Sample MBA Recommendation Letter (Version 2)
October 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment
“We are the ones that we have been waiting for” - President Barrack Obama - Nobel Price Winner 2009 (President Obama won the prestigious peace prize for inspiring remarkable hope in people all over the world)
1. How long have you known the applicant and in what connection? If applicable, briefly describe the applicant’s role in your organization. Please comment on the frequency and context of your interaction. (250-word limit)
My name is Roger Bannister and I am a Partner in the strategic consulting group of Blackinsey & Company; a professional services firm . I met Kunski in December of 1940 when he was deployed to work on one of my clients, Emerald Investment Inc. Kunski, as a Senior Manager within the strategic consulting group provided finance, compliance and financial advisory services to our clients which consisted mostly of Fortune 500 companies . In addition, he assisted in engagement planning and budgeting, training and coaching of staffs, and overseeing complex consulting projects.
On this engagement, Kunski spent majority of his time evaluating the capital adequacy of ten investment funds within Emerald Inc. according to guidance in the BASEL II Accord. The project lasted approximately six months and I communicated with Kunski constantly throughout the duration of the project. It should be noted that this communication continued after the project was completed.
2. In what ways has the candidate distinguished himself or herself among peers? (250-word limit)
Kunski’s strength is the quality of his work. He is a hardworker and possesses strong financial services background. During the Emerald engagement, Kunski worked on the funds that utilized the most complex investment strategies. Accordingly, he was responsible for evaluating the client’s compliance with different debt covenants and recalculating the debt covenant ratios which were used to determine whether Emerald Inc’s investment funds were adequately capitalized. Kunski distinguished himself by his eagerness to take on additional and increasingly complex responsibilities which were originally deemed beyond his scope of expertise. Kunski unlike others, approached his work with a questioning mind and exercised professional skepticism in the execution of his work.
Apart from his technical skills, Kunski is a great team player and he developed good working relationships with his team during the engagement thus creating a healthy and enabling work environment. On the Emerald project, he multi-tasked, paid attention to details and weaved disparate pictures together in order to see the big picture. He communicated effectively with the client’s upper management and effectively led and motivated junior staff members - his leadership skills were clearly outstanding!!! Staff he supervised often referred to him as a great teacher because of his good coaching skills. These qualities put Kunski ahead of his peers, shows his versatility and his excellent work ethic and will undoubtedly allow him to succeed in any vocation that he chooses for himself.
3. Comment on the candidate’s professional weaknesses and opportunities for growth. (250-word limit)
Kunski has expressed an interest in pursuing a career as a rocket scientist and should continue to keep himself updated of emerging issues within the rocket science industry including reading industry publications and seeking other engagements which will let him leverage his interest and understanding. However, I am delighted to know that he has had other opportunities to work on rocket science clients since he left Blackinsey & Company. Again, I am confident that Kunski is a quick learner and his participation in the Harvard MBA program, will help him leverage his interest and experience to gain a foothold in the rocket science industry.
4. The Harvard Business School is committed to developing outstanding leaders who can inspire trust and confidence in others. Please comment on the applicant’s behavior (e.g., respect for others, honesty, integrity, accountability for personal behavior) within your organization and in the community. (250-word limit)
Kunski inspires trust and confidence and can be relied upon to take any assignment or goal to completion. He exudes professionalism, honesty and integrity at all times and is a great team player who is able to work in a diverse team and create a thriving and healthy work environment. He takes pride in a job well done and has great respect for all including subordinates and supervisors alike. He takes constructive criticism in good strides, takes full accountability for personal behavior and possesses great negotiation skills.
He is very involved in leadership activities within the community. In the past year, Kunski found time out of his busy schedule to build a website for a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for homeless children pro bono . Because of this leadership and selfless act, Kunski was able to help the organization attract more members, communicate its activities to the world and as a consequence generate more revenue for its missions and visions.
In conclusion, because of his charisma, personality and other qualities which I mentioned above, I have no doubt that Kunski will one day become a great business and community leader, one who will inspire the trust and support of his constituencies; I therefore fully support his application for admission into your university. Please contact me at 111.111.1111 or roger.bannister@blackinsey.com if you have any questions or need clarifications about the candidate.
NOTA BENE: This is a draft and designed to help you with your MBA applications. Created under the Creative Commons rule and it is copyleft. Use as a guide for your essays. I plan to collate and refine the essays I have posted on Black Herald and publish a book of MBA essays in the future.
Winners of the African Banker Awards 2009 announced
October 9, 2009 | 1 Comment
LONDON, UNITED KINGDON - October 6, 2009 - Africa’s top bankers, ministers of finance, governors of central banks and industry leaders came together on the 6th of October at the Four Seasons Hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, to recognize the continent’s successes in banking at an unforgettable awards ceremony and gala dinner.
Bankers from Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Angola, South Africa, Togo, Ghana, Mali and Chad, representing North, South, East, West and Central Africa, were amongst the nominees of this year’s African Banker Awards making this truly a pan-African gathering of champions.
