Meet our students

With over 5 years of Business experience, Rafael decided it was time to pursue his MBA and shift his career path to the North American Market. With that in mind, and his connection with Canada, he knew that getting a solid two-year MBA would help him be in the position to continue his career path in Canada or the US. Rafael just returned from Toronto where he spent the summer working at P&G in the Consumer Market Knowledge group for North America. Now, beginning his second year of MBA at McGill Desautels where he is also the President of the MBA Management Consulting Club and helping organize TEDxMcGill, he is very anxious to complete his MBA and leverage his contacts and education into a great full time position once he graduates. "I find that the MBA at McGill has given me a solid Business education, and has opened many doors, but ultimately the experience you get out of any MBA will only be as good as the effort and dedication you put into it." Read Rafael’s MBA blog entry in the Financial Post (September 2011).

Alex is also the host of the CEO Speaker Series, a forum in which he interviews CEOs from leading Canadian and international companies such as Tim Hortons and Rio Tinto. "My experience to date has far exceeded my expectations. I have found the course content to be very interesting and relevant. We often address real challenges that companies are facing today."

She has also had the opportunity to work with Vail Resorts as an Account Executive for Spin Creative Studio and with many other ski resorts as a Research Analyst for Hannah Marketing Group. Molly plans to continue a Marketing career in the ski or athletic apparel industry. In her first year at McGill she has been active playing on the men’s soccer team and talking on leadership roles as the President for the Marketing Club, VP Finance for the Women’s Association and VP Communications for Net Impact. When asked to describe her experience in her first year of the program she states that, “Desautels has provided me with a continuously challenging and educational environment that fosters constant self-discovery, opportunity and adventure. The classroom is just the beginning of the knowledge and growth I have gained from my experience in this program, and the diversity of students adds a truly unique experience to my adventure.” In her free time, Molly enjoys running, yoga and painting and you may view some of her artwork at www.mollyholmes.com.

Before completion of his bachelor, Jean-Philip began working as a Coordinator of Raw Materials and Transport Supervisor for Cott Beverages. He was hired for a summer internship and was extended part time during two years. After his bachelor, he was recruited by Kruger and worked over three years in the forest and wood products division. He was initially employed at Kruger as a Coordinator and was quickly promoted to Traffic Supervisor and Business Analyst during his first year. Jean-Philip decided to pursue his MBA to make a career change into finance and real estate. He is currently on exchange at the University of North Carolina for the fall semester where he is focusing on those two concentrations. He plans to continue his career in commercial real estate investment. At the end of February 2011, Jean-Philip was one of 29 McGill students who traveled to New Dehli, Mumbai, and Bangalore in India. Over the course of ten days, he met CEOs and other senior executives at numerous thriving companies. In his free time, Jean-Philip enjoys sports such as hockey, football, running, snow-boarding, and golf.

A graduate of Concordia University and the University of Toronto, Mike brought a strong educational and professional background to bear on the program. But having been out of school for a while, Mike was challenged in the program right from the start. “The rigor of the McGill MBA was daunting, but the collegiality and collaborative nature of the program meant that I never felt that I was facing the challenges it presented alone. From the staff and professors to each and every one of the students, I always knew that we were working together towards a common goal rather than competing against each other.” Not one to shyly wait for others to take the initiative, at McGill Mike co-founded the MBA squash club, was elected first year class representative to the MBA Students Association and ran a team of students for the McGill Not-For-Profit Consulting Program. “McGill presented great opportunities to get involved in existing structures, while also leaving room for innovation and personal initiative. Getting involved in the program is the key to really benefitting from it from the personal, professional and academic standpoints.” Mike completed a summer internship at McKinsey & Co. in Montreal and worked in the private equity group at Sprott in Toronto. Mike has returned to McKinsey this past August.

In November 2010, Melanie has travelled to Germany for the Global Social Business Summit as the representative of Desautels and McGill. Three months later she left for India having organized the Hot Cities India 2011 trip. Next up is South Africa in February 2012 for the next edition of the Hot Cities World Tour. During her first year, Melanie worked part time for Wire Rope Industries as an internal consultant in business development. For her summer internship, Melanie worked with Bristol-Myers Squibb as a marketing analyst. “I chose McGill Desautels for the intimate class sizes, allowing students to really get involved with the program and go beyond business as usual.” Read Melanie’s blog on India in The Economist and follow the activities of the India and South Africa Hot Cities trips.

Supported by the entire Desautels administration and staff, Jun led more than 90 students and professors in 2010 to film a successful Lipdub music video to raise money for charity, which was picked up as a major news item on CTV Montreal News. Early 2011 saw her packed off to India alongside 27 McGill MBA and BCom students to raise $17,600 in education funds for underprivileged Indian girls, all of which was done under Desautels’ Hot Cities program. Jun’s previous work experiences include creation and implementation of a strategic business unit in Universal Music and launching an award-winning music download program, and co-spearheading a start-up business in Shanghai, China, in 2008.