Emily Hinton, IESE MBA Class of 2021
Age: 26
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): For the last four and a half years I have worked as an engineering consultant, firstly in New Zealand and then in Yangon, Myanmar.
Why business school? Why now?
I have always known that I wanted to do an MBA. I realized very early on in my career that my passion was working with people and solving problems, not sizing pipes. My role in Myanmar was much more focused on people and business development. It became very clear that I wasn’t going to transition back into technical engineering, so this was the perfect time for me to pursue my MBA. I am passionate about environmental sustainability, so partnering my existing technical skills with my newly acquired business acumen from my MBA will aid me on my mission to make environmental sustainability mainstream in business.
Why IESE? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? There are three main factors of why I chose IESE. Firstly, and most importantly, for the people – the support and encouragement I received from the IESE admissions team and alumni was unparalleled and the diversity and caliber of the class is very impressive.
Secondly, my values align very closely with IESE. To me, the ‘fit’ of the business school was a priority. At IESE they focus on ‘doing good’ not just ‘doing well’ and it is a very collaborative atmosphere, not competitive. Lastly, I am excited for the case-based learning methodology that IESE uses which will give me a taste of what my future career may look like. And then there’s the added bonus of living in Barcelona!
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2021? I have worked in two very different countries, both of which are not well-represented in international business. From these experiences, I will bring a unique perspective of how to approach problems and how to work together with a very diverse team.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application?
I love food and travelling – each place I go I try to learn a local dish to add to my repertoire. Looking forward to improving my paella.
Post-MBA career interests?
Short-term, my goal is to pursue management consulting. I look forward to working with a variety of businesses and to learn their drivers. In the long term this will give me the expertise to influence business leaders to become more environmentally conscious.
Advice to current prospective applicants:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Talk to as many people as you can from your prospective schools, both alumni and staff. The more people you talk to the better your understanding of the school is.
–One thing you would change or do differently?
If I could do it again, I would go and visit each of the schools before applying. I only visited the schools once I was admitted and it seriously changed my opinion.
–Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
Although the application process was challenging, I think all of it is worthwhile. It gave me time to reflect on what I have achieved so far and gave me the opportunity to explore what I wanted to do next.
What is your initial impression of IESE’s students/culture/community?
The atmosphere here is electric. The people are friendly and really interested in getting to know everyone so it has been a really social few weeks. The Business Spanish programme has also been a great way to meet students and faculty. I think that having the opportunity and the encouragement to learn another language is a real bonus and speaks volumes about the IESE culture.
One thing you have learned about IESE that has surprised you?
That pretty much all of their staff have attended IESE. It makes a real difference to know that the people you are talking to have been in your position before – it is definitely reassuring.
Thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Fitting everything in! There are so many amazing opportunities and I want to make the most of all of them but I also have to be realistic about balancing study, socializing, and career development while still finding some time for sleep.
Thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Challenging myself and getting to know my fantastic classmates.
