Hashem Amer, Emory Goizueta’s MBA Class of 2025
Age: 30
Hometown: Amman, Jordan
Undergraduate Institution and Major: BA in Finance, the University of Jordan
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Investment Professional, the Saudi Jordanian Investment Fund, two years. Strategy and Business Development at Revton, two years. Valuations and financial modeling, KPMG, two years
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
As I progressed in my career, I realized that leadership requires more than technical skills, and thus, I came to business school with the goal of developing this valuable skillset.. What made Goizueta stand out while I was applying to schools was the MBA program’s intense focus on leadership. During the first week of school, we spent one day at Fort Benning ( a US military base) where we had US military officers teach us about leadership. Further leadership courses, both theoretical and experiential, will follow as the semester progresses.
Why did you choose Emory Goizueta Business School? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I mainly chose Goizueta due to its outstanding academics, close-knit cohort, networking opportunities, and its Atlanta location. I am also blown away by the caliber of the faculty we have here at school. Apart from being the cultural capital of the South, Atlanta hosts the headquarters of many Fortune 500 companies, tech companies, and other large organizations. It was also great to know that Atlanta offers great entertainment and food that are unparalleled.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Emory Goizueta Business School Class of 2025?
Hailing from Jordan, I am the only person of my cohort from the region. I enjoy bringing my perspectives on Middle Eastern economics and business to the classroom and sharing unique insights into the region. I am a big believer in culture through food, and thus I have enjoyed cooking a Jordanian dish at an international community event at Emory GBS.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I lost ten straight tennis matches before I was able to win a tournament. My coach was surprised that I didn’t quit tennis altogether!
Post-MBA career interests:
I am looking to pivot into management consulting in the Middle East with a particular focus on public policy and education. Over the long term, I am looking forward to working on educational policies in a governmental setting that improve the rates of social mobility in the country and job readiness among the youth.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Reflecting back on my journey and connecting what I used to do before with what I intend to do post-business school. Building a narrative is one of the biggest determinants of business school admissions success.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
I wish I started my essay writing way earlier. I was working on an intense project at work which led me to finish my essays in a few weeks. Had I started earlier, my stress levels would have went down!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
As every b-school applicant knows, taking the GMAT is by far the hardest part of b-school applications. In my opinion, keeping your eyes on the big prize is what will keep you going when the going gets tough.
What is your initial impression of the Emory Goizueta students/culture/community?
I am loving the GBS community so far! Every day, I am blown away by how smart my classmates are and the depth of their experiences. Coming into Goizueta, I had high expectations for the community here, and so far, my experience has surpassed my expectations.
What is one thing you have learned about Emory Goizueta that has surprised you?
The number of student clubs, events, and extracurricular activities is a lot, which makes it very challenging to manage your time and schedule.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
One of Goizueta’s core missions is the use of business for a better society. I am very excited to be part of the Peachtree Minority Venture Fund, a student-run venture capital fund that invests in businesses that are run by Black and Latino founders, historically underrepresented minority groups. Business ought to be done for the greater good of society.
