MBA Student Profile: Ryan Kedrowski, University of Cambridge

Ryan Kedrowski is pursuing an MBA from the University of Cambridge. He tells us why he decided to go to business school and what his reasons for choosing Cambridge are.

1. What were you doing before your MBA?

I had been working for Sporting News in New York as a Senior Programmer. Sporting News is the oldest sports magazine in the United States and also has online, radio, and books divisions.  My work focused on designing and developing fantasy sports games to be played online and on interactive television.  My primary roles were in designing game play and structure and in developing the software and web applications.  In addition, I worked with the business developers and marketing team to position and promote the games.      

2. What were your main reasons for deciding to attend business school?

Since I studied computer science in college and had been working in web and software development for four years, I had good technical skills.  However, I was looking to supplement those skills with an eye for business analysis in order to more fully develop my career.  By combining technical and business knowledge, I hoped to be able to pursue more interesting and challenging work.       

Furthermore, I have always hoped to start my own business and was looking for a way to learn about entrepreneurship and make connections with other like-minded colleagues from varied industries and backgrounds.      

3. What research did you undertake in selecting your school?

While I looked at rankings and published statistics, I found some of the best information I received came from talking with other people.  A number of my co-workers and friends were MBAs, so I had numerous discussions with them about both whether to pursue an MBA and where to attend.       

In addition, school interviews provided a chance to discuss the school in depth with current students and alumni. In particular, my interview day at Cambridge was a great experience, with students and faculty all taking time out of their day to share their experiences and opinions.  From this day, I was able to see the diversity, enthusiasm, and creativity the Cambridge MBA promoted.      

4. What were the main criteria in your selection?

My main criteria were a strong focus on entrepreneurship and a diverse student body. Cambridge's MBA program was always referenced among top programs for entrepreneurship and their curriculum indicated this focus. 

I have found throughout my academic and professional career that I have learned more from my colleagues than from the actual coursework or projects. Therefore, I sought an experience where I would have the opportunity to meet and interact with as varied a group of people as possible, in terms of work experience, culture, and ambitions. Both from my experience on my interview day and from reading about the program, it was clear that my classmates at Cambridge would be as diverse a group as I could possibly hope for.      

5. Why did you decide to study either in your own country or overseas?

I chose to study overseas in order to have a richer overall experience in pursuing my MBA. Not only is the composition of my class very diverse, but I am near London, from where I can get out and see much of the culture of Europe very easily. From the standpoint of meeting new and interesting people and also eventually building a company that will want to compete on the global marketplace, this setting is just as important as any class at school.      

6. How well do your think the MBA is regarded in your home country?

Unfortunately, the Cambridge MBA is not particularly well known in the US. Those who have heard of it look upon it favourably, but many are unaware of the program. Most, however, know of Cambridge University and quickly associate the prestige and rigor of the university with the business school. I consider this most appropriate, as the Cambridge MBA should be considered a top-notch MBA program with quality faculty and staff collaborating with a bright, diverse student body.      

7. How are you financing your studies?

I am financing my studies primarily with personal savings and loans, with some assistance from my parents. This is an investment in my future which will pay off much greater dividends than the cost of the loans.      

8. Have you already been, or do you intend to become an entrepreneur?

Yes, I do intend to become an entrepreneur. I have already thought through a number of business ideas and plan to use my MBA education to pursue at least one of them, either after graduation or a few years in the future.

The Cambridge MBA has been quite valuable in building my confidence as a future entrepreneur, as I have had a chance to interact with a number of entrepreneurs both in my class and the Cambridge community both through school programs and informally. With the range of experience and skills among my classmates, I could see myself working together with some of them in a future business venture.      

9. Are there any well-known and/or successful entrepreneurs that are alumni of your school?

Cambridge has produced a number of highly successful entrepreneurs in many fields. The school as a whole fosters an entrepreneurial spirit and the Silicon Fen region of the city of Cambridge, a hotbed for start-up companies, is nearby. Programs and seminars for future entrepreneurs are held regularly. The Cambridge MBA also focuses on entrepreneurship, with courses, speakers, and an entrepreneurship consulting project.      

10. How much do you expect to earn on graduation?

How much I earn after graduation will depend on what path I end up following for post-MBA work. I expect to improve on my pre-MBA salary and earn a highly competitive salary.

Should I find myself as a fresh entrepreneur, I would anticipate having to forego some of the higher earnings at first for greater earnings later.

In either case, part of the reward will come from the greater number of doors that will be open to me with an MBA, particularly with the knowledge and skills I will have gained at Cambridge.      

11. What do you expect to do on graduation and where do you expect to be based?

I have a few different interests I am pursuing, so what I will be doing and where I will be based will depend on what ends up being successful. I would like to get into sports management. In this case, I would most likely find myself back in the US. If I am able to develop a good enough idea around which to build a business plan, I will start along that path, where I could see myself based just about anywhere, depending on the best place to start the business. 

Finally, I could see myself in technology management, combining my technical and business skills. Again, I would be happy to work just about anywhere doing this, most likely either the US or Europe.      

12. Where do you see yourself in ten years time?

In ten years time I see myself owning and running my own business.  Though I am not sure what industry I envision myself in, I would like to have been running for at least a few years by that point. Ideally, my goal is to have a well-established, highly-successful company started within that ten year timeframe.      

13. How easy or difficult do you expect it to be to achieve these objectives?

I expect it to be a challenge to meet my objectives, but I do not see them as unrealistic goals. I am confident that the Cambridge MBA program will give me both the skills and experience needed to succeed both in business and in my life in general. In the first few months of the program, I have already learned a great deal about myself and how to effectively work with others. Plus, the coursework involved in the one-year program is fast-paced and challenging, preparing me well for the difficult decisions that I am sure to be faced with in my career.