Meet the Management Masters’ class of 2021-22

Halvard Ramstad

Nationality: Norwegian

Education: BSc Economics, University of Delaware

What is your background prior to studying MSc International Management?

While I was born and raised in Oslo, Norway, I completed my undergraduate studies in the United States. I was very fortunate to receive a scholarship that sponsored my bachelor’s degree and allowed me to continue to play soccer at the highest collegiate level in the US. During my BSc in Economics, I co-founded a company in Bergen, Norway, and managed the company as a chairman for a year while studying in the US. In my senior year, I worked as a business consultant intern for BIS Oxford Economics in Sydney, Australia. This past year, I moved to the Netherlands to study and completed a five-month audit internship for KPMG in their headquarters in Amstelveen, Netherlands.

What are your future career plans?

My goal is to work as a product manager for a firm in the Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) sector. I strongly believe that your previous adventures in life through both your academic and professional experiences shape the career path that suits you best. I have work experience in entrepreneurship through co-founding and managing a company, which sparked my interest in working with product development and all the different aspects of the product lifecycle. During my bachelor’s degree, I elected to take various computer science courses to fuel my passion for technology and discovered that I want to work in the intersection between business and technology. Furthermore, through playing varsity soccer in the US and now rowing competitively at the Imperial College Boat Club, I have found that I love working in competitive cross-functional team environments. Lastly, the MSc in International Management at Imperial College Business School provides the perfect canvas for me to immerse myself in various academic clubs and to build strong foundational leadership skills to succeed as a product manager in the TMT sector.

Yuyao Pan

Nationality: Chinese

Education: Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University 

Why did you choose to study MSc International Management at Imperial College Business School?

As a student whose undergraduate major is in science and engineering, I was frustrated to meet barriers while pursuing my career in business. Imperial’s MSc International Management offers me the chance to lay a solid foundation of financial knowledge while playing to my strengths in logical thinking and data analysis. I’ve been looking forward to getting access to various opportunities for building my future career, and I am now experiencing all that and more. Furthermore, Imperial’s inclusive environment makes me feel very welcome and I feel honoured to contribute my own diversity to it.

What are your future career plans?

I aspire to be a strategic investment director at an internet company like Tencent — recognising valuable opportunities, analysing synergies of acquisitions and improving profit models. I will pursue my first job as a trainee or a strategy consultant and I intend to use Imperial’s fantastic career assistance to help me on the way towards my goal.

Alexander Segilia

Nationality: British

Education: Biological Sciences (Molecular Genetics), University of Edinburgh

What is your background prior to studying MSc Management?

Prior to joining Imperial College Business School, I completed my undergraduate degree in molecular genetics. During this time, I learned about and conducted cutting edge bioscience research. As part of my undergraduate degree, I studied abroad at the University of California, Berkeley. Here I used the groundbreaking gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9, for which a Berkeley professor was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, to carry out my own research. Besides academic pursuits, I worked with multiple student consultant groups to provide pro bono consulting services to third sector clients across the UK.

What is your main motivation for studying MSc Management?

Following my study abroad year at UC Berkeley, and subsequent exposure to the dynamic interactions between science and industry in the San Francisco Bay Area, I realised my true passion lies in the strategic innovation and business development that supports the life sciences sector. Having studied a purely research based undergraduate degree, earning an MSc Management degree from Imperial College Business School is a critical next step. By studying this degree, I intend to learn about core economics and business principles, acquire a managerial skillset, and connect with other likeminded individuals looking to pursue similar career paths.

Pia Matilde Hernandez Guerrero

Nationality: Dominican Republican

Education: Bachelors of Laws, Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

What is your background prior to studying MSc Management?

I studied a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in the Dominican Republic, followed by two years of full-time work experience as a Corporate Lawyer in a tech industry company, and one year of part-time work experience as an Intern at EY, one of the Big Four accounting firms.

Why did you choose to study MSc Management at Imperial College Business School?

I chose to study MSc Management at Imperial due to its curriculum, entrepreneurial spirit, and internationally oriented community. Its curriculum offers the information and tools necessary to embark on a successful career in globally competitive markets. It provides real-world problem solving and an emphasis on experiential learning, leadership, and community. Likewise, the programme offers multiple opportunities, such as the option to specialise in a sector (i.e., finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc.), and the Global Immersion Week. Finally, what better place to develop a business career than in London, the financial capital of the world.

Claudia Abi Khalil

Nationality: Lebanese

Education: Business and Marketing, Lebanese American University

What is your background prior to studying MSc Economics & Strategy for Business?

I studied in Lebanon and come from a business marketing background, therefore I thought that it would be very beneficial to do an MSc in Economics & Strategy for Business to complement my knowledge — especially since I am planning to work in the field of strategy and business development.

Why did you choose to study MSc Economics & Strategy for Business at Imperial College Business School?

I was very interested in the core modules like Global Business, Digital Economics and Digital Strategy and Analytics for Applied Economics and Business among others. In addition, Imperial was the only university who offered such a program which incorporated both economics and strategy and I found this a very useful and valuable combination. I am very grateful for this opportunity and will surely make the most out of it!

Joanna Masiyiwa

Nationality: Zimbabwean

Education: Film and Media Studies, Yale University

What is your background prior to studying MSc Strategic Marketing?

Prior to studying MSc Strategic Marketing I graduated from Yale where I studied film and media studies. During my undergraduate studies I was involved in student films as a producer where I worked hands-on in the background to bring short films to life! Since graduating I have switched industries working for the Higherlife Foundation, an education-focused UK and Zimbabwean charity. On the side, I work on my budding start-up which is bringing creative digital solutions to the very oversaturated skincare industry.

What is your main motivation for studying MSc Strategic Marketing?

I hope this year at Imperial will equip me with the necessary tools to develop my passion for strategic and creative digital solutions for the growing digital landscape. I hope to gain a niche understanding the various ways the marketing landscape is continually changing and how I can apply these insights to my passion for the beauty and skincare industry. I also hope to gain an invaluable network of peers and friends alike who can support me as I move forward through my career.

Moises Nahmad

Nationality: Mexican

Education: Certification in Big Data and Data Science, Duke University

What is your background prior to studying MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time)?

I have a bachelor’s in finance and I have been working in the fintech industry for more than three years now.

Growing up in Mexico City, coming from a family of Jewish Syrian descent, I believe my background has given me an internationally diverse perspective of life. I have had the opportunity to study, work, and live in four different capital cities in different continents. I have seen the affluence of Europe, the innovation of the Middle East, and the economic contrast that exists in Latin America. This outlook has guided me to acknowledge and understand the forces that drive the world ́s financial situation, and how marketing and the way we see the world further influences and allows such inequalities to continue to exist.

Having a finance background and moving into marketing was a fascinating transition, not only due to the importance and influence both industries have on how the economy and society are structured, but also in terms of the juxtaposition between both.

Why did you choose to study MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) at Imperial College Business School?

I am currently based in NYC, working full time for a fintech company. I chose to study MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) at Imperial for multiple reasons. Not only it is one of the top three Master’s in marketing globally, but it is also perfectly designed for what I was looking for. The work-based projects allow me to focus on my studies while also putting the knowledge to practice the moment I am able to acquire it. From day one, I knew I made the right choice because of how welcomed I felt at Imperial. I would describe the Imperial community as the epitome of the environment a young professional would want to network and continue their further studies in.