Team

Chioma

All things considered, I was destined to lead an international admissions consultancy. With a psychology undergrad degree, I studied counseling for my masters. Preparing to graduate, I had the option of becoming a family therapist or working as an academic advisor to students, helping them navigate their college experience and minimizing transition problems between high school and college. Having served for two years as a resident advisor, the advisory option felt natural and I’ve never looked back.

I cut my admissions teeth at two of America’s finest institutions of higher learning: Carnegie Mellon and Harvard Business School. Sitting on the decision-making side of the table, it occurred to me that applicants who branded themselves were the ones we accepted. This awareness sparked the creation of EXPARTUS®.

I reviewed thousands of candidates’ applications at those universities and know firsthand how many talented, ambitious and qualified applicants botched their interviews and essays or failed to put their best foot forward.

My role at EXPARTUS® is now primarily one of leadership. I support my staff by vetting every single client before we agree to work with them and I work with a handful of clients myself. At EXPARTUS®, we really do say “no” when we’re not a good fit. I’m building a community, not trying to grab the next client. Someday I look forward to serving the children of today’s clients.

My primary goal in writing The Best Business Schools’ Admissions Secrets: A Former Harvard Business School Admissions Board Member Reveals the Insider Keys to Getting In was to dispel many of the misconceptions that shadow the application process and create transparency for applicants.

I am proud of our dynamic team and hope you will take a few minutes to find out more about them.

Kimberly

Kimberly has several years experience in the small business and financial services sectors, an excellent background from which she is able to help young professionals in their quest to further their educational and professional lives. At EXPARTUS®, she advises young professionals on how to build compelling brands to gain admission to the nation’s top MBA programs.

Upon graduation from Columbia Business School, Kimberly joined her family’s printing and prepress business in New Jersey where she was responsible for Business Development. In this role, Kimberly took the lead in developing a long term strategic plan for the company, restructuring various internal operations and expanding the sales force. Prior to business school, Kimberly spent several years as a member of JPMorgan’s Mergers & Acquisitions team in Houston, TX and subsequently, in their Financial Institutions Group in London, UK where she performed market research, financial analyses and due diligence during buy side and sell side transactions in the US and throughout Europe.

Kimberly earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Finance from Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. Kimberly is an active alumna of CBS, participating in events through groups such as Columbia Women in Business, and is also a volunteer for non profit organizations such as The Dome Project.

Mollie

Mollie has many years of experience in Marketing as well as Admissions. Prior to business school, she worked at Grey Advertising in NYC and post-MBA she was a Brand Manager at The Gillette Company in Boston. She then jumped at the chance to become an Admissions Consultant at Harvard Business School where she read thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of prospective students from all over the world. Mollie’s unique combination of Admissions experience and focus on branding make her a perfect fit at Expartus. She is passionate about helping clients best highlight their talents and experiences.

Mollie gained her undergraduate degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA in 1992. She earned her MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997. Currently, she lives in Sudbury, MA with her husband and four children. She is an active volunteer and fundraiser at her children’s schools and enjoys her fitness classes and monthly book club.

Adaobi

Adaobi is passionate about mentoring and helping young professionals develop effective strategies to achieve their personal and professional goals. Adaobi has worked extensively in the financial services industry. She is a marketing manager at IBM’s Global Financing division and was previously a product controller at JP Morgan Chase. Prior to that, Adaobi was an Analyst in Ford Motor Company’s auto-backed receivables securitization funding team where she analyzed its assets to increase funding capacity. Prior to that, she was a part of United Rentals, Inc. treasurer’s office focused cash management for the firm’s US, Canada and Mexican operations.

Adaobi began her career at MIT Asset Management, Inc. where she performed market research, due diligence and financial analysis on alternative investment strategies targeted to high net worth and institutional investors. Adaobi earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and graduated summa cum laude from Barry University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and International Business. Adaobi enjoys Scrabble and dancing in her free time.

Nicole

Nicole has over 14 years of experience in the supply chain management and over 10 years of experience as a project manager. In October 2008, Nicole joined Boston Scientific’s (BSC) Global Sourcing organization as a strategic sourcing manager responsible of the purchasing of legal and professional services.

Prior to joining BSC, Nicole served as sourcing lead at 2 other top 500 companies: Global Hotel Lead for IBM in Cambrige, MA and Corporate and Professional Services Manager for United Airlines in Chicago, IL. Nicole launched her career in 1997 as a Management Consultant with Pricewaterhousecoopers. There, Nicole specialized in providing ERP solutions and project management expertise to multiple Fortune 100 companies.

