Home Region
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Undergrad Education
Universidad de San Andres, 2010
Previous Experience
Lartirigoyen Group, Adecoagro, ExxonMobil
“I want more formal training to take my skills to the next level.”
After applying his skills at ExxonMobil – "a very exciting time because of the company's size and its level of professionalism"– Ignacio moved to an agribusiness closer to his roots, Adecoagro, where he joined the planning team responsible for making financial projections used by senior executives and the board. "It gave me a lot of exposure to senior management and helped me learn how to communicate agribusiness in financial terms," he says.
In 2016, he shifted once again to an Argentine agribusiness jointly owned by his family. "My job was to acquire companies and execute plans for improving their financial performance and operational efficiency," says Ignacio.
With two years of "real hands-on experience," Ignacio believed it was time to pursue an MBA. "I noticed that I didn't have any real training in leadership," he says. "I was learning by intuition, trial and error. I wanted more formal training to take my skills to the next level."
Seeking transformational experiences
For Ignacio, HBS was the optimal place for him to "get immersed in a different cultural experience fed by people of various cultures and backgrounds – an experience that could transform my ability to be effective."
The case method, Ignacio notes, "replicates business situations on a regular basis, drawing opinions from people who all think differently. It challenges you to debate and support your positions rationally."
"I expected a competitive, self-centered environment,"says Ignacio. "To my surprise, it's much more collaborative. People organize to help others feel more comfortable. Our sections are close; we become a kind of family that supports each other."
That family feeling is especially important to Ignacio because he's here with his own family, his wife and their two young daughters, ages four and two. "Partners are part of the section and participate in all of our events. With kids, it's more challenging, but they're always invited and we try to bring them to as many events as we can."
In his EC year, Ignacio "wants to learn more about other industries, like PE and real estate, which I'm curious about. I plan on putting a lot of emphasis on 'soft skills' such as negotiation and interpersonal management."
Ignacio will use his summer internship to explore agribusiness in the U.S. through his upcoming role with Bayer/Monsanto in St. Louis, where he will be part of a team focusing on digital innovation. "Eventually," he says, "I'd like to return to Latin America as a leader in an agribusiness."