Nicolas Moreno de Palma:  A serial entrepreneur in the tech and HR sectors

What stood out about the academic learning experience for you?

I loved how practical courses were. I especially enjoyed courses like Strategy or Operations that were mostly case-study based – learning by seeing real-life scenarios is for me the best! However, the Global Consulting Project experience was definitely the highlight of the curriculum for the year: nothing beats putting concepts into practice with your classmates in an international context. 

What other extra-curricular activities did you take part in during your MBA?

Looking back, I can’t understand where I found the time to do so much. From engaging in charitable initiatives like Aiducation and Movember, and collaborating with Cambridge Social Ventures, to enjoying Wimbledon with the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club and jumping on the crowd after playing some covers on the MBAT battle-of-the-bands stage. It was so transformational – and so much fun! 

How would you describe the cohort of people in your class?

I would need a whole book to talk about what I enjoyed and learnt from my cohort! They are simply the most amazing bunch of people from all the corners of the world, all put together in the same class to collaborate and grow together. I am so lucky to have made so many amazing friends! 

What aspect of the MBA learning/experience would you say you find most useful now in your professional life?

The MBA changed the way I approach business challenges: I developed the capacity to step back, deploy the right frameworks to analyse the context and find the best course of action by bringing in the diverse opinions of my colleagues. 

Did you switch your career direction after your MBA, and what factors enabled you to do that?

I changed everything:  job function, industry and country. My new knowledge and skills helped me navigate the complexities of managerial selection processes. In addition, the Cambridge MBA brand was an invaluable asset in my CV. 

Read the story of how Nicolas joined an AI startup, set to take on the world of AR

How has the MBA influenced your career journey in general?

The MBA was, from all points of view, an inflection point that accelerated my professional career, allowing me to step up while changing industry and staying in such a competitive job market as the British one. 

What would you say to others considering the Cambridge MBA?

I would recommend the Cambridge MBA to anyone who is willing to take a transformational break in their current and busy professional lives. A break to learn, to grow personally, to develop professionally, to enjoy and to ensure that, when they come back to work, it will be with regained energy, a radically more open perspective and an amazing push to accelerate their careers in the direction they, and only they, choose.