Soi Your Preparation and Background

SOI

Your preparation and background for the program to which you are applying and the special emphasis you hope to pursue in it.

For two years I have managed a team of quality control personnel at a major multinational firm called Tashrostans, now the leading security device manufacturer in my home country of Uzbekistan. I was the youngest person with a managerial title in the history of the company. Not only was I the youngest manager at Tashrostans, I also made history by creating and heading a new quality control department. Careful financial analysis revealed that Tashrostans was sorely in need of structural and procedural changes if it was to fulfill its goals of being a leader the Uzbek manufacturing market. Moreover, my managerial skills drew directly out of my role as a financial analyst for the company.

When cheap imports of competing products from China threatened to undercut Tashrostans it did not take long to realize that the only viable solution to this problem was to mimic the Chinese technology in our production process. My proposal was not supported by the majority of company management but I was given the chance to carry out work on this project. I attended meetings with international corporations such as MegaFortris, Wenzhou Haoshi Light Industrial Plants Co.LTD, and E-Sunlock - all leaders in the security seals manufacturing sector. Unfortunately, implementation of the new technology didn't yield predicted results. A more detailed analysis revealed that the most efficient Chinese manufacturers had Western-style corporate structures in which interdepartmental communications remained closely tied and sensitive to each others' changes. Individual departments act as if they were parts of a single organism.

From this awareness grew my conviction modern production technology cannot solve all our problems. We need to revise our corporate structure, a more difficult but potentially more promising task. However, in order to achieve our goal, I and other working professionals must be able to evaluate proposals related to marketing, production, and other strategic areas. The requisite core competency to accomplish tasks like these is to have an expert understanding of finance, which is why I am applying for admission to the Master in Finance program at the Marriot School of Business. In addition to furthering my understanding of micro- and macro-level financial analysis within the for-profit realm I also intend to apply my education to the betterment of the Uzbek population. I worked with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and NGOs to deliver computer literacy to the poorest region of our country. Large-scale philanthropy also requires astute financial knowledge.

Your academic or professional goals and reasons for your choice of career.

When I prepared my first business plan for Tashrostans last year, the gaps in my financial education became apparent. The MBA will prepare me for the Finance Manager position at Tashrostrans, which is sponsoring my MBA program. Thus, mastering micro-financial processes in an academic environment is my primary short-term goal.

One of the main reasons why I want a financial management position is to improve the outlook and future earnings of Tashrostans, with corresponding positive effects on the growth of the Uzbek economy. A financial managerial position a leading manufacturing firm in Uzbekistan will in turn prepare me to accomplish my long-term ambition of working in corporate finance with a larger multinational firm.

An MBA from Marriott will therefore allow me to ultimately make a concrete and substantial contribution to Uzbekistan's economy. Economic development will enormously improve the lives of our citizens, creating a positive cycle of growth, prosperity, and opportunity.

Your particular academic or professional reasons for applying to Brigham Young University.

Two of my friends study at the Marriot School of Management and encouraged me to apply. Eve and Ivan told me that small classes at Marriot create an intimate and supportive learning environment that emphasizes teamwork and collaboration. Traditional lecture-style courses also offer core course material effectively. Furthermore, BYU encourages access to experts in their field, creating opportunities to interact directly with exceptional individuals such as Michael Dell and Warren Buffet. Equally as important as the BYU structure and staff is the university's ethical integrity. Traditional values are one of the key factors in my decision to apply and my desire to participate in your unique campus environment. BYU and I make a perfect match.