Lorenzo Espinosa

Starting up success

Since graduating from London Business School in summer 2019, I have joined a startup called Chattermill as their Director of Data Ops and Data Product. Chattermill use AI and machine learning models to extract analytics and insights from customer feedback and reviews at scale. In my current role, I lead a bright and rapidly growing team of eight people to shape the future of data in the company. I strongly believe that the MBA has been instrumental for me to thrive in my current role within a cutting-edge startup.

A worldwide view

The absolute highlight of my MBA was the people I met. After spending my undergraduate years in Spain and my pre-MBA career in the United States, I wanted to take this diversity to the next level, and LBS was the perfect place to do so. The LBS MBA cohort is hard to match in terms of diversity of backgrounds, cultures and aspirations. The people in my cohort have helped me grow and have ultimately changed me as a person, helping me learn how to communicate more effectively and be more mindful of who I am talking to. I have learned about different cultures, diverse ways of thinking and alternative approaches when it comes to doing business. This diverse environment has helped massively in my current role, as I have discovered fields and roles that I had no knowledge of and am now responsible for dealing with. Whether it is venture capital or business development, having exposure to people who were experts in these industries gave me the confidence and the knowledge to operate in proximity to these sectors.

Never-ending potential

The resources the School offers are fantastic. There is direct access to faculty, who gave me advice on potential career paths. There is also the variety of workshops and clubs which further expanded both my personal and professional horizons. I was an executive member of the Entrepreneurship Club, the Expedition Club and the Spanish Club – these clubs gave me the chance to improve my soft skills such as communication and leadership, which have proved indispensable today. Finally, the proximity and connections to London and all its world-leading organisations is truly unrivalled. With London being a leading economic and technology hub in Europe, I have had access to conferences, companies and alumni, all of which have served me very well in my career so far.

Knowing where you’re headed

Each MBA journey is unique. However, it is very common to feel uncertain at one point or another when it comes to choosing your next professional step. The LBS Career Centre provides resources to help students navigate this uncertainty. I attended career orientation workshops early in the MBA; these workshops helped me a lot in terms of knowing where to concentrate my efforts. For instance, I immediately discovered that banking was not for me as it did not fit my aspirations. I also had several sessions with my career coaches, who helped me structure my thoughts and think about the pros and cons of different career paths and roles.

Additionally, I was part of the first cohort of the Direct Hire Coaching Programme. This programme was tailored to those students who were going into a direct hire type of position as opposed to a role in a structured hiring scheme (e.g. investment banking or consulting). It was very useful to be part of this dedicated programme as I was able to share ideas with other cohort members to understand how our recruitment process was different and how we should best approach it. Lastly, one thing that the Career Centre often highlights is the importance of having a growth mindset. It makes you realise that it is fine not to know something; that you can learn anything and continuously get better, and that frequent learning causes frequent improvement. This mindset has done wonders for my self-confidence.

Critical compass

If I were to do one thing differently before joining the MBA programme, I would have focused much earlier on developing a career compass to guide me through my time at LBS by finding the overlap across three areas: sectors that I like, areas that I am good at and skills demanded in the market. With this compass, I’d explore two or three sectors and then increase my exposure through internships, conferences and networking. It is always good to have this kind of compass to help you get through a challenging programme like the MBA.

There are so many opportunities that come with studying on a high-calibre programme and at a School with the reputation that LBS has. It feels like there is an internal pressure to take every chance you are given. My advice would be to focus on what you want to explore and do some experimentation. Decide your own future and you will make it happen one way or another.