Originally from Mexico, Georgette Damian Lopez (MBA’15) did her undergrad at the Fundacion Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, where she majored in Economics. She then did a Diploma in Banking, Credit & Risk Management at Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM). She started her career as a Consultant but then later joined the Mexican Government as a Financial Regulator, where she stayed until the start of her MBA at McGill. After a year-long internship at a public sector pension fund, Georgette graduated and eventually joined Cirque du Soleil as a Senior Advisor in the Financial Engineering and Development department. She continues her work at Cirque in Montreal.
We have asked her to tell us more about her MBA journey and the challenges she faced and overcame to start a successful career in Canada.
"Wow! Those were an intense 2 years! Now what?" That was my immediate question right after I realized the MBA was over and I was finally holding my precious, hard-won diploma in my hands. My confidence, in combination with the fact that I attended one of Canada’s top programs, led me to believe that I was guaranteed to be offered a full-time job following a year-long internship at a renowned pension fund management firm. I am not sure where this sense of entitlement came from, but I guess that the intensity of the experience made me think that somehow, the future would take care of itself. I wrongly assumed that I deserved to have everything I desired delivered on a silver platter and I failed to cover all my bases by taking the full-time offer for granted.
Needless to say, I was shocked when my then-employer informed me that the internship contract would not be turned into a full-time job offer. The perfectionist that I am strived to give my 100% to both the MBA and the internship, which left me little time for an external job search, let alone enough time to take care of myself. (I even started neglecting activities that made me happy, such as Bikram yoga, my life passion!)
During the private equity internship, part of me knew that the role was not the right fit for me. I was not a so-called typical finance person and I lacked passion for the tasks that I was performing and which should have come to me easily. As time went by, the extra hours and extra efforts I spent forcing myself into a mold that was just not fitting started stressing me out.
After the initial shock of not getting the full-time offer, my immediate and instinctive reaction was a sense of relief. It may sound crazy but this sense of relief took precedence over the panic of graduating unemployed, because I knew I was about to start a journey of soul-searching and self-discovery. Looking back, I can now say with confidence that I wouldn’t be where I am today had things turned out differently.
Graduating from Canada’s best MBA program without an immediate offer, and what could I do? First, I just kept going. What kept me going in the uncertain months was that deep down, I somehow knew things would work out for the best, and I trusted that. I held on to that belief, and I kept knocking on doors. Similar to when I was looking for an internship, I had to face rejection a few times, but the difference this time is that while I wasn’t completely sure of what I was looking for, at least I knew what I did not want. This gave me a sense of clarity during the job search.
Also, having gone through these challenges made me stronger and I was certainly not going to let these uncertain times get the best of me! I think the most important lesson that I learned during the months following graduation was the importance of being resilient, being willing to roll-up my sleeves and not letting the sense of entitlement work against me.
I took up a temporary job in customer service in the summer following graduation to pay for my bills until the recruitment season picked up again. It gave me the opportunity to work on my soft skills, and to realize that having an MBA didn’t make me better than other people, nor did it guarantee me a paved path to success. I learned a great deal on how to better deal with people, how to handle difficult situations and as a bonus, I even polished my French.
All of these skills came handy for my first interview with… guess who? The world-renowned ! The pieces of this seemingly messy puzzle finally came together during the fall of 2015. I saw a job posting online for a Senior Analyst position in Financial Engineering and Development at Cirque du Soleil. At the time I thought: “Me? A Senior Financial Analyst at one of the world's most renowned entertainment companies? Get out of here!” But then I realized that I had chastised myself enough and that I should believe in my potential.
After all, I had received a solid academic training at Ď㽶ĘÓƵ, I had a valuable year of equity research experience in a renowned pension fund in Montreal, I had the support of my McGill family and, most importantly, I knew my worth and what I was capable of doing.
It was not the time to let anything get in my way, let alone my own self-doubt! So I went on and applied online, waited for a full month, and then, out of the blue I received an email from an HR recruiter at Cirque du Soleil: she wanted to interview me on that very same day over the phone (not a lot of time to prepare!). I rushed home, tried to calm my nerves down and answered the call. My heart was racing, but at the end of the interview, I realized I had done it, and all in French! (While not all jobs in Montreal require the knowledge of French, this one did, and I was proud to have improved my skills at that level!)
