Eihorere Wesigye, INSEAD MBA Class of 2019 J
Age: 28
Hometown: Kabale, Uganda
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of the Witwatersrand (Financial Accounting; Management Accounting and Finance)
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Approximately 6.5 years (three years banking, 3.5 years investment management)
Why business school? Why now? My decision to pursue business school was primarily driven by a desire to entrench my existing skillset, develop global awareness all whilst learning with and from a cohort of diverse individuals from vastly different backgrounds and experiences. After over 6.5 years in the financial services industry, I felt the timing was right as I had obtained a decent amount of work experience to hopefully add value to my classmates’ experience.
Why INSEAD? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? I chose INSEAD as the schools ethos and values resonated strongly with what I was seeking from my business school experience. As one of the most diverse business schools globally, renowned for its academic rigor and strong alumni network, the decision to apply to INSEAD was easy after a degree of personal introspection and speaking to a few alumni from the school.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2019 J? Having worked on financing infrastructure and private debt opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa, I hope to bring greater awareness about the opportunities and challenges presented by investing in and working with African businesses.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I was a contributor to the book “50 People Who Messed up the World,” written by Alexander Parker and Tim Richman. The book provides an interesting read through history from a humor-driven perspective.
Post-MBA career interests? 
Post-MBA, my primary interests will be to leverage my prior experience within the Africa investment space whilst continuing to develop global awareness (whether within a finance or advisory capacity). However, given the academic year has only begun, I intend to use every opportunity available whilst at INSEAD to explore areas I lack experience in and to learn about different career paths.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Choose my recommenders wisely, and take my time preparing my essays.
–One thing you would change or do differently? Set aside more time to prepare properly for the GMAT.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? The GMAT. I was able to get through it as I knew it was critical as part of the application process and so I made the necessary effort.
What is your initial impression of INSEAD’s students/culture/community? Extremely diverse. From the student body, to the faculty and staff, the learning and social environment at INSEAD is unique, even within the context of international business schools.
One thing you have learned about INSEAD that has surprised you? The schools push towards developing more awareness of the role of business in society. Throughout the orientation period, we were constantly reminded of the role of “business as a force for good”. This was very well captured in our Personal Leadership Development Programme kickoff, a community project undertake in the local community and integrated into our welcome address.
Thing you are most anxious about in your year? Not having enough time to truly capture every possible experience! For most of us, the MBA experience is unique in that it is the first time that we truly embrace learning in an environment away from our comfort zones for an extended period of time since undergraduate university studies. The magic (and sometimes the madness) of this experience can be empowering but naturally is not replicable once we leave business school.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year? Working with, learning from, and interacting with individuals from such diverse backgrounds and building lifelong friendships.
