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. ow did your experience at Hult shape your
H
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. hat advice would you give to alums after their time at Hult?
W
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 o ?????????????!????????)??????????????????????????????????????????5?????Q???!??)??????????????????????????????????????????
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