Apparently, I left such a good impression on the recruiter that she wanted to meet me in person at Cirque's headquarters for a second interview during the following week. In preparation for the second interview, Prof. Sujata Madan suggested that I build a financial model for one of Cirque du Soleil’s shows, which is essentially what was expected of me in that role. I followed her advice and carried out all possible research I could come across about the company, its history and its future projects. Prof. Sujata's commitment to my success was such that she even stayed up past midnight on the day before the interview to give me feedback on the model I had built.
With this vote of confidence, there was no way I was letting her down, and there was no way I was leaving my fate to chance this time. I was willing to go the extra mile and to do what nobody else had done before. I convinced myself that this job was going to be mine, and I was not going to let anything take it away from me. When I showed up to the interview, the head of HR and my soon-to-be manager were very impressed with the fact that I had gone out of my way to build a financial model from scratch for a show that hadn't even premiered (a tribute touring show of an Argentinian rock band that I was a huge fan of, back in my teens!)Funny enough, it was while I was preparing for that interview that I realized how fun work could be when you are truly passionate about what you do.
I guess this brings me back to the notion of fit and how I knew just from this simple project that this would be the right kind of environment for me. My passion must have come across during the interview, since I got called back for a third and final round with my soon-to-be director, for whom I had to present a strategy behind the financials of their new show. I dug deep to bring out the consultant in me (a tough feat when all you have been doing is finance!), and somehow did very well: I was offered the job a couple of days later! All the resilience and perseverance finally paid off, and I can proudly say that my heart and soul are finally at peace doing something I truly enjoy every day.
Georgette Damian Lopez at Cirque du Soleil's headquarters.
What I learned from all this and what I would like to impart to you.
Take ownership of your fate
This series of events led to one of my biggest MBA learnings, which was to never leave my fate in the hands of others, and to continuously look after my best interests. Had I dedicated more of my time to looking for alternatives, perhaps I wouldn't have graduated unemployed. The truth is that the future never depends entirely on external circumstances. While there are always some factors that one cannot control, those that can be controlled must always be under one’s radar with a readiness to act upon them.
Keep believing in yourself
Another crucial lesson that I learned was to always listen to my own heart, and never, under any circumstance, lose hope. Keeping faith in the fact that things will eventually work out and most importantly, keeping faith in myself is what helped me rise from the ashes. Embrace patience and resilience and let them guide you to success.
Remember to be grateful
What I went through during all those uncertain months makes me appreciate what I have now even more, so when I feel like complaining about nuances like the occasional rushed deadlines or finding myself falling into a rut, I look back at the days when I had nothing, and a renewed sense of gratefulness kicks in and gives me the strength to push forward and to continue giving my 100% to my beloved company. Complaining is now a thing of the past for me!
Look for a sense of purpose
Today, I can also proudly say that I feel part of a greater purpose: that of bringing joy to people's lives. Through their shows, Cirque du Soleil brings happiness to an otherwise stern world, connecting to the audience with the mission of stimulating their imagination, provoking their senses, and evoking their emotions. To me, contributing to humanity and serving a higher purpose is a core value, and I couldn't be happier to work for a company that shares that. When I first decided to study finance, it was admittedly with the purpose of surpassing the famous six-figure salary. What I realized along the way is that there is so much more to professional success than financial success. My need for connection is paramount, and central to my professional happiness. I feel lucky to be part of a team like Cirque’s, which is very much like a family and cares continuously about my well-being.
Be healthy and do the things you love
Contributing very much to my professional and personal success, is a great quality of life in Montreal. I have reasonable work hours and I have time to go to yoga, hang out with friends, read, write, go to the movies, etc. In short, I have time for the things that nourish my soul and I stopped neglecting my health. And last, but not least, I am part of a company that has aligned values, such as imparting happiness, taking risks, and overcoming obstacles.
As a quick conclusion to this post I am still amazed at what did back when he founded Cirque du Soleil. Against all odds, when everybody told him that what he envisioned couldn't be done, he went on and carried out his vision anyway. The more I learn about my company's history, the more I realize how many risks its people took, how many obstacles they overcame, and how many odds the company faced to become the iconic brand that it is today. I can't help but identify with such a success story and wish to contribute to it. And this is my parting word to you: find something you are passionate about and things will work out both personally and professionally – you will find it within you to overcome all that comes in your path!Â
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