ASU MBA opens door to finance and AI career for Christopher Ramirez
Christopher Ramirez (MBA '26) had options: USC, Texas, and Arizona State. He chose ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business for one reason - value. "It gave me everything I wanted in an MBA: travel abroad options, an applied curriculum, and brand recognition that was going to get me where I wanted to go."
His target was clear: a financial leadership rotation at a major company. Two years later, he's graduating with an AI concentration, a deep network, and a full-time offer in hand.
Why W. P. Carey works for finance leaders
Ramirez points to the daily reps that matter in finance: structured thinking, case-driven discussion, and teamwork under pressure. A managerial accounting course stood out. Students analyzed cases, debated trade-offs, and worked through solutions in class with the professor - fast feedback, real decisions.
"We got to see different people's perspectives," he says. "Some people are good at marketing, some at finance or accounting, some lead teams, and others are engineering subject matter experts." That mix sharpened his judgment and raised the bar on output.
His core team - the "Dream Team" - brought legal, aerospace, finance, and engineering experience to the table. "Our shared work ethic pushed me to do more for myself and my peers than I could have imagined. I'll carry these relationships into my future."
Why an MBA - and why add AI
With a finance degree from the University of Arizona, Ramirez started in private equity M&A, then moved to business development at Oracle. To move into corporate finance leadership, he knew he needed sharper leadership skills and broader exposure to strategy and technology. The MBA was the lever.
He doubled down on AI - selecting the AI concentration and co-leading the AI in Business Club. "It's been one of the most energizing experiences I've had," he says. The club brought in leaders from Microsoft, AWS, and ServiceNow to talk practical adoption, use cases, and career paths.
Internship to offer: a clean handoff
Through the club's network, Ramirez landed a finance internship at ServiceNow. He rotated across teams, delivered, and earned a full-time offer after graduation.
"I realized this network is vast. I looked at the companies I wanted, and almost every single one had an ASU grad there. Even in Belgium, I landed coffee chats. That gave me confidence the W. P. Carey MBA can get me where I want to go."
Playbook for finance professionals
- Pick programs that prioritize applied learning. Case work + in-class debate = faster decision skills for FP&A, corp dev, and strategy roles.
- Join (or build) operator communities. Clubs with real industry access compress your learning and open doors.
- Make AI part of your core skill set. Focus on forecasting, automation, variance analysis, and reporting workflows that improve speed and accuracy.
- Target internships that overlap finance and tech. The best roles give you visibility across teams and a path to return offers.
- Do the unscalable: coffee chats, follow-ups, and clear asks. Relationships move offers.
What's next for Ramirez
He's set to return to ServiceNow in a full-time finance role after graduation. The plan is simple: apply the MBA toolset, keep building his AI edge, and grow into finance leadership.
His advice to future students is direct: put yourself out there and take the reps. "If you have grit and are willing to go the extra mile, ASU can get you where you want to go."
For finance leaders building their AI advantage
If you're mapping your path to corporate finance leadership and want a structured approach to AI skills, explore the AI Learning Path for CFOs.
Interested in the ASU MBA?
Ready to learn more about the ASU MBA? Request information directly from the graduate recruiting team. They can walk you through the curriculum, AI concentration, and career outcomes.
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