Where did you work before coming to Bucerius?
International Business has always been a soft spot for me; hence it was only natural for me to get involved with corporate law from the beginning, especially with international investment funds, a field I got into on my first job at a small boutique law firm in Chile.
Thankfully, my previous experience in investment funds allowed me to make a significant jump in my career and join Guerrero Olivos, one of Chile’s most important and remarkable law firms, where I worked in the firm’s investment funds team, composed of some of the brightest people I know in the area, this allowed me to get into the ever-growing fintech world.
Why did you decide to study in Germany?
My family and I always maintained strong ties to Germany due to my father’s work as an academic in Chile of one of its most important universities, and as such always held Germany and its academic institutions in the highest regard. Not only that, Germany has always been well known for being a safe and stable country with high-quality living standards and very foreign friendly.
Additionally, I have always thought of Germany as the economic center of Europe and thus, a great place for business. I thought to myself that Germany must be at the vanguard of the international business world and as such there could be no better place in Europe to go and learn “how to do business”.
When time came to choose, and after talking to several of our German academic friends and doing a thorough search of other countries within the European Union (and the United Kingdom), I could only consider Germany as my first option for its high-quality education and lifestyle which I wanted to be part of.
What makes the MLB Program so special in your opinion?
What doesn’t? Not only is the program highly unique, with a very particular business focus which separates it from other traditional Master’s and LL.M. programs, but it also carries a team of professionals (the MLB team and teachers) that make the experience more than special.
The MLB Program is something that I was not looking for in the beginning (as a typical lawyer looking for LL.M.’s) but once I learned about it, I just could not get my mind off it. The program is unconventional for lawyers, and I believe that therein lies its uniqueness and what makes it special. The program can only lead to unconventional and out-of-the-box-thinking lawyers which will only add to our own value, be that working in law firms, government institutions or companies alike.
What are the biggest differences between Germany and Chile?
Aside from Germany’s lovely constant cold and wet weather and heartwarming rigid bureaucracy, Germany is a country where everything (if not most things) work properly. After leaving Chile during one of its biggest security crises in the last couple of decades I have enjoyed the sense of safety that Germany and its cities provide. However, I must say that I miss the food back home and above all my family, since Chilean families (mine included) are real clan-like structures that seldom have a scarcity of family events, gatherings, noise, and delicious food.
MEET OUR MLB STUDENTS
Each year people from all over the world come to study the Bucerius Master of Law and Business. In the Meet interviews they tell their stories. Click here to get to know the other students.
ALL PORTRAITS
What’s an experience in Hamburg that is completely new to you?
Aside from the difficult language barrier (which I am slowly trying to overcome), Hamburg is a city which always had something interesting going on, be it one of the several Flohmärkte (flea markets) that happen during the weekends (and are announced in the city’s official website), the countless Weihnachstmärkte (Christmas markets) that you will find starting at the end of November or the music festivals around the city. Having the U-bahn closed every now and then because they found an old World War II bomb will make your stay definitively not dull!
How do you like living in Hamburg?
I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only by the city itself, which has much to offer but because of the amazing group of individuals that comprise the MLB Program and who make it living here wonderful. Excuses (and bars) to go grab a nice cold beer and have a great time with your MLB friends will never be hard to find. Additionally, the MLB team has helped in not only academic aspects of life here in Hamburg, which has made the experience of living here even better and totally worthwhile.
You worked in investment funds and fintech - What are your future career plans?
I would love to stay in Germany and work for a while before heading back to Chile. Regardless of my legal background, I would like to work on more managerial and business-oriented jobs as a way of putting all the new knowledge Bucerius has given me to practice. I think that if I am to be a great professional in a corporate world, then I must not only view things from a legal perspective but also learn how they work from a business point of view.
What advice would you give to future students coming to Bucerius?
Take this opportunity to learn German! While I do not think it is essential to survive in Hamburg, it will make things a lot easier. Second to that, I would advise to always keep an open mind, the MLB Program mingles people and cultures with different realities and so open-mindedness is something crucial to better understand your peers and get along nicely.
Roberto, thanks for the interview!
