By Benedikt Jürges
Over many years, I developed my international mindset through various experiences. I am confident that this international background allows me to take various perspectives into consideration and supports effective decision making.
2012
My first big cross-cultural experience took place in India, where I attended high-school in Bangalore and lived with a local family for two months in the age of 16. This immersive experience was supported with a scholarship by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
In the same year, I experienced another cultural environment through a high-school exchange to the USA. During this, I visited Detroit, Boston, and New York City.
2013
While working hard to graduate with a high GPA from high-school, I wanted to broaden my understanding of different cultures further. For this, I organized two three-week journeys to Chile and Peru.
2014
In 2014, I graduated from high-school with a German Abitur and the perfect average of 1.0 (US GPA: 4.0), I started a 10-months, self-organized trip around the world. During this trip, I visited countries in Asia & Pacific, South, and North America. At the same time, I spent one month in Santiago de Chile learning Spanish. This experience was further enriched through continuous interaction with travelers and locals from countless cultures and social backgrounds.
2016
To enable others to make similar experiences, I organized, in a team of 5, a studytrip for 40 students to Vietnam. Not only did our group visit cultural sights but also learned about local business practices from two companies that I had built contacts with.
Additionally, I participated in the Discover SWUFE Summer School in Chengdu, China, as one of 100 participants. Here, I was the only representative of a Dutch university and had participation fees waived for my ambassador role.
2017
In 2017, I combined my international path with my interest in case solving by participating in the Scotiabank International Case Competition in London, Canada.
As part of the highly-selective RSM Honours Class, I participated in a trip to Silicon Valley, including a memorable visit to Stanford. This trip was the final module to an intensive year-long class that equipped its participants with sophisticated knowledge about start-ups and the flourishing environment of Silicon Valley. To leverage these insights, the final project of the class was an advisory project for a Dutch technology firm, which got awarded highest grade in class.
To also gain international exposure at home, I acted as a buddy for incoming exchange students as well as a buddy for a team visiting Rotterdam during the RSM Case Competition.
Afterwards, I returned to Germany for a controlling internship at Lake Constance. This allowed me to learn about the business culture in my home country while also further developing my professional background.
2018
Upon returning to Rotterdam, I acted as a teaching assistant at RSM, coaching students in the only BSc course collaboration between TU Delft and my home university. Additionally, I led a team to victory in a case competition in Riga, Latvia.
In July 2018, I graduated cum laude, with GPA of 8.87/10 (US GPA: 4.0) and as part of the top 5% of my program with a B.Sc. in International Business Administration.
Following on this, I then joined TransMatch Capital Partners, a private equity firm, for a two-month summer internship.
In September 2018, I then moved on to start my M.Sc. in Financial Economics at the University of Oxford. Here, I was able to deepen my understanding of the world of finance and grow further than ever before in a highly international environment.
To share my passion for traveling, I also organized two trips around the UK for other classmates. This way, I made something one of my friends described as "scary" accessible and empowered others to also follow my passion.
2019 - 2021
With the end of my studies in July 2019 and my graduation from Oxford with merit, a new chapter in my life started: I joined McKinsey & Company's Berlin office. Here, I continued to grow my analytical skillset and build a foundation for any future opportunities. Over two years, I was serving clients across Europe - in Austria, France, Switzerland, and Spain - across various functions and industries. During this time, I particularly focused on Financial Services and Digital Business Building. At McKinsey, I rapidly broadened my impact, already leading teams after a bit more than a year and representing McKinsey at Erasmus University.
2021
To take the next step in my personal development and explore a new geography, I moved to Singapore to pursue an MBA at INSEAD. Not only did this allow me to immerse myself deeper into the regional business practices and trends, but also enabled me to explore my interests in innovation and business building further.
2022 - today
Captivated by Singapore, starting from its international soul to the enormous business opportunities in the city and the region, I extended my stay beyond my MBA degree. I joined Airwallex, a global fintech in the payments space, taking on responsibilities across strategy, project leadership, and product management. Airwallex's global DNA allowed me to further broaden my international perspective by working with teams and leading projects across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
To learn more about me and my journey, please feel free to reach out via my LinkedIn