For Moore School alumnus Alfredo Azpurua (’10 MBA), obtaining his MBA has provided him with the opportunity to progress in his career at Bank of America and undertake more duties and responsibilities on a global scale.
Azpurua decided to enroll in the Professional MBA program in 2008 so that he could further develop the necessary business skills to permit him to advance in his career.
“In my case, I understood that an MBA is a must if I want to continue to progress to more senior levels in my professional career,” Azpurua said. “Moreover, I still was self-searching for my professional aspirations, and I was also very intellectually curious to continue to expand my business acumen with a more global focus learning from different cultures.”
He said while researching different programs, the Moore School’s Professional MBA program stood out because of its ranking as well as its value. Azpurua said he felt like the Moore School was the perfect fit as it was a place where he could focus on his passion for international business as well as collaborate with professionals from various industries.
“I thought that it was the best return on investment/best value in comparison to other schools in North Carolina and South Carolina,” he said. “In addition, I wanted to expand my professional network outside of financial services so I could have exposure to other fields and diverse backgrounds.”
In the Professional MBA program, Azpurua was able to gain new skills through his courses as well as expand his international business knowledge through a study abroad program in China. Having the opportunity to go abroad with his other classmates was his most memorable experience in the program.
“I had the opportunity to travel to China for three weeks with a cohort of International MBA students where we had the chance to learn about the culture, visit 10 different companies and check a bucket list item visiting the Great Wall of China,” he said.
Through his study abroad experience and coursework, Azpurua said he gained a new business skillset that has allowed him to excel in his career. While in the Professional MBA program, he was able to improve his communication and critical thinking skills by learning how to manage teams effectively with diverse backgrounds.
“My MBA helped me open doors to new opportunities in my professional career,” he said. “I had the opportunity to manage global projects and travel to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France and the United Kingdom with Bank of America. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to manage global HR programs impacting more than 200,000 employees across more than 40 countries.”
Azpurua has applied these skills in his current role as a compliance and operational risk manager supporting global human resources for Bank of America. In this role, he is responsible for providing an independent point of view around potential risks for different process and controls related to human resources.
“I specifically support compensation, leadership development/talent planning and regional HR Latin America teams,” He said. “In addition, I am a risk partner supporting different work streams related to COVID-19, including contact tracing, HR call center and vaccines.”
Azpurua said he is thankful for the time that he spent at the Moore School and everything he learned while in the Professional MBA program. In the future, he hopes to one day focus his career in human resources.
“After some years of self-searching, I have decided that I want to focus on a career in human resources” he said. “My professional aspiration is to become a human resources executive in a global organization where I can use my business acumen, leadership development and executive coaching skills.”
-Claire McGrath