Five MBA Students Named 2017 Siebel Scholars

Five highly accomplished MBA students are this year’s Siebel Scholars at Stanford GSB.

September 27, 2016

 

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2017 Siebel Scholars, from left to right: David Zhang, Katherine Archibald, Federico Mossa, Carolyn Kooi, and Sebastian Serra | Stacy Geiken

An entertainment executive, a strategy expert, an outdoor adventurer studying public policy, a dual-degree student passionate about promoting growth in Mexico, and an investor with an avid interest in sports are this year’s Siebel Scholars at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The second-year MBA students are the newest members of an elite group of exceptional scholars selected for the honor each year by a faculty committee. Chosen on the basis of both academic achievement and leadership ability during their first year at the business school, they are among the brightest students from the country’s top graduate schools of business, computer science, and bioengineering, and are leading the way in the collaborative search for solutions to the world’s most critical issues. Siebel students generally rank in the top 5 percent of their class — often in the top 5 percent — and receive a tuition grant as part of their award.

This year’s Siebel Scholars are Katherine “Kate” Joan Archibald, Carolyn Kooi, Federico Mossa, Sebastian Serra, and David Zhang.

Katherine “Kate” Joan Archibald

Kate has served as an Impact Labs investing associate, a Global Study Trip leader, and a Stanford Wilderness Guide. Over the summer, she interned on the Strategy, Planning and Management Team for the Global Development Program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Interested in the intersection of public policy and business, she has worked as an investment banking analyst specializing in nonprofits, as an econometric researcher focused on health care, and as a consultant at a clean energy think-tank. She earned her undergraduate degree in English from Yale University, where she graduated cum laude with distinction. She’s a passionate outdoor adventurer, and in 2015 completed a 500-mile solo thru-hike of the Colorado Trail.

Carolyn Kooi

Carolyn is co-president of Stanford’s Challenge for Charity (C4C) chapter, the Marketing Club, and the Basketball Club, and works as a Stanford Peer Tutor. She’s a member of Stanford GSB’s Entrepreneurial Summer Program, and spent the summer at an early stage cyber-security company that uses anonymity to bridge intelligence silos and increase cross-company collaboration. Prior to attending business school, she worked at Parthenon-EY in San Francisco, where her wide array of projects included the company’s first qualitative and quantitative assessment of New Zealand’s higher education market. Carolyn, from Lafayette, Calif., graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2012, with a major in environmental studies and a focus in environmental economics.

Federico Mossa

At Stanford GSB Federico is the co-president of the Arts, Media and Entertainment Club. He also serves as a teaching assistant for Leadership in the Entertainment Industry, and as part of the leadership team for an official Global Study Trip to Italy. This summer he worked at Netflix in Content Planning and Analysis. Before arriving at Stanford GSB, he spent six years with Universal Music Group, where he negotiated licensing deals with digital music platforms; helped establish a joint venture with the UK’s largest radio group; and analyzed sales data and market trends. Federico is a summa cum laude graduate of Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan, where he studied Public Management, later earning his Master of Science in Finance in 2008. He is a recipient of the Bocconi Graduate Merit Award for academic excellence. Federico, who grew up in Sardinia, Italy, plays guitar, bass and piano, and has written, performed and produced four albums in his home recording studio.

Sebastian Serra

Sebastian is a Mexican student undertaking a dual degree at Stanford GSB and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He’s excited by the idea of promoting growth in Mexico through the modernization of the country’s energy industry and improved access to financial technology. In the summer of 2015, Sebastian worked at the Mexican Ministry of Energy and the Environmental Defense Fund; this summer he worked at Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex), Mexico’s national oil and gas company. Before joining Stanford GSB, Sebastian worked at Yale’s Investments Office, where he worked to monitor existing and potential investments, including the university’s natural resources portfolio. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Yale, and received the Conacyt-Sener scholarship by the Mexican government, awarded to students with an energy background pursuing graduate studies outside of Mexico.

David Zhang

In his first year at Stanford GSB, David pursued opportunities to grow his interest in investing by interning at the Stanford Management Company , conducting a field study with Crescent Park Management, and joining the Finance & Investment Club. During the summer, he worked at Farallon Capital Management, where he evaluated and researched investment opportunities in merger arbitrage and other event-driven situations. Prior to business school, David spent three years at the Yale Investments Office working on the absolute return portfolio and the asset allocation team. He passed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst exams and spent the summer immediately before Stanford GSB working at Sophos Capital Management. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale University where he received a B.A. in Economics with Distinction and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. David grew up in Tacoma, Washington, and is an avid sports fan.

About Siebel Scholars

The Siebel Scholars program was founded in 2000 by the Siebel Foundation to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, bioengineering, and energy science. Today, an active community of over 1,000 leaders serves as advisors to the Siebel Foundation and works collaboratively to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

About the Siebel Foundation

The Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, a nonprofit, public benefit corporation, was established as a private foundation in 1996. Its mission is to foster programs and organizations that improve the quality of life, environment, and education of its community members. The Siebel Foundation funds projects to support the homeless and underprivileged, education and research, public health, and alternative energy solutions.

—By Beth Jensen

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