Ukrainian private equity associate relinquishes rifle for Harvard
The last time we wrote about Petro Kocherhan, it was early 2022 and he was combining his job as an associate in the Kyiv-based private equity firm Horizon Capital with the unexpected task of preparing to defend his family against the Russian army with an assault rifle.
19 months later, and Kocheran is leaving Ukraine for Harvard Business School's MBA program. His Instagram account, which went from photos of Kocheran skiing to photos of Kocheran in camo gear, has now switched to a photo of he and his wife outside HBU.
Harvard Business School only accepts around 10% of MBA applicants. Kocherhan tells us he had offers not only from HBU but from Stanford Business School, which accepts around 6%, suggesting a background in the Ukrainian army might be appealing to admissions teams.
Stamford MBAs can famously earn gigantic amounts of money in private equity, but Kocheran says he chose Harvard for its, "unparalleled faculty, vast alumni network entrenched in leading financial institutions, and abundant resources." 15% of HBU's MBA class went into private equity, according to its most recent employment report.
Kocheran says he wants to use his MBA to help rebuild Ukraine. "The decision to pursue further education was not one I took lightly. As a private equity professional in Ukraine, I have witnessed firsthand the severe impact of Russia's full-scale invasion on our market. It is now clear that our economy will need hundreds of billions in capital to rebound, rebuild, and return to its growth trajectory," he informs us.
He adds that leaving Ukraine for HBU wasn't a decision he took easily, but that after a period of intraspection he decided that an MBA would help him enhance his knowledge, acquire new skills and develop his leadership abilities. "It would not only deepen my knowledge in pivotal areas but also introduce me to global business leaders, securing their buy-in for Ukraine's rebuilding efforts."
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