This Real Humans: Alumni features Hailey M. Perry, a graduate of the Cambridge Judge MBA Class of 2024 and Bain consultant who pursued an MBA in order to study management and leadership theories, learn from a diverse set of peers, and practice these skills in a ‘safe to fail’ environment. As a sponsored student, Judge’s one-year program ensured she wouldn’t lose her career momentum as she built her professional skillset alongside a diverse cohort. Read her story here.
Hailey M Perry, Cambridge Judge MBA ’24, Consultant at Bain & Company
Age: 30
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Union College (NY), Economics
Graduate Business School, Graduation Year and Concentration: University of Cambridge Judge Business School, 2024, Healthcare concentration
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Senior Associate Consultant, Bain & Company, Consulting
Post-MBA Work Experience: Consultant, Bain & Company, Consulting
Why did you choose to attend business school?
As I prepared to take on a bigger role at Bain, I wanted the opportunity to build and test out my professional leadership toolkit before being asked to use it in a meaningful way. An MBA allowed me the chance to study management & leadership theories, learn from a diverse set of peers, practice these skills in a ‘safe to fail’ environment, and have the time and space to reflect.
Why Cambridge Judge? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Three major factors influenced my decision when choosing Cambridge Judge.
First, I wanted to be a part of a university, not just a business school. Cambridge Judge is a vibrant community in and of itself, MBA students are also a real part of the University of Cambridge community, further expanding your brand and opportunities.
The diversity of the cohort was also a huge draw. As someone who wants to have a global career, getting to build meaningful connections with students from around the globe was amazing and led to some amazing discussions and learnings.
Lastly, the one-year programme made a lot of sense for me as a sponsored student. I wanted the full-time MBA experience, but did not want to step away from my career momentum for a full two years.
What about your MBA experience prepared you for your current career? How do you feel that your MBA has been an asset when it comes to navigating new challenges, such as AI?
The MBA offered me a lot of time to reflect on what I wanted the next stage of my career to look like, and how I wanted to carry myself throughout this next phase. As I navigate new challenges, I’m able to measure my responses versus the standards and goals I set for myself, and it helps me to determine to set a path forward.
I was very fortunate that LLMs really popularized during my time at Cambridge. Getting the chance to get comfortable with prompting, and learning about some of AI’s fun quirks in an educational vs. professional environment was hugely beneficial. Cambridge also had so much going on around AI – coursework, lectures, research, and startups, that it gave me so many opportunities to understand a level deeper and have a greater appreciation for AI.
What was your internship during business school? How did that inform your post-MBA career choice?
I had the opportunity to conduct two internships during my MBA. I worked at Cambridge Capital Group, screening potential investments for a business angel network of private investors, and as a Summer Transformation intern focused on operations projects at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, as part of the NHS MBA internship scheme.
While I knew throughout both internships that I would return to Bain, I was able to bring something back from both.
Through my time at the NHS, I had the opportunity to fully own my projects and deliver findings back to executives. This was a great way to start getting early reps on things I would soon be doing with my clients back in consulting, and I loved re-connecting with healthcare and getting to learn so much about the NHS.
At CCG, I met with founders from many different industries. This allowed me to get comfortable asking probing questions even when I felt a bit out of my depth. It also gave me greater conviction in the importance of strong storytelling, and has caused me to think more critically about my own communication.
Why did you choose your current company? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to work?
While I did not actively recruit during my MBA – I continue to choose Bain because of the support of the people I work with. I was immensely supported in my decision to get an MBA, and I’ve had such a great experience since my return with so much thoughtful discussion around my development and goals.
Advice to current MBA students:
–One thing you would absolutely do again as part of the job search?
Try and build meaningful connections when an early introduction resonates. Networking is not always a means to an end, it’s about building a personal board of directors for the journey!
–One thing you would change or do differently?
I had the best MBA experience at Judge – I learned a lot, I was involved, I travelled, and I made lifelong friends. I would not change a thing!
–Were there any surprises in your employer’s recruiting process?
I am always surprised at how reflective some interview questions force you to be. Some of the interviews, where I connected with the interviewers the best, covered some of my most challenging and proud moments. Doing some preparation to relate your personal stories to the role you are interviewing for can go a really long way.
–What do you wish you had been told during your MBA?
How fast it goes! There isn’t a lot of time for saying “I’ll get to this” – make it happen now!