Nicole has indepth experience in industries varing from medical devices, information systems, pharmaceutical, aerospace and defense, retail to consumer products.

Raised in Boston, MA, Nicole gained her undergraduate degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. In 2004, she earned her MBA from Columbia Graduate School of Business. Nicole is a world traveler, an active volunteer in her community, and an avid student of contemporary art.

Rachel

I am an MBA Admissions Advisor with EXPARTUS® with 8 years of experience helping clients get into their dream business schools. The role of an admissions advisor is one that taps directly into what I love to do: help talented and motivated individuals succeed in the world of business. My particular passion lies with helping clients develop an effective admissions strategy – one that aligns their unique attributes and personal brand.

My professional experience post-business school focuses on corporate real estate. Currently, I am a senior member of Deutsche Bank’s corporate real estate group, and have held similar roles at Citi and CB Richard Ellis. Pre-business school, I held financial management and investment banking roles with the New York City Investment Fund (NYCIF) and Deutsche Bank.

I am originally from Haiti and am fluent in English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole. I hold an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA in Psychology from Yale University. I am an alumna of SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity), the nation’s premiere summer internship program for talented college students of color, and a dedicated mentor. During my free time, I enjoy salsa dancing, Bikram yoga and playing with my nephews.

I look forward to getting to know your story and helping you get into the school of your dreams!

Devika

Devika has an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School, and a B.A. from Yale University. She has spent several years working in corporate finance, equity research and internal strategy at J.P. Morgan. She has also spent some time in business planning at Coach, Inc., and on launching her own line of baby linens. She also maintains an active dialogue with her family’s tea business in India.

Devika currently lives in Hoboken, NJ with her husband and two young sons. She is an avid cook and food writer, and enjoys blogging about her experiences in the kitchen. Devika grew up in Calcutta, India, where she studied at the La Martiniere for Girls School.

Aly

Aly is an MBA Admission Advisor and Brand Strategist. Aly enjoys helping young professionals identify their personal brand and supporting them during the business school application process. Prior to EXPARTUS®, Aly developed the marketing strategy for Simplisafe – a new concept in homes security – producing web content, planning launch initiatives, and defining a branding strategy.

Previously, Aly was a Buyer at Target working with the Owned Brand team to develop new candy and seasonal food gifts. Prior to business school, Aly was a Principal at The Parthenon Group in both their London and Boston offices. She has worked extensively in the US, Europe and Latin America on a variety of strategic initiatives.

Aly holds an A.B. in Economics from Harvard University and an M.B.A from Harvard Business School. She is originally from El Salvador and has lived in Brazil, Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and the US. Aly currently resides in Minneapolis, MN and enjoys training for sprint triathlons.

Rob

I have spent my career working in the real estate industry. My ‘non-traditional’ path has weaved through investment, asset management, sales and development roles. I believe that these diverse experiences have given me a greater appreciation of each candidate’s unique skill set and background. As an Admissions Consultant with EXPARTUS®, I look forward to helping you identify and highlight your distinctive characteristics and create your ‘personal brand’.

I currently work for a private real estate investment firm based in New York, NY. Prior to this role, I held a development position with CB Richard Ellis, in Houston, TX. The balance of my experience has been with Tishman Speyer, Walt Disney Imagineering’s Real Estate Strategy & Development Group and Intrawest Placemaking – a Canadian based resort development company.

I earned my MBA at Harvard Business School (Boston, MA) and my Honours BA in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of Business (London, Canada).

Cristina

Cristina Silva Gleason is a freelance writer and copy editor who has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe and numerous websites. Prior to freelancing, she worked in Brand Marketing at Digitas and was a member of the Marketing team at ACCION International, a non-profit microfinance organization.

Cristina graduated with High Honors from Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and International Relations. Upon graduation, Cristina worked with the Tufts Admissions department to conduct alumni interviews for prospective students. She continues to enjoy helping students navigate through the admissions process.

She is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, San Jose, Costa Rica and Boston, MA. Cristina currently lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband and two young daughters.

Angel

Angel joined the EXPARTUS® team in 2008 and has primarily focused on advising college applicants. She shares a passion for working with young people and a desire to help them attain their goal of attending their dream college. Witnessing our young clients evolve and blossom over a period of time after several admissions consulting sessions is one of Angel’s greatest rewards.

Angel is originally from Louisiana where she attended Louisiana State University for both Undergraduate and Law School. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration, a B.S. in Civil Law and a Juris Doctorate. Her background includes work in Immigration Law, Public Relations, Corporate Communications, non-profit and dispute resolution. She is active in her community and serves on the board of several socially-driven organizations.