Victoria Tamayo’s dream is to work at an organization in a finance position that will challenge her knowledge and skills every day. She is currently completing the first year of the full-time MBA program at the University of Illinois, which she sees as a major step toward realizing her dream.

Born in Colombia to a family of six children, Victoria learned at an early age the value of negotiation and teamwork. After completing both a B.S. in Business Administration and a M.S. in Finance, Victoria used the skills and knowledge obtained at home and those from her educational accomplishments to make a difference in the world of finance.

Her first professional job was with ExxonMobil Corporation in Bogota where she served as a Financial Analyst in the Treasury department. In that role, she was responsible for detailed banking reconciliations for all company-owned gas stations, as well as for creating monthly credit reports that were necessary for ensuring that proper accounting procedures were maintained. Victoria remembers this assignment as a time when she learned the value of attending to the details. This has been the hallmark of her work ever since.

After leaving this position, Victoria joined the Latin American Reserve Fund as a portfolio manager. She demonstrated proficiency in that role and was soon promoted to Portfolio Manager for the Long Term and Asset and Liability Management Portfolios. In both of these positions, Victoria set new records for performance.

Victoria realized that she wanted to contribute more to the world of finance and decided, after six years with the Latin American Reserve Fund, that she would pursue an MBA. Overcoming hurdles was nothing new to Victoria, but leaving family and friends to come to the United States certainly presented a new challenge. However, she decided that she was ready for the challenge and pursued it.

Studying in a place far away from her family, Victoria takes every opportunity to interact with her classmates professionally and socially to learn from the various cultures that they represent. “I was delighted to get to the U.S. and see so many nationalities represented in a classroom,” said Victoria when asked about her U.S. educational experience. She also applauds the multiple study abroad opportunities available in the program and sees both the student diversity and the study abroad opportunities as additional ways that the MBA program is preparing students to succeed in the global economy.

Furthermore, she appreciates the rigor of the MBA program and the many things that she is learning. Because of her vast experience, she has been able to contribute significantly to class discussions and says that this is one of the highlights of the program.

She has also been an active participant in various MBA student organizations since she joined the program. She has recently been elected to serve as the VP of Finance for the Latin American Business Society (LABS).

Victoria will complete an internship during the summer between her first and second years in the MBA program where she expects to add to her list of accomplishments. Victoria comments, “I am really looking forward to my internship. I expect that I will grow both professionally and personally.”