Simon Sadolin, Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2022
Age: 32
Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Undergraduate Institution and Major: University of Copenhagen, MSc and BSc in Political Science
Pre-MBA Work Experience: 5 years, Management Consulting.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
The reason I decided to attend business school was because I wanted to pivot and accelerate my career. For the past 4 years I have worked as consultant and manager in a global consulting company, helping governments and companies with digital strategy and transformation. However, over the past couple of years I realized that I wanted to grow and scale my impact and that a top MBA with great people and environment could enable me to do so.
Why did you choose Cambridge Judge? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I chose the Cambridge MBA for a number of reasons. The program has brilliant people from all over the world and strong diversity in terms of backgrounds and aspirations, bringing global perspectives and a large variety of thought. It is also strongly embedded in Cambridge University and the Silicon Fen, a dense cluster of high-tech start-ups, offering an abundance of activities and opportunities to learn and grow. And finally, the program is located in a beautiful city with historic legacy and impact, allowing you to study, live, and engage with the brightest minds on a daily level, not only through the university, but also through the colleges, societies, and formal halls.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2022?
Besides the fact that I am the only Scandinavian (!), my most differentiating contribution is my experience and attitude. With me, the class gets a person with broad exposure across projects, industries, and geographies, and who has directed large engagements and cross functional teams in complex political settings. With me the class also gets a person eager to speak his mind and challenge conventional ideas, especially around problem solving, technology, and social & environmental issues. These things allow me to help my classmates foster collaboration, surface ideas, and create tangible results while having fun.
Tell us a fun fact that didn’t get included on your application:
In my spare time I love to kick back into nature – skiing, diving, and hiking to have fun and reenergize together with friends and family.
Post-MBA career interests:
Strategy consulting and entrepreneurship within digital technologies.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
I would consider the full picture and not only the merits of the individual programs. My impression is that many MBA programs offer quite similar courses and concentrations, but differ significantly on surrounding factors. It becomes important to ask yourself questions such as what kind of location and environment you want to live in, what program length and flexibility appeals to you, and what kind of culture and people you want to work and make friends with. And then of course how the particular MBA programs match that. I was privileged to receive offers from other strong MBA programs, but decided on Cambridge because of the remarkable environment and people.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I would have submitted the application earlier. I applied for Cambridge in the final application round (5) and was admitted only 2 months before the program started. This resulted in a very tight process and lots of stress with respect to financing, accommodation, and visa, etc. Also, getting admitted so late meant that I could not apply for certain scholarships that were otherwise relevant to me.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
I would have skipped the GMAT / GRE! Being from Denmark, I had never taken a standardized test like that before. In fact, the education system in Denmark generally doesn’t use standardized tests, but rather open/closed book exams and essays etc. I found the test quite difficult and had to spend a significant amount of time preparing. To help me get up to speed, I contacted a test instructor for private tutoring. This was very helpful, and I can definitely recommend it, especially because it gave me relevant tips, tricks and insights to do well.
What is your initial impression of the Cambridge Judge students/culture/community?
The Judge community is great. You meet inspiring students and colleagues from all over the world eager to contribute and share a transformative year with you. You also get excellent professors with deep subject matter expertise and a sharp focus on engagement, support, and learning. And you get the opportunity to tap into a vibrant community with a huge buffet of careers events, networking sessions, academic presentations, formal halls, study trips etc. with time as the only constraint (and now Covid-19).
What is one thing you have learned about Cambridge Judge that has surprised you?
The access. Access to companies, events, knowledge, people, and ideas. As a Cambridge MBA, I knew I would be able to do a lot, but you feel like you have access to anything and everything. When you say you are from the program, people respond quickly and engage with high interest.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal application or admissions process in any way? If so, how?
Yes indeed! COVID-19 affected my application and admissions process, as I couldn’t do my interview in person or go visit the school before applying. However, Cambridge did a good job adapting to the challenges to make the best possible remote application experience.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
To prioritize. There are so many activities and opportunities in Cambridge and it’s difficult to choose between them. Prioritizing involves a constant trade-off. You want to take in as much as possible and learn from the best, but at the same time maintain focus, build relationships, and not spread yourself too much during the limited time of the program.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
To learn from others. I am most energized when we have lively discussions in the lecture theatres about large and impactful real-world problems and how to solve them. The energy and variety is what really gets me going.
