GET TO KNOW ME

Ian Abbott has worked with hundreds of students, interns, and professionals to help them achieve their goals. He has had a career across sectors and industries, and navigated career switches himself – so his advice is a result his personal experience and the experiences of the many people he’s previously coached. He has professional experience in various industries, including: financial services, technology, education, management consulting, and nonprofit management.

He served as a career coach for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity for several years, where he coached dozens of Wall Street interns through successful summer internships and offer negotiations.

When it comes to graduate school admissions, Ian knows the process thoroughly. He applied to several graduate programs himself, and was one of the less than 1% of applicants to successfully gain admission to Harvard Business School (HBS), Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB), the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), and Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) in the same admissions cycle. He knows what is takes to craft a standout application and he has successfully guided dozens of other students through the application and interview process.

He holds his MBA from Harvard Business School and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with honors from Morehouse College, and he is originally from Newport News, VA.

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Before Harvard, he worked at Morgan Stanley, an investment bank in New York City working in a variety of roles (product, research, and strategy). During his graduate studies, he worked with McKinsey and Company, The Obama Foundation, and LearnLux (a fintech startup focused on delivering financial education as a benefit via employers).  He is currently a Product Manager at a technology-led financial services company in the Washington D.C. area, focusing on improving small businesses. In all these diverse opportunities and roles, he has had the chance to work with executive teams on a set of dynamic and challenging issues that have produced significant outcomes. Ian is equipped with strong analytical skills and a managerial toolkit, and moving forward, he is focused on developing products and services that will have scalable impact on communities and the world. Additionally, he hopes to empower individuals to pursue their own goals and craft their own paths for success.