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leu07vk
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Joined: 27 Apr 2014
Last visit: 25 Jan 2017
Posts: 54
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 8
Location: South Africa
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Strategy
Schools: HBS '17 (D) LBS '17 (WD) INSEAD Jan '16 (M$)
GMAT 1: 600 Q30 V41
GMAT 2: 730 Q48 V42
GPA: 3.1
WE:Analyst (Finance: Venture Capital)
Schools: HBS '17 (D) LBS '17 (WD) INSEAD Jan '16 (M$)
GMAT 2: 730 Q48 V42
Posts: 54
Kudos: 9
Profile Evaluation Request - European in South Africa 10 Aug 2014, 03:50
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Hi there,

I will be applying to INSEAD and LBS, as well as HEC Paris as more of a backup. Can you please evaluate my profile for these?

Work experience of a little more than 3 years, will be 4+ years when matriculating at age 27.

- VC/PE Analyst in South Africa and Co-Founder and COO of spin out company from my firm based on a product I created, which I now run together with one of the partners at VC/PE firm, and VC/PE firm is one of the clients.
- Nationality: Triple citizenship, Swedish, Greek, Spanish
- Languages: Fluent - Swedish, Greek, English, French Intermediate - Dutch, Spanish
- High school = European School of Brussels, hence very international since age 8.
- Undergrad studies - BA Economics, not great university, not great grades, UK university
- Postgrad studies - MSc Finance & Management, Cranfield SoM (UK). Distinction with third best thesis that year, top 5% of class
- Work experience (mostly internships other than current FT job) in New York, South Africa and Belgium (worked in French and English there).
- Volunteer at dog shelter.
- Lots of ECs in undergrad, some in post-grad.
- GMAT: Haven't done it yet, aim to score 700+ but could be around 680 or so, let's see.

I am hoping that the international aspect will help me for INSEAD (dream school), because I don't really have any big names other BNP Paribas on my CV, and even that was middle office ...

Thank you very much !
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Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Last visit: 26 May 2024
Posts: 9,229
Own Kudos:
2,075
Given Kudos: 69
Location: Chicago, IL
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Schools: HBS - Class of 2005
Posts: 9,229
Kudos: 2,075
Profile Evaluation Request - European in South Africa 14 Aug 2014, 22:32
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leu07vk
Hi there,

I will be applying to INSEAD and LBS, as well as HEC Paris as more of a backup. Can you please evaluate my profile for these?

Work experience of a little more than 3 years, will be 4+ years when matriculating at age 27.

- VC/PE Analyst in South Africa and Co-Founder and COO of spin out company from my firm based on a product I created, which I now run together with one of the partners at VC/PE firm, and VC/PE firm is one of the clients.
- Nationality: Triple citizenship, Swedish, Greek, Spanish
- Languages: Fluent - Swedish, Greek, English, French Intermediate - Dutch, Spanish
- High school = European School of Brussels, hence very international since age 8.
- Undergrad studies - BA Economics, not great university, not great grades, UK university
- Postgrad studies - MSc Finance & Management, Cranfield SoM (UK). Distinction with third best thesis that year, top 5% of class
- Work experience (mostly internships other than current FT job) in New York, South Africa and Belgium (worked in French and English there).
- Volunteer at dog shelter.
- Lots of ECs in undergrad, some in post-grad.
- GMAT: Haven't done it yet, aim to score 700+ but could be around 680 or so, let's see.

I am hoping that the international aspect will help me for INSEAD (dream school), because I don't really have any big names other BNP Paribas on my CV, and even that was middle office ...

Thank you very much !
Show more

Hey there,
Well these schools are gonna for sure love your international experience. That's one thing. Let's hope too that that GMAT goes as well or better than expected cause every wee bit helps. That is one key factor that I am missing. The second is any detail about your PE firm. Obviously this has awesome potential, but your success will also depend on how big you are already, how fast you have grown, how many employees you have, and how much potential you can show.

If you can write me a wee bit more about that, and about your BNP job, then I will be able to better evaluate you.

PS - When's your GMAT?

Best of luck!
Jon
avatar
leu07vk
avatar
Joined: 27 Apr 2014
Last visit: 25 Jan 2017
Posts: 54
Own Kudos:
9
Given Kudos: 8
Location: South Africa
Concentration: Entrepreneurship, Strategy
Schools: HBS '17 (D) LBS '17 (WD) INSEAD Jan '16 (M$)
GMAT 1: 600 Q30 V41
GMAT 2: 730 Q48 V42
GPA: 3.1
WE:Analyst (Finance: Venture Capital)
Schools: HBS '17 (D) LBS '17 (WD) INSEAD Jan '16 (M$)
GMAT 2: 730 Q48 V42
Posts: 54
Kudos: 9
Profile Evaluation Request - European in South Africa 15 Aug 2014, 02:13
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JonAdmissionado
leu07vk
Hi there,

I will be applying to INSEAD and LBS, as well as HEC Paris as more of a backup. Can you please evaluate my profile for these?

