Hult Magazine Issue 4 | Page 9

ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR few months, I had about 15 to 20 clients. My future plans are to make a hybrid version of the formula that is still natural but dehydrated so that we can also ship it more easily, but because the numbers are so big in Mexico City, I’m focusing on the market here before we branch out. Q. How did your experience at Hult shape your  post-MBA career? My time at Hult (then the Arthur D. Little School of Management) exposed me to different global perspectives. It was the early '90s and I had just come back from Japan. Hult gave me the opportunity to meet other mid-level career managers offering different perspectives. It was the whole multicultural experience that I really enjoyed and really benefited from and still do. Later in my career I was asked to head a branch of a Japanese inter-cultural consulting firm. We gave cross-cultural training courses to Japanese companies in Mexico and by that time I had then acquired three cultures. My experience at Hult made me much more culturally aware and able to deal with cross-cultural issues as they came up in my career. Q. What advice would you give to alums after their time at Hult?  look at the Fortune 500 companies and MNCs, when now, many smaller companies are very competitive and could really benefit from hiring someone with the skills and multicultural experience that Hult graduates have. I say follow your dreams and passion. Work in an industry where you know you’re going to gain experience. If you want to become an entrepreneur, save more money than you think you will need because it’s always going to be more expensive than you anticipated. Also, choose your business partners carefully—many people told me I should do it on my own, but being in a foreign country, I liked working with somebody else and as long as you find a person that can complement you and you get the conditions down in writing, I think it is fine to have a partner. When I embarked upon my MBA, I was looking for something to tie my international career together and launch me in a new direction and it certainly did that for me—in a very intense one-year program. My career has never been planned but has been about taking advantage of the opportunities that have come up along the way. Hult teaches you to be responsive and to be flexible in a really dynamic world. We’re living in an age where everything is interlinked. I would say alums should really pursue their dreams and take advantage of their alumni network, especially since Hult has grown so large now. As a recruiter, I notice that the world is changing—there are fewer positions at a senior level. Companies are great at promoting from within, so sometimes if you don’t find a position in a large company, look for opportunities at smaller companies. So many of us are programmed to About Cynthia Kaplan Born and raised in the U.S., Cynthia very much embodies Hult’s international spirit, having lived and worked in Japan and Mexico, and offered cross-cultural coaching services to clients for over 11 years. Cynthia graduated from Arthur D. Little School of Management’s MBA program in Boston in 1992 and went on to work as Director of Business Development and Marketing for Kroll in Mexico. Her experience working in Japan prior to her MBA combined with her time in Mexico and the international exposure she gained at Hult has served her well in her role as a cross-cultural coach. Cynthia founded her natural dog food company Lucky Dog Nutrición Natural in 2010 and alongside this venture is a Partner in Business Development for head-hunting firm Delta Top Talent and continues to work as a leadership and cross-cultural coach. In addition to all this, Cynthia has dedicated much time to offering fellow Hult graduates career advice, helping several to secure positions in Mexico. The Hult Alumni Association would like to e xtend their thanks to Cynthia for the dedication and support she has shown the Hult community. hult.edu/alumni 09