Smith Grads Among ‘MBAs to Watch’

Poets & Quants is spotlighting Mohamed Boraie and Adam Walters in its “100 MBAs to Watch in the Class of 2017.”

The pair recently graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and meet the business education news outlet’s criteria, by having “stellar professional backgrounds, unique stories, and insightful observations… with the potential to make a big difference in business and beyond.”

The P&Q package profiles each MBA, plus its overview piece cites Boraie for launching “a side wedding photography business, where his weekend sacrifices enabled him to retire his MBA debt before graduation.”

Full Profile Mohamed Boraie, MBA 2017

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? I enjoy meeting passionate and smart people. And at Smith, there is plenty of opportunity to connect and meet global leaders and influencers. Learning their stories, passions and insights from their experiences is life-changing and exciting. For example, the Smith School provided the opportunity for me and my classmates to travel to Omaha, Nebraska and meet with Warren Buffett. The experience was inspiring and a reminder that passion for what you are doing is an essential element for career success and long-term career happiness. Also, at a “CEO at Smith” event, I met SAP CEO Bill McDermott and learned details of his incredible life journey. Bill was one of the most charismatic public speakers I have ever met, and he exhibited great skill for storytelling.

I’ve come to realize that at Smith you can learn “the what” of business in the classroom, while learning the “the how” of business through engaging with incredible leaders among many experiential opportunities.

Full Profile Adam Walters, MBA 2017

What was your favorite MBA Course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? My favorite course, “Financial Strategy for Corporations” taught by Professor Mike Faulkender, we delved into a wide variety of financial tactics that I had read about in the news for years but never quite understood. For instance, how does a company decide whether to fund a new project with debt or equity? Why do some companies stockpile cash rather than reinvest it back into the business or pay it out to shareholders? What is “hedging” and when is it appropriate or inappropriate?

I found the selected case studies to be particularly challenging (in a good way). They required a great deal of investigation, patience, and attention to detail in order to distinguish the crux of why the company had chosen to make a particular financial decision. Professor Faulkender’s poignant and animated lectures helped bring the cases to life. As a result, my financial literacy grew more than I could have imagined.

Read the full story at Poets & Quants.