Work experience of a little more than 3 years, will be 4+ years when matriculating at age 27.

- VC/PE Analyst in South Africa and Co-Founder and COO of spin out company from my firm based on a product I created, which I now run together with one of the partners at VC/PE firm, and VC/PE firm is one of the clients.
- Nationality: Triple citizenship, Swedish, Greek, Spanish
- Languages: Fluent - Swedish, Greek, English, French Intermediate - Dutch, Spanish
- High school = European School of Brussels, hence very international since age 8.
- Undergrad studies - BA Economics, not great university, not great grades, UK university
- Postgrad studies - MSc Finance & Management, Cranfield SoM (UK). Distinction with third best thesis that year, top 5% of class
- Work experience (mostly internships other than current FT job) in New York, South Africa and Belgium (worked in French and English there).
- Volunteer at dog shelter.
- Lots of ECs in undergrad, some in post-grad.
- GMAT: Haven't done it yet, aim to score 700+ but could be around 680 or so, let's see.

I am hoping that the international aspect will help me for INSEAD (dream school), because I don't really have any big names other BNP Paribas on my CV, and even that was middle office ...

Thank you very much !

Hey there,
Well these schools are gonna for sure love your international experience. That's one thing. Let's hope too that that GMAT goes as well or better than expected cause every wee bit helps. That is one key factor that I am missing. The second is any detail about your PE firm. Obviously this has awesome potential, but your success will also depend on how big you are already, how fast you have grown, how many employees you have, and how much potential you can show.

If you can write me a wee bit more about that, and about your BNP job, then I will be able to better evaluate you.

PS - When's your GMAT?

Best of luck!
Jon
Show more

Thanks Jon!

My firm is small, but is a leader in South Africa in growth equity. I am the only analyst working with the four partners and support staff so my responsibilities are significant. I effectively run most projects as well as investments and interact with clients all the time. What I do is effectively at the same level as the partners, it was a very steep learning curve, but a fantastic learning opportunity. We are heavily involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem here, and even I am seen as a thought leader, though there's a lot of dust behind that (using the company brand to promote my own brand). We always have Stanford, Harvard and MIT MBA interns that I manage.

Additionally, I created a tool a while back that generates a bench-marked due diligence and gap analysis report based on a long questionnaire. This report includes a valuation (DCF and public company comparables, as well as external funds needed & capacity adjusted growth). It's a 20 page report that is automatically generated and reads as though someone has spent a week writing it. Initially, I admit, I created it in order to not have to write repetitive reports every quarter, but it ended up saving the company a whole other analyst (it used to take a week per report, now we can create an unlimited amount with one click), and has since been spun out into a new company of which I am Director and COO. The company is a subsidiary of the PE company and one of the partners and I run it. As a director of a JSE-listed subsidiary I am being sent to the JSE Director training for compliance and regulation, where I will most certainly be out of place, hehe. I expect (hope) to get a promotion to investment associate from investment analyst soon(ish), but I'm afraid to push for it :)

BNP Paribas wasn't ideal experience as it was in futures & options operations (middle-office) and it was for 11 months in Brussels, after which I started my MSc.

I will be doing my GMAT at the end of September, and have been studying for a while, but life has also gotten in the way with having to move apartments and a lot of networking events, but I'm sure if I put my mind to it I can break the 700 mark.

Lastly, in terms of management experience, I manage interns all year around, and generally four of them at a time. I also single-handedly manage a big enterprise development project with Microsoft that helps 15 startups per quarter with grants and software. It is a significantly revenue generating activity for us, but is also meant for us to help the ecosystem. So far, I (we) have helped 60 startups around South Africa with this programme, and I'm continuously 'managing' them.

It's a dream of mine to attend a top school like LBS or INSEAD ... Given what you now know of my background, and assuming I'm able to break 700 on the gmat, what do you think my chances are ?

I will be using a consultant, so I will most likely be in touch with you in a couple of months with regards to this.

Thanks a million Jon !
User avatar
Admissionado
User avatar
Admissionado
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Last visit: 26 May 2024
Posts: 9,229
Own Kudos:
2,075
Given Kudos: 69
Location: Chicago, IL
Expert
Expert reply
Schools: HBS - Class of 2005
Posts: 9,229
Kudos: 2,075
Profile Evaluation Request - European in South Africa 19 Aug 2014, 05:15
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leu07vk
JonAdmissionado
leu07vk
Hi there,

I will be applying to INSEAD and LBS, as well as HEC Paris as more of a backup. Can you please evaluate my profile for these?

