Four Cambridge MBA students have been named by business school publication Poets & Quants to their annual ‘Best & Brightest’ and ‘MBAs to Watch’ lists.
The Best & Brightest honour, which is based on “extracurricular leadership, personal excellence, and the insightfulness of their responses and recommendations”, includes Taylor Barden Golden (MBA 2022), a native of the US state of Illinois.
An exceptional student with unique experience
Taylor, who says she was drawn to Cambridge Judge by the Cambridge ecosystem of scientific and entrepreneurial innovation, has a background in digital solutions and non-profit organisations, and also worked in the US Senate.
“Taylor is an exceptional student who comes with a unique experience in the sphere of politics and non-profit management,” says Thomas Roulet, Associate Professor in Organisation Theory at Cambridge Judge. “I was immediately impressed by her dynamism and natural curiosity, and I knew she would bring contagious enthusiasm to the class.”
Named as MBAs to Watch were Anthony Adhinata Tjong, Daisy Moraa Ong’angi and Pablo Valdés Fernández Del Valle (all MBA 2022).
MBA students who kindle the spirits of their classmates
Poets & Quants says those named as an MBA to Watch are “more than a name without a face in their schools. Their classmates knew exactly who they were and what they did – and often what they hoped to do too. They remember their passion and how their encounters kindled that same spirit in themselves.”
Anthony, who hails from Jakarta, Indonesia, worked for the regional treasury team of Philip Morris International before enrolling at Cambridge Judge, and said he plans to pursue a leadership development or consulting role.
“I initially thought that most MBA cohorts would be very competitive in nature, and I couldn’t be more wrong,” says Anthony. “Even though I am constantly surrounded by brilliant and motivated people here at Cambridge, the cohort is very supportive of one another. I feel like people truly want each other to be successful in whatever goals they are pursuing. I am glad that Cambridge managed to foster such a collaborative environment for its MBA programme.”
A one-year MBA programme that expands networks as well as knowledge
Daisy, from Nairobi, Kenya, founded and ran an educational-technology business before coming to Cambridge Judge, and plans to continue building that business. “The experiential, collaborative, and practical nature of the one-year Cambridge MBA programme is what attracted me,” she says. “I knew that I wanted to spend just enough time in a business school to expand my knowledge about the world of business while also expanding my European and global network.”
Pablo, from Mexico City, Mexico, worked in investment banking and he hopes in the long term to establish a private equity fund for sustainable real estate in Mexico. “It was such a privilege to have Pablo in my class – he was knowledgeable, thoughtful, and ever willing to help others who had less experience in the subject than he had,” says Gishan Dissanaike, now Interim Dean of Cambridge Judge.
A fintech connection to Cambridge Judge
Another MBA student named to the MBA to Watch list has a Cambridge Judge connection. Pavadee Burapapong, a student at Alliance Manchester Business School, says in the Poets & Quants article that she was very proud to represent Thailand in the FinTech and Regulatory Innovation programme at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance at Cambridge Judge.
Related content
“100 Best & Brightest MBAs: Class of 2023.” Poets & Quants
“MBAs to Watch: Class of 2023.” Poets & Quants
“2023 MBA to Watch: Pablo Valdés Fernández Del Valle, Cambridge Judge Business School.” Poets & Quants
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