Mateo Agustin Aponte: Seeking new experiences and challenges

What led you to take the Cambridge MBA?

In one word, timing. I originally planned to apply to MBA programmes in 2020, but COVID-19 put the world on pause. At the time, I was focused on getting my company through that difficult period. Seeing all classes move online, I made the decision to postpone everything, as the in-person aspect of the MBA, which is the most important to me, would be missing. 

I was originally drawn to Cambridge, much like others, for its academic excellence, international reputation (aka post-graduation pay bump), and forward-thinking ethos. It was also a full-circle moment for me as I spent a summer at Peterhouse, Cambridge for an academic programme during my secondary school years. 

Although I was mostly focused on applying to North American schools, the personal attention that I received throughout the entire process, even post-offer, quickly made the Cambridge MBA my top choice out of the offers I had received. (I’d like to give kudos to the professionalism of the stellar Cambridge Judge Business School team for being so patient with my constant emails.) 

The advantage of a smaller, closer-knit cohort gave the programme a personal feel, and the rich traditions of the university allow me to be part of something greater than myself. The one-year intensive programme is well-defined and intentional and requires less time out of the workforce compared to other programmes. In the end, it just felt right, and I am confident I made the right decision. 

Describe the biggest accomplishment in your career so far?

I am most proud of bootstrapping a company for 4 years and somehow dragging us through the pandemic. Our target market was Retail and F&B, the 2 industries most decimated by COVID-19 restrictions, so our prospects and orders essentially vanished overnight. This period included emptying personal bank accounts, going door-to-door to scrape sales to cover overheads, and long hours. Somehow, we made it through before I exited in 2023. 

Post-“entrepreneurship”, I was given the opportunity to lead international commerce projects with a team of 8 in a commodity tech “unicorn”. One of the capstone projects was to set up a supply chain in the NAFTA zone for my company’s branded agricultural products, then find enterprise buyers throughout the US and Canada and set up contracts for those products. This entailed stakeholder management across time zones and languages – from farmers to supermarket execs and staying up until midnight to get approval from the HQ finance team in Korea. In 6 months, we were able to generate over 2M in recurring revenue and contracts. 

On a more personal note, my whole team was laid off (including myself) the week before I was due to take my GMAT. In that moment, it felt like all the studying and work was for nothing. Nonetheless, I persevered, and now I’m here. I would say I am most proud of how I navigated this setback, more so than any achievement in my career so far. 

How do you feel about being awarded your scholarship?

I am honoured and grateful to both Cambridge Judge Business School for the MBA bursary and St. Catharine’s College for the award and title of Benavitch Scholar. This alleviated a lot of financial stress and uncertainty, especially because I am self-funded. It reassures me that I made the right decision and am going to a place where I am wanted. 

I was reluctant at first to apply, as I was likely the least qualified for this scholarship, just meeting the academic threshold for consideration. However, in taking an unconventional life path, I’ve learned to embrace uncertainty with a bias towards action, so I went for it. 

I am confident I have the academic capability and attitude to uphold the university’s reputation and will make every effort to prove Cambridge Judge and my college right. Being awarded this scholarship tells me that who I am is valued and that I am going to the right place. 

What do you want to get out of the MBA most of all in the next year?

Funnily enough, I had this written down in my notes. My only goal is to become the best version of myself. This means saying yes to uncomfortable new experiences and challenges, making sure I am always in a room with people smarter than myself, and leaning into the hard work. I will definitely be joining the Cambridge Union, (poorly) punting, and securing invites to all the Formals. 

I also look forward to building a network of mentors and peers for life and becoming a worthy part of the Cambridge family.

Where do you see your MBA journey taking you in your future career?

As a non-traditional applicant, I need to improve some hard skills and fill in current knowledge gaps. My academic priority is to improve my hard skills to complement my strong language and interpersonal abilities. Currently, I want to stay in client-facing roles but transition into more of a marketing/project manager role. 

My long-term plan is to go global, hopefully through the extensive Cambridge network. I want to be placed overseas as much as possible – with the UK, LATAM, or returning “home” to Asia being my preferences. 

What does Cambridge mean to you?

Cambridge is uniquely positioned as a traditional academic institution with an MBA programme that prepares students for the future. This combination of perspectives, old and new, will allow me to reinforce my foundations while future-proofing my skillset. In that way, Cambridge represents a chance to build a better future for myself.

Something that few people may know about you…

I come from a third-generation restaurant family, so I love cooking. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to cook for my friends in the dorms and not set off the smoke alarm.