Ambitious, innovative and altruistic, Eduardo Gonzalez has learned many a valuable lesson, both during his studies and in his career. He studied a BBA at EU Business School in between two postgraduate degrees at the London School of Economics and an environmental engineering degree in Switzerland. Now working in operational transaction services at Deloitte, the EU alumnus spoke to us about some important lessons, in business and in life.
Finding the right path
Like many successful businesspeople, it took Eduardo a while to discover his true vocation.
I was in the third year of an environmental engineering degree when I decided to give a corporate focus to my career. However, after completing several internships related to that field I came to a realization. My degree was setting me into a career path that wouldn’t allow much flexibility in the corporate world.
After consulting with career advisors and doing some research, I found an opportunity on the BBA program offered by EU. I wanted to put into practice what I had learned about sustainable development in the corporate world. EU offered me the chance to learn from experienced faculty members and attend events with CEOs and upper management from multiple companies.
My decision to enroll on a BBA with EU paid off. It gave me access to my next summer internship, which significantly shaped the path of my career.
Memories of EU
Eduardo has fond recollections of his time at EU. In particular, the quality and commitment of the faculty and the impact they had on his education.
I have many good memories of my professors. Each of them took a part in my professional development. I think if I should mention one in particular, I would start with Professor Vautrin, with whom I had the opportunity, during the breaks, to have dialogues on different topics. On more than one occasion he shared with me career advice based on his professional experience and life experience. I believe this sort of commitment to the development of the students shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Studying alongside people from all over the world gave Eduardo the perfect opportunity to make long-lasting connections.
There were many valuable lessons I learned during my time at EU. The lesson that I will never forget is the power of networking. Not only did I share a classroom with students from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, but I was also able to form strong alliances after graduation for my different projects. As one of my professors once put it: “Network is equal to net worth.”
Passion projects
Keen to learn and develop himself outside of the classroom, Eduardo kept busy after graduating from EU.
After my time in EU Business School I decided to continue my studies in the UK. I completed two postgraduate degrees in accounting and finance at the London School of Economics. In between my studies, I took part in a couple of passion projects including co-founding a student society and other freelance jobs as a financial advisor.
Since I took summer courses at EU, I finished my degree earlier than most of my classmates. I kept my time busy by learning German. It wasn’t until after I completed both my degrees and took the decision to move to Germany that I started learning it full-time. During that time, I co-founded a start-up in financial advisory. I had a clear goal of acquiring further work experience in order to differentiate myself in the job-market.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to think outside of the box, especially as a young professional. A couple of months later, I received a job offer from Deloitte. I’ve been learning a lot about my line of business since.
Business philanthropy
Determined to make a social impact by using his acquired business knowledge, Eduardo decided to create a foundation to facilitate the studies of Ecuadorians at L.S.E. Before long, this evolved into something that exceeded his and everybody else’s expectations.
In my first year at L.S.E. I met other Ecuadorian students who, like me, were interested in contributing to the betterment of our country. I co-founded the LSE-SU Ecuadorian Society, and during that year I exercised the role of treasurer. The original purpose of the society was to act as a promotor of the Ecuadorian culture in the UK. Also, to serve in guiding new Ecuadorian students arriving to London for the first time. But later, it shaped into a more philanthropic project.
We made efforts to create a network of Ecuadorian postgraduate students in other universities like Cambridge, Oxford and other Ivy League schools in the USA. The main idea behind this was providing a publishing platform for these students. We would then share this information with students attending public universities in this developing country.
The society continued its operations under a new management board, and it was even able to contribute a significant amount of funds to the survivors of the recent earthquake in Ecuador. Taking a role in the creation of this society is perhaps one of the things I’m most proud of. It continued after I’d left and I’m certain that it will continue to be there as long as it’s needed.
Carving out success
With the knowledge, skills and mental attitude cultivated from his studies and personal projects, Eduardo now enjoys a career at professional services firm Deloitte Deutschland.
I’m a professional in the operational transaction services team in Dusseldorf supporting corporate and private equity clients on their carve-out processes, from strategy setting to execution. We provide a range of financial advisory services, including post-merger integrations and M&A advisory for carve-out. I’ve been mostly involved in the latter, where we assist to set-up a separation approach for the business & support functions, support in the operational implementation and integration processes, and carve-out financials.
When a company decides to divest a business, there are multiple options. These include selling it to a strategic buyer or a private equity company, or entering into a joint venture. Supporting a client during a carve-out process is very interesting. It can be complicated as well, depending on the degree of complexity of how integrated the business is within the company. It’s a very rewarding and exciting job that requires strategical analysis, communication and numerical skills.
Get up and go!
Eduardo has some inspirational advice for students at the beginning of their journey.
Work hard on your studies. But also remember that what you do outside of the classroom will help define you in other ways that academics just won’t. Get out there and start a social movement, create a start-up, learn a new language or simply work on a passion project. Most importantly, remember to think outside the box and be innovative.
And remember: anything worth doing will get harder before it gets any easier.
Find out more about studying a BBA at EU Business School.
