Steeve Tcatchuing Ntetmen, Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2019
Age: 26 Years old
Hometown: Douala, Cameroon
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Coventry University, B.Eng Civil engineering
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): Retail banking, 4 years
Why business school? Why now?
I have a deep desire to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) grow and contribute to the development of Cameroon. This desire has been fuelled by my experience of working with SMEs in Cameroon. I believe that with proper financing and advisory services, SMEs can contribute significantly to the development of Cameroon.
My long-term goal is to start a financial services firm to help SMEs grow and I believe that business school allows me to acquire additional skills and the network to start the firm I envision.
Why Judge? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I decided to join Judge business school mainly for two reasons:
I knew that being a member of the collaborative community at Judge business school would give me the opportunity to bond with fellow students and build a network of global business leaders. I also knew that I could rely on the college experience to expand this network outside of my classroom.
The second aspect of Judge I was really interested in was the opportunity to bridge classroom knowledge with real world experience as part of the Cambridge Venture Project, the Global consulting Project, or the summer internship.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2020?
I think that my most valuable contribution to the class is my knowledge and experience of working in Cameroon. I am always happy to share insightful details on business in Africa.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I visited inner Mongolia with friends and tried out dressing like a Mongolian soldier. As not a lot of locals had seen a foreigner dressed like that before, they all wanted to take a picture with me. I felt very popular!
Post-MBA career interests?
After my MBA, my goal is to work for a major bank in Africa as a portfolio manager for commercial banking.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Focus on every aspect of my application (CV, essays, interview, GMAT).
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I would have performed a face-to-face interview instead of a skype interview.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
If I could I would have skipped the GMAT test. Preparation and work helped me get through it.
What is your initial impression of Judge’s students/culture/community?
Teamwork and collaboration is a reality at Judge. My classmates are very supportive in every aspect, it ranges from helping with finding a bike to giving advice on job search.
—One thing you have learned about Judge that has surprised you?
What has surprised me is how interactive the lectures are, and how open to discussions the lecturers are.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I was very anxious to sit in class and listen for three hours without having the chance to speak a word, fortunately all classes are very interactive.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
The projects I will work on as part of my study group.
