Hometown: Beirut, Lebanon
Education: McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Before Wharton: Investment Banking and Private Equity in Dubai, UAE
After Wharton: Financial Services Industry, London, UK
Wassim Moukahhal
My Story About Me
It’s not a combination of passports; it’s a combination of access to resources and access to networks that you can take advantage of and build on in the future.
On building networks at Wharton
Having studied business in undergrad and working in private equity and investment banking, I knew coming into the program that academics would not be the biggest takeaway for me. Of course, coming back to the classroom and learning the theory, understanding why the inputs are what they are, has a lot of value. But the biggest thing that I’ve taken from this first year is the network and the friendships I’ve made.
Trekking to Lebanon
This year, I organized a trek to Lebanon, my home country. At Wharton, there are a lot of treks to different countries, but there had never been one to Lebanon. We were a bit nervous at first when organizing it, so we only opened it to 30 people. As it turns out, 106 people signed up for it. That was a vote of confidence for the organizers and myself, the fact that they trusted us to put together a good trip.
Access to global resources and networks
International students present their culture and their countries very well at Wharton. But more importantly, they have access to a lot of resources and a very strong network back home. As a Wharton student, you may not have access to this kind of network all over the world, but you will know people who do. We aren’t global because we have different nationalities. We are global because the international students have strong roots in their communities. It’s not a combination of passports; it’s a combination of access to resources and access to networks that you can take advantage of and build on in the future.
Getting outside your comfort zone
My learning team has helped me realize what my strengths are, but they also helped me push myself outside my comfort zone. Because of our strong bond, people push you beyond your limits. They encourage you to try something else. My learning team told me, for example, not to go into investment banking this summer. Or if I did, to do something before or after outside my comfort zone. I listened to them and now I am volunteering in Lebanon at a refugee camp before I head off to my internship in London. I needed someone to give me the push to do it.