Work experience of a little more than 3 years, will be 4+ years when matriculating at age 27.

- VC/PE Analyst in South Africa and Co-Founder and COO of spin out company from my firm based on a product I created, which I now run together with one of the partners at VC/PE firm, and VC/PE firm is one of the clients.
- Nationality: Triple citizenship, Swedish, Greek, Spanish
- Languages: Fluent - Swedish, Greek, English, French Intermediate - Dutch, Spanish
- High school = European School of Brussels, hence very international since age 8.
- Undergrad studies - BA Economics, not great university, not great grades, UK university
- Postgrad studies - MSc Finance & Management, Cranfield SoM (UK). Distinction with third best thesis that year, top 5% of class
- Work experience (mostly internships other than current FT job) in New York, South Africa and Belgium (worked in French and English there).
- Volunteer at dog shelter.
- Lots of ECs in undergrad, some in post-grad.
- GMAT: Haven't done it yet, aim to score 700+ but could be around 680 or so, let's see.

I am hoping that the international aspect will help me for INSEAD (dream school), because I don't really have any big names other BNP Paribas on my CV, and even that was middle office ...

Thank you very much !

Hey there,
Well these schools are gonna for sure love your international experience. That's one thing. Let's hope too that that GMAT goes as well or better than expected cause every wee bit helps. That is one key factor that I am missing. The second is any detail about your PE firm. Obviously this has awesome potential, but your success will also depend on how big you are already, how fast you have grown, how many employees you have, and how much potential you can show.

If you can write me a wee bit more about that, and about your BNP job, then I will be able to better evaluate you.

PS - When's your GMAT?

Best of luck!
Jon

Thanks Jon!

My firm is small, but is a leader in South Africa in growth equity. I am the only analyst working with the four partners and support staff so my responsibilities are significant. I effectively run most projects as well as investments and interact with clients all the time. What I do is effectively at the same level as the partners, it was a very steep learning curve, but a fantastic learning opportunity. We are heavily involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem here, and even I am seen as a thought leader, though there's a lot of dust behind that (using the company brand to promote my own brand). We always have Stanford, Harvard and MIT MBA interns that I manage.

Additionally, I created a tool a while back that generates a bench-marked due diligence and gap analysis report based on a long questionnaire. This report includes a valuation (DCF and public company comparables, as well as external funds needed & capacity adjusted growth). It's a 20 page report that is automatically generated and reads as though someone has spent a week writing it. Initially, I admit, I created it in order to not have to write repetitive reports every quarter, but it ended up saving the company a whole other analyst (it used to take a week per report, now we can create an unlimited amount with one click), and has since been spun out into a new company of which I am Director and COO. The company is a subsidiary of the PE company and one of the partners and I run it. As a director of a JSE-listed subsidiary I am being sent to the JSE Director training for compliance and regulation, where I will most certainly be out of place, hehe. I expect (hope) to get a promotion to investment associate from investment analyst soon(ish), but I'm afraid to push for it :)

BNP Paribas wasn't ideal experience as it was in futures & options operations (middle-office) and it was for 11 months in Brussels, after which I started my MSc.

I will be doing my GMAT at the end of September, and have been studying for a while, but life has also gotten in the way with having to move apartments and a lot of networking events, but I'm sure if I put my mind to it I can break the 700 mark.

Lastly, in terms of management experience, I manage interns all year around, and generally four of them at a time. I also single-handedly manage a big enterprise development project with Microsoft that helps 15 startups per quarter with grants and software. It is a significantly revenue generating activity for us, but is also meant for us to help the ecosystem. So far, I (we) have helped 60 startups around South Africa with this programme, and I'm continuously 'managing' them.

It's a dream of mine to attend a top school like LBS or INSEAD ... Given what you now know of my background, and assuming I'm able to break 700 on the gmat, what do you think my chances are ?

I will be using a consultant, so I will most likely be in touch with you in a couple of months with regards to this.

Thanks a million Jon !
Show more

Hey dude,
Well, what I liked most about what you wrote here was "We always have Stanford, Harvard and MIT MBA interns that I manage." and methinks this is what the AdComs will like too. It puts you in a certain league, and if you are managing people from the top schools, it tells me you are top school material. Plus, it's great leadership. I like it.

I think with what you wrote here you should have a shot at INSEAD/LBS if your GMAT is in the right place (and if it isn't then it may even be worthwhile to think about delaying in order to give it the chance to get in the right place). I mean your work experience is interesting, you are very very international, have some management experience in PE... looks good.

So in the meanwhile,
Good luck!
And be in touch,