I worked in the oil and gas industry in Mexico for nine years before going to business school. The industry had been nationalized in the 1930s before opening up to private investment in recent years. I thought this presented me with an opportunity to polish and develop my managerial skills, before heading back inside the industry.
I went to EGADE Business School, where I started to develop an interest in sustainability and read about how Mexico had set ambitious renewable energy goals—to have about 35% of its total energy coming from clean sources by 2025. I thought, “Well, we can remain on the same path or we can try to do something about it to make a change for the world.” That’s when I learned about the Yale School of Management’s commitment to educating leaders for business and society. That really resonated with me because I think what are traditionally oil and gas companies are very well positioned—economically and politically— to change the energy matrix. I think they can really impact the problems climate change presents for all of us. That’s why the Master of Advanced Management was the right path for me.
I want to be an intrapreneur. I want to be able to say that I was someone who played a part in changing the way companies approach these problems. I enrolled in several classes at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, like corporate environmental management and sustainability finance. You’re in the classroom and realize that you’re learning about the research just as it’s finished, and then you’re in a position to go and apply it to the sector when you graduate. You’re set up to be the leader and expert in the newest fields when you leave SOM, and that is definitely an advantage.
The MAM can be as broad or as focused as you want it to be. For me, it’s been a truly global experience. I’ve taken classes on ethical choices and decision making for public policy makers, where we’ve had debates with classmates from countries in Africa and students from China on corruption and the different forms it has taken in their lives. I’ve had opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds that have shaped my perspective and provided me with ideas on how to approach problems when I return to Mexico.
