Jorge Concha Tagle
Hi, my fellow MBA classmates and Olin University community! My name is Jorge Concha Tagle, I am thrilled to share part of my story and some fun facts about my recent journey as an MBA student and my personal life.
As a Chilean citizen, I embarked on my professional journey first by studying economics at the esteemed University of Chile. Afterward, I delved into the world of consulting and investment banking in Latin America, where I spent eightyish fruitful and intensive years honing my skills (of course, many PPT alignments hours in the beginning). However, my passion for technology and “being curious” led me to take a daring pivot, and I now find myself doing my internship in a technology role at Amazon Web Services in Palo Alto, California. I firmly believe that technology and everything related to it is already playing a vital role in the labor market; therefore, I see this internship as an excellent opportunity to immerse myself in the industry and learn the most of it. For the future, I am not clear if I will go back to the finance corporate world, the tech industry, or why not, embrace my own entrepreneurship journey. In the end, this is the reason why I decided to pursue an MBA.
Outside the corporate realm, I have a love for outdoor sports. During my golden years, I tackled the thrilling challenge of rock climbing and athleticism. These days, I devote my time to social sports like tennis, biking, or hiking, where I find joy in a shared beer after activity with friends.
Going personal, I am the oldest of 5 siblings, one is also living in the US with his wife, and the rest is in Chile, living with my parents. Before coming to Chile I was living with other 3 friends in a house in Santiago, where we shared good memories, like the application preparation for our studies abroad (the four of us are studying in the US or EU), and also had fun, especially during the hard confinement times on the pandemic. I like to collect things, like coins, bills, beer steins, and small liquor bottles. In the future, I would love to have a small version of Blueberry Hill to show and store my Diogenes stuff.
This first year living in St Louis has been a great experience. With all its boundaries, I am currently missing Citi, like summer events -most of them free-, Forest Park, and good conversations with my classmates. After the internship, the first thing to do is watch a soccer match with our new team, the St Louis Citi game.
Speaking of a historical event that greatly captivated my attention, the global economic crisis of 2008. As a seventeen-year-old student at the time, I had a glimpse of the far-reaching consequences it had on both developed and developing countries, including my home country, Chile. That was perfect timing for me to learn more about this global event and study macroeconomics. Nowadays, the mixture of economic policies, finance, and development (through politics) is one of my favorite topics where I enjoy a good long conversation, especially if there are different points of view.
I also enjoy my time reading, as a habit, I try to read at least 30 min before sleep, as it helps me have a better sleep rest. I like historical novels or books about leaders, science, or business. Some recent reads that left an impression on me include “Open” by André Agassi, the autobiography of one of the most talented tennis players in history, and “Artificial Intelligence Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order” by Kai-fu Lee, which provides fascinating insights into the future of artificial intelligence. Currently, I am engrossed in “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, a classic book on personal growth and Working Backwards. This Amazon former employee book shares insights and stories from inside Amazon’s growth history.
Looking ahead, I envision myself in various fulfilling scenarios. One constant aspect is my desire for a content and harmonious family life. Professionally, I see myself living abroad, most probably in the US, and also very connected with my motherland Chile. I can picture myself working connected to Latin America, contributing to regional globalization with other continents such as North America and Asia, our main commercial partners.
Speaking of entrepreneurship, I mustn’t overlook my deep interest in this area, where I have been able to participate in different WashU initiatives, like the VC class and University Competition, entrepreneurship classes, and engage with the local entrepreneurship community. I continuously strive to innovate and improve existing processes in my corporate role (this is one of the reasons I choose Amazon for my Internship). I’m always on the lookout for new business opportunities. In the past, I embarked on a digital project focused on amateur sports championships, developing software that streamlined administrative processes. In the end, with my partners, we decided to close the venture, but the 2 year’s experience was great.
I also actively participate in the MBA Chile organization, engaging in various Chilean initiatives that are made in parallel with my Olin MBA journey. This allows me to network with fellow students from different Chilean universities and represent WashU and its Olin MBA program within the organization. MBA Chile aims to unite Chilean MBA students worldwide, fostering networking and inspiring action toward addressing Chile’s social, economic, political, and environmental issues.
Recently, I had the honor of representing WashU and Olin Business School at the Annual MBA US Conference, hosted by Columbia University. This event brought together over 230 participants, including MBA students from other universities across the United States. The conference featured renowned speakers, including politicians, leaders of Chilean business groups, representatives from American firms, and successful entrepreneurs.
To finish, something that I always like to say about our MBA is to live every week as if it is the last week of the MBA. I don’t mean with this the FOMO behavior, but to be selective and participate with a deep commitment to all the activities and instances WashU, Olin, and St Louis provides us, and make the most of these wonderful two years of professional and personal development experience. It is entirely on us to make this a memorable growth experience.
