Jacques Alazraki, Assistant Vice President at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and a graduate of the Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration and the Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Universidad ORT Uruguay, spoke about the benefits he gained from pursuing both degrees.
You have a bachelor's degree in management and a bachelor's degree in economics. How do these two fields of study complement each other?
I began the Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration in March 2002 because of my passion for the business world and my desire to start a business in Uruguay.
I realized that the recession at that time was an excellent opportunity to also specialize in financial and economic aspects, combining both degree programs to become a better-trained professional and thus face a highly competitive and complex world with greater knowledge. Combining the Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration with the Bachelor’s Degree in Economics was key to achieving this.
In order to pursue both degrees simultaneously, the flexible schedule and the elective course structure were very important.
Regarding the Bachelor’s in Management, the case method is valuable for engaging students in the practical exercise of making managerial decisions at all levels, which impact the strategic implementation and performance of each company.
The rigorous training of the Bachelor’s in Economics positions students to think more abstractly about the multiple variables of the macroeconomic environment, taking into account the financial risks inherent in each context.
What are the strengths of each one?
The strengths of both institutions include a qualified faculty that stays current in their respective fields and the specific context of each program; the teacher-student relationship as a means of deepening learning; and the course completion requirements, which emphasize sustained engagement with each course.
The added value is intangible and applies to day-to-day work, helping me manage new projects with a broader and more methodical perspective by combining all the skills that both degree programs provide. My work experiences allowed me to apply the concepts I learned in class to concrete decisions and assess the impact of each one.
In 2007, you said in an interview on the ORT website that college “provides a valuable business perspective on how to thoroughly analyze different types of businesses and markets.” Now, with more experience and a career under your belt, do you still value those same strengths?
ORT provides valuable training on the theoretical aspects that every manager must consider when dealing with day-to-day operations within the organization, as well as with all of its stakeholders. The training I received has given me the tools to make decisions based on sound reasoning and analysis rather than intuition.
You completed a graduate program at New York University’s Leonard Stern School of Business. What did that program offer you?
Earning my MBA at this university was a deeply enriching experience and a significant step forward in my professional development. It opened doors to a broader, more complex, dynamic, and stimulating world. The knowledge I gained at ORT, combined with my six years of work experience prior to beginning my graduate studies in New York, served as the foundation that allowed me to give my all and make the most of that experience.
What has your career path been like?
I began working in 2006 at Thesis Uruguay, the company responsible for recovering past-due and delinquent loans from four banks that had gone bankrupt during the 2002 crisis. In early 2009, I joined DUCSA, the leading company in Uruguay’s downstream oil and gas sector.
In 2012, I was accepted into NYU Stern to pursue the full-time MBA programme. After graduating, I worked for two years at the investment banking firm TAG Latin America Partners.
Following that experience, an opportunity arose to continue my career in financial projects at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), in the division covering Latin America, with a focus on the Power & Renewables sector.
I advise clients on wind, solar, natural gas, hydroelectric, transmission line, biomass, and battery energy storage projects, among others, helping them structure their financing so they can develop these projects with the necessary resources and within the planned timeframe.
SMBC is a leading global bank, recognized in Latin America for its financing of infrastructure and energy projects. Working on projects that have a significant positive impact on the environment and the communities where the energy is generated is extremely rewarding.
What advice would you give to current business and economics students?
I encourage students to be curious and to develop a vision focused on creating added value for Uruguay and the world. Beyond the knowledge one can acquire academically, it is essential to apply it from the very beginning to drive and solidify learning.
The key to success and the competitive edge one can create is fundamentally based on the passion with which one carries out their work, the ability to constantly improve and innovate, and having enough humility to keep learning and growing.