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Ricardo Gonçalves is the President of the Lisbon MBA Alumni Club, having been a student of the Executive MBA class of 2005-2007. After 15 years working at Amrop, Ricardo is now a Partner at Core Investments. In this interview, Ricardo will give you an insight on how his MBA program helped him achieve a meaningful and lifelong career fulfilment.

 

 

1 | What made you decide to take an MBA?

“There were several reasons that led to my decision of pursuing an MBA. Firstly, the desire for knowledge, as my background is in the field of Human Sciences and not in business or engineering. Back then I was working in a consultancy company (Amrop) that constantly exposed me to a large variety of companies, therefore it was important to have a better understanding of various businesses. Secondly, an MBA was considered a crucial step in career progression towards becoming a partner. Thirdly, the opportunity to expand my network, which in the end resulted above my expectations since besides strengthening a professional network I was also fortunate to develop a great number of “friends for life”.”

 

 

2 | Why The Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova?

“I did the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics MBA in 2005-2007, at the time considered among the top MBA programs in Portugal. The decision of creating a world class MBA by joining the two strongest business schools (CATÓLICA-LISBON & Nova SBE) in Portugal and on top of that having a partnership with MIT was a really great step forward to position the program among the best ones in Europe.”

 

 

3 | What was the most remarkable experience of your MBA journey?

“I have great memories from my MBA time. Those 2 years of my life were intense, knowledgeable, hard-working, and fun. As the saying goes, first impressions are everything and you only get one chance. The first experience of the program was a Bootcamp day with the Marines, which was both challenging and a great opportunity to quickly connect with my classmates, instructors, and the program team.”

 

 

4 | How has The Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova helped to shape your professional career?

“My MBA had a great impact in my career and in my life. Regarding my career, first it was a great tool to achieve the Partner level at Amrop, but it also boosted my interest in business and entrepreneurship. Therefore, in 2016 after 15 years at Amrop, I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur and since then I started 4 companies, out of which 2 are performing well. One of these companies (Core Investments), I have a co-founder that that was my classmate during the MBA.

Given the impact that the MBA had in my life, I have decided to take the venture of developing our Alumni Club which has today hundreds of MBAs engaged in different areas.”

 

 

5 | What would you like to share with a student that wants to apply to The Lisbon MBA Católica|Nova?

“Live it fully! Be prepared for a transformative, inspiring, and enlightening experience. The program offers you the opportunity to do a deep dive into your questions, examine your doubts, and challenge your assumptions. It is a chance to grow both professionally and personally, as much as you fully immerse yourself in the program and you commit your time and energy. If you do that it will be an amazing experience and a lifetime opportunity.”

 

 

6 | How important is it for you to be part of The Lisbon MBA Alumni Community?

“Since 2018, we have been organizing dozens of events and other initiatives with the dual purpose of “Unite & Connect” and “Share & Develop” The Lisbon MBA Alumni community.

Some of the most impactful initiatives include and career and leadership talks & webinars, an Entrepreneurship Chapter and start-up contests (we already took 2 start-ups to exhibit at the Web Summit), and “Think Tanks” with workshops in several areas, namely in Healthcare, Industry, Sustainability, Real Estate, Agribusiness. To celebrate success and recognize alumni role models we have the annual MBA Heroes Awards. Finally, we also have social events and our “Get togethers” are a way for us to stay in contact and keep having fun together. I believe these should be strong reasons to not only be part of the community but to be an active member.

Most recently, we launched a new platform where the Alumni can register and can find colleagues, content and even job offers. Moreover, it was just announced an opportunity for alumni to go back to school attending some electives of the MBA program. A great opportunity to refresh the MBA experience and for upskilling.

Needless to say, that the ultimate reason to engage with the alumni community is the opportunity to give back to the MBA program and to the School that has shaped you when you were a student.

In conclusion, being an active member of this community will provide you opportunities for personal and professional growth and to contribute to build a stronger Alumni community that will benefit everyone of us and the society at large.”

 

 

7 | What does it mean to be President of the Alumni Club Board?

“It is an honour and a big responsibility! Since I studied in the MBA, I always felt that there was a potential to be unleashed amongst the Alumni Community. Today, as the President I feel the responsibility to unleash that potential in a way that our community can grow at a personal and professional level, as well as develop knowledge and contribute to a better society.

It has been a privilege to develop this venture together with such a group of talented, skilful, and altruistic members of the Board, that Pro Bono, on top of their daily jobs, give their time and brain power to fuel our community.”

 

 

8 | What is your vision for the future of the Community?

“First of all, I must say that is not only my vision, but a shared vision, together with the great team around the Alumni Board. When in 2018 we started this journey, our mission was to Unite, Share, Develop and Connect our community. We have achieved several of our goals, but there is still a long way to go to have in place a “platform” that enables and exponentialize the power of our Alumni. Step by step we are reaching a point where the Alumni starts to feel that the community can be a support on different areas like developing their careers, knowledge or for personal growth.

Our vision is to have a more active, engaged and connected community where it should be possible to our Alumni to develop their business knowledge, skills, create meaningful connections and being able to give back to the community.”

 

Note: The views, opinions or statements shared in these interviews are those of the alumni or students interviewed.