When Arman Khederlarian took the podium as a commencement speaker this spring, he had a million reasons to be proud, literally. After all, one of his most memorable undergraduate experiences was managing a million dollar portfolio as part of an investment management team.
After graduating from Armenian Evangelical College, Arman arrived at AUB to study subjects he is passionate about – business and finance. “I decided to study at AUB because it is the best university in the region and because I was born and raised here," recalls Arman. “Business was the perfect major to satisfy what I wanted to study and learn about for a future career."
His future goals are already in motion as he secured a position as an associate consultant at Strategy&, one of the top consulting firms globally and in the MENA region. “I did my internship there in the summer of 2018 and the people, culture, and impact of the work I did there were truly amazing, which is why I immediately signed a job offer when it was offered at the end of my internship," explains Arman.
He cited courses such as Hedge Fund Strategies, Applied Investment Management, and Equity Valuation as the type of courses he wanted to take at AUB. “I made so many friends from different backgrounds and personalities that have made my experience so much more fun and enjoyable," recounted Arman. He also added that the “experiential learning at OSB has been extremely valuable for my personal and professional development."
In addition to work on campus, Arman traveled around the world to compete in international case competitions where he met some of the brightest students from top tier universities, helped solve real and modern-day issues facing companies, and became a confident and well-spoken public speaker. Not content to stop there, he was a varsity player on the AUB Football team. “Through playing football, I learned how to balance education and sports, allowing me to further develop my competitive spirit and winning mentality," noted Arman.
Arman plans to use his new degree at Strategy&, but hasn't ruled out pursuing an MBA in the upcoming years. His dreams include starting his own company or attaining an executive position in an existing company in the world of investment management or private equity, making a major positive social impact, and perhaps combining his love of sports into a business career. “No matter what happens professionally," Arman concluded, “I want to travel the world, have rare and incredible experiences that take me out of my comfort zone, and spend my free time with the family and friends that I love."