA as a way to develop her international career prospects and strengthen her CV.
Having worked in corporate banking and business development, Vivian is keen to solidify her financial skills and grow her business acumen.
20. Matteo Guerrini, MIP Politecnico di Milano
The MBA at MIP is a new adventure for Matteo, and he’s arriving in Milan with a stellar background.
He’s previously been a global digital marketing manager at world-renowned fashion house, Moschino, and has also worked with iconic brands such as Disaronno, Tia Maria, and Hyundai.
Matteo also worked as a digital marketing coach earlier this year, helping people to face digital challenges in a rapidly-revolutionizing world; he’s now more than ready to face a few challenges of his own on the MBA at MIP.
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