Chief Financial Officer, Mineworkers Investment Company (Pty) Ltd.
Current City: Johannesburg, South Africa
Citizenship: Zimbabwe
Executive MBA Student Profile Cynthia Pongweni
Cynthia Pongweni: 00:07
I knew that I wanted to do an MBA program that would provide me with global exposure, that would be able to expand my networks on a global basis, and would also be able to expose me to global way of doing things, in terms of business. And for me, Booth ticked all of those. The quality of the professors that deliver the classroom material is top-notch. The quality of the students that we interact with is also fantastic, just given the diverse backgrounds that they come from. I've met a lot of very interesting, funny people, people that have challenged me to think differently. I think the one thing that fellow classmates and I haven't common is that we are all very competitive and we are all such high achievers. I think everyone comes in there being a leader, and having been successful in their own right, and is just willing to bring that success and that knowledge into the classroom experience.
“One thing that my fellow classmates and I have in common is that we are all very competitive and we are all such high achievers. I think everyone comes in being a leader and having been successful in their own right, and they are willing to bring that success and knowledge into the classroom experience.”
— Cynthia Pongweni
Cynthia Pongweni: 00:04
I am a Zimbabwean living in South Africa, and I'm currently working as a financial director for a private-equity firm based in Johannesburg. Our company is a private equity company that was set up to invest in cash-generative assets, which would enable us to fund the social activities of previously disadvantaged mine workers, one of the lowly paid members of society. Having spent approximately 15, 16 years in business, I thought that an MBA was that tool that would be able to help me consolidate my knowledge and help me to be able to become a better business leader and to be more effective in my role. I am married and we have a two-year-old daughter. When I started with my daughter was 10 months old. Being a new mom and starting an MBA program was difficult to say the least. The way I personally balance the home life and work responsibilities is that I stick to strict timetable.
Cynthia Pongweni: 01:02
I've had to make sure that I set aside specific time for studying and also set aside time to be able to catch up with the family. My upbringing has taught me that anything worth having in this world needs to be worked hard for. So, I acknowledge the fact that the Chicago Booth experience is intense. It requires a lot of hard work and it requires one to make many sacrifices, in terms of work and family. But knowing the quality of the Booth experience, knowing that qualification is going to make me a better leader and great to set me apart from my counterparts, makes it all worth it.
More from Chicago Booth