Reflections from a Rising Leader: How MLT and Simon Business School Prepared Me for Success
By Jose Otero
Get a glimpse into a day in the life of a University of Rochester Simon Business School alum who benefitted from MLT programming. Jose D. Otero is a 2015 graduate of Simon’s full-time MBA Program, and a 2013 alumnus of MLT’s MBA Prep program.
Can you introduce yourself and provide your current job title?
My name is Jose D. Otero, and I’m Vice President of Corporate & Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank.
Walk us through a typical day in your role.
A day-in-the-life for me can vary greatly depending on whether I am seeing clients or fleshing out the strategy and positioning for a new product. When I’m seeing clients, I am typically leading roadshows, seminars, or events to foster the ongoing advisory services we provide at Deutsche Bank. My goal is to drive new revenue in my coverage market by leveraging existing solutions and products.
When I’m not on the road, I am identifying global and regional market trends, deriving strategic responses to help define product positioning. I also provide direction on pricing within our desired risk appetite to minimize cost/income ratios.
What was your best moment at Simon or your favorite memory?
Aside from the great relationships I built while at Simon, one of my favorite memories was leading a consulting engagement for a language translation startup based in Israel. The startup was partially funded by the Simon School Venture Fund and the venture capital firm I worked at while at Simon.
The purpose of the engagement was to advise the startup on the best strategies to penetrate the U.S. market. We staffed the project with approximately 30 Simon MS and MBA students covering three different work streams. The project culminated with a 10-day trip to Israel. We were able to present our recommendations, visit incubators, and meet with several venture capital firms. We also had the opportunity to tour the country and visit the historic sites.
What is your affiliation with MLT, and how did that help prepare you for success at Simon and beyond?
I am an alumnus of the 2013 MBA Prep program. MLT was the pivotal factor that prepared me for success at Simon, which in turn has led to the successes I am currently enjoying in my career. MLT did an excellent job in preparing me for the rigors of the Simon MBA program by providing me a taste of what it would be like to balance the MBA workload, the networking requirements, the job search, and familial responsibilities. MLT pushed me to learn how to appropriately assess and establish a plan to successfully engage with all the competing priorities.
The MLT MBA Prep program also taught me several lessons that I carry with me to this day. Some of the best coaching I’ve received was advice on the best way to articulate my professional story while highlighting key transferable skills and accomplishments.
I also learned how to expand my network in a targeted and meaningful way, and how to leverage that network to learn about other functions and opportunities.
Perhaps most importantly, as part of MLT I learned the importance of staying engaged. I stay motivated by being a member of the Employee Resource Group within Deutsche Bank, taking advantage of corporate volunteering events, and leading our open school recruitment efforts.