I Am Central:
Victoria V. Makarova
May 2008 graduate
Master of Business
Administration program
Management consulting concentration
Before CMU:
Earned a Juris Doctor and a Ph.D. in law in her home country of Russia. She also worked as a public prosecutor in Moscow for two years.
Why CMU?
“I heard about the university when I was a law student in Russia. CMU professors came to my school to visit. I always wanted to do management consulting, and I saw CMU had a consulting concentration.”
After graduation:
She’ll work for KPMG International in Chicago as a senior associate for forensic practices, advising client companies on fraud and misconduct, dispute resolutions, cross-border investigations, risk management, and anti-money-laundering strategies.
Best thing about CMU?
“You always can be comfortable and ask a question. The classes are not so big. The MBA program itself is really great. It combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience.”
Culture shock:
Victoria packed mostly business suits to wear to class, but…. “I came to my first class, and I saw a girl in pajamas. I thought, ‘All right, I need to go shopping.’”
Biggest challenge?
“To communicate with people from different countries, because all people have different beliefs and experiences. In the U.S., all communication is very direct, and I wasn’t used to that. Russian students don’t ask a lot of questions. American students challenge professors quite often.”
Most fun?
“Attending an American university provides a huge opportunity. For me, it was fun to study. It sounds really strange, but that’s what I enjoyed.”
