Five second-year MBA students at Stanford GSB have been selected as 2026 Siebel Scholars in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements and commitment to building the future. The students — Victor Asiwe, Anne Rosenblatt, David Liang, Maxine Vainio, and Céline Vendler — were chosen by a committee of Stanford GSB faculty. They will each receive a $35,000 scholarship to be put toward their final year of study.
Siebel Scholars, from left: Anne Rosenblatt, Victor Asiwe, Maxine Vainio, David Liang, Céline Vendler
The Siebel Scholars program was established by the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation in 2000 to recognize the most talented students at the world’s leading graduate schools of business, computer science, bioengineering, and energy science. Each year, more than 90 graduate students at the top of their class are selected during their final year of studies. More than 1,900 Siebel Scholars currently serve as advisors to the Siebel Foundation and work collaboratively to find solutions to society’s most pressing problems.
The 2026 Siebel Scholars are:
Victor Asiwe
Victor Asiwe graduated with distinction from the University of Cape Town with a BBusSci in Actuarial Science, one of only two students to achieve this honor while ranking top in his final two years, for which he received Discovery and Bain & Company awards. He is among the youngest Fellows of the Actuarial Society of South Africa, specializing in general insurance. Prior to Stanford GSB, he worked five years at Discovery Insure, where he established and led the technical pricing team managing a $25B+ sums insured portfolio at the global insurance innovation leader. At Stanford GSB, he serves as CFO of the Africa Business Club, was elected to the Academic Committee, and is a teaching assistant. This summer, he interned at Silicon Valley-based PayJoy. Victor served on the executive committee of the Association of South African Black Actuarial Professionals and mentors aspiring actuaries across Africa.
Anne Rosenblatt
Anne Rosenblatt graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she studied History and Literature and received a certificate in French. Prior to pursuing her MBA at Stanford GSB, she was a project leader at the Boston Consulting Group in their Consumer practice. Anne primarily supported fashion and apparel clients, leading large-scale digital transformations and implementing data-driven operating models across organizations. At Stanford GSB, she serves on the leadership team of the Consumer and Retail club and as an active member of the Jewish Business Student Association. This summer, she worked with United Talent Agency’s Creators Product Group, developing consumer brand ideas and collaboration strategies for the agency’s digital talent. In her free time, Anne enjoys playing tennis, reading, and traveling.
David Liang
David Liang was born in Guizhou, China, and grew up in Hong Kong. He graduated summa cum laude with BA degrees in Economics and Political Science from the University of Chicago, where he was valedictorian and recipient of the Howell Murray Medal. Prior to Stanford, David worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising leading AI, fintech, and retail companies in Asia on strategy and large-scale transformation. At Stanford GSB, David chairs the Student Association Career Committee, serves as co-president of the Asian Business Student Association and of the Greater China Business Club, and leads the fintech investment team of the GSB Impact Fund. This summer, David worked as the go-to-market lead at Qurrent, a San Francisco-based agentic AI startup that delivers custom AI workforce for enterprise customers. In his spare time, David enjoys golfing, fine dining, and venture investing.
Maxine Vainio
Maxine Vainio graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale University with a BA in History and French. She began her career at Dior in New York before transitioning to McKinsey, where she focused on growth, marketing, and sales. Maxine most recently worked at Chanel in their Fragrance & Beauty division. This summer, she interned at Estée Lauder Companies. At Stanford GSB, Maxine is an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow and will be leading a Global Study Trip to the UK and Finland, her home countries. She is also a passionate horse rider who has represented Team Finland in international dressage competitions.
Céline Vendler
Céline Vendler earned her AB in English from Harvard University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She received the Sophia Freund Prize, Harvard’s highest academic honor. She is an elected member of the Signet, Harvard’s arts and letters society, and her thesis on Seamus Heaney’s poetry is housed in the university archives. Before the GSB, Céline worked as a product manager at high-growth, mission-driven startups: first at Chime, building financial tools for everyday Americans, and then at Aurora Solar, building software for solar professionals. At Stanford GSB, she is co-president of the Venture Capital Club, a Galvanizer director, a Corporations and Society Initiative student leader, and an Academic Committee member. She also invested in the Impact Fund and co-founded “Artificial Whimsy,” a newsletter on technology and humanity. This summer, Céline worked in venture capital at M13. Raised in Los Angeles, Céline loves the arts, the sun, and the ocean.
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.
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