A total of 14 awards were presented during the ceremony. The African Banker of the Year award went to Tayo Aderinokun, Managing Director/CEO, GTB Nigeria, the African Bank of the Year award went to Ecobank-ETI. The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to a pioneer of African banking, Paul Derreumaux, the President of the Mali-based Group Bank of Africa, whose outstanding achievements in banking have contributed to Africa’s substantial economic transformation. The award for Finance Minister of the Year was handed to Dr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Minister of Finance, Egypt and Tito Mboweni, Governor, South African Reserve Bank was named Central Bank Governor of the Year.
Omar Ben Yedder, Publisher of African Banker magazine, commented: “African banking and financial institutions have not come unscathed by the global financial and economical crisis. But as they say luck favours the prepared. Whereas banks and financial institutions of yesteryears in Africa would have previously yielded and vanished in such turmoil, the banks of today with stronger capital bases and stronger regulatory bodies have suffered severe challenges, but on the whole managed to withstand these external shocks. This is undoubtedly through strong leadership, vision and sustained reform undertaken by many of the winners and nominees present here today.”
Anver Versi, Editor of African Banker magazine highlighted the potential of Africa: “When all 53 African countries, with all our cultural heritage, with our natural resources, with our populations and with our genius can act as one and speak with one voice, when, as in Istanbul, we can discover unity in our diversity, then the world will see the rise of a power that could become the greatest of all.” On the continent’s banking landscape he commented: “African banking, over the past five years has not only broken its national and regional shackles, it has also broken international boundaries and has taken its first tentative steps outside the continent.”
This year’s event, organised by African Banker magazine and IC Events in partnership with BusinessinAfrica Events, was supported by the African Development Bank in line with its commitment to build a strong and vibrant African banking industry. Sponsors included Ecobank, Lexmark International, Inc. and Centigon. The Awards were held during the World Bank’s critical global discussions on the state of the world’s financial systems which were held this year in Istanbul, Turkey.
Christian Udechukwu, Managing Director, BusinessinAfrica Events announced that next year’s African Banker Awards will be held in Washington DC, USA, to again coincide with the IMF/World Bank Annual meeting.
African Banker Awards Winners 2009
African Banker of the Year
- Tayo Aderinokun, CEO, GTB Nigeria
African Bank of the Year
- Ecobank-ETI
Best Local Bank in Africa
- NBC, Tanzania
Most Innovative Bank
- ABSA, South Africa
Socially Responsible Bank of the Year
- Nedbank, South Africa
Investment Bank of the Year
- Standard Bank, South Africa
Microfinance Bank of the Year
- Equity Bank, Kenya
Deal of the Year
- Nedbank Capital, Bakwena Refinance
Investment Fund/Private Equity Fund of the Year
- Citadel
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Paul Derreumaux, President, Group Bank of Africa, Mali
Finance Minister of the Year
- Dr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali
Central Bank Governor of the Year
- Tito Mboweni
Best Development Bank in Africa
- African Development Bank, Tunisia
- African Export-Import Bank, Egypt
Best Global Bank in Africa
- Barclays Bank
Editor’s note:
The African Banker Awards recognise and reward individuals, companies and institutions which have excelled in Africa’s banking and financial sector over the last year.
The African Banker Awards are organised by African Banker magazine and IC Events in partnership with BusinessinAfrica Events UK Ltd. The event is supported by the African Development Bank and sponsored by Ecobank, Lexmark International, Inc. and Centigon.
About the organisers:
African Banker is the only pan-African magazine dedicated to banking in the continent. Launched in 2007, African Banker reflects Africa’s rapidly growing finance and banking sectors. African Banker is published in French and in English to cover the 53 African countries. It has become an essential tool of the people and institutions who pull the strings of Africa’s banking and finance industries. In line with its commitment to banking in Africa, African Banker organises the African Banker Awards to reward the people and financial institutions that are making a big impact on improving the banking industry in Africa.
IC Events
Together with its dedicated team of specialists and extensive network of contacts, IC Events tailors innovative events responding to the most pressing issues in Africa and the Middle East. The events are 100% results-driven, bringing together the main stakeholders and partners involved in the topics tackled to achieve concrete action plans. The events represent a platform to inform, engage, explore and develop. IC Events organises Awards to celebrate excellence across a variety of sectors by rewarding the social, financial, business and political leaders who have contributed most to their field. IC Events organises the African Banker Awards to recognise the rapid growth of Africa’s banking and finance sector.
Supported by:
THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution dedicated to combating poverty and improving living conditions across the continent. The AfDB is also engaged in mobilizing resources for the economic and social progress of its Regional Member Countries (RMCs). The Bank’s mission is to promote economic and social development through loans, equity investments and technical assistance. The AfDB finances projects in infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, public utilities, transport, telecommunications, industry and the private sector.
In Partnership with:
BusinessinAfrica Events UK Ltd
BusinessinAfrica Events is a leading UK based business communication company specialising in live events, public relations, media relations and reputation management for corporate clients, regulatory agencies and governments with a focus on Africa. BiAE provides an interface between Africa and the rest of the world. It offers precise planning, strict budgetary control, excellent logistical preparation, attention to detail, unrivalled regional network of contacts and a top quality database, extensive industry experience, good information flow and the best on-site management.
More information can be found on www.africanbankerawards.com
For more commentary, further information please contact:
Anna Rosenberg
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7841 3237
Email: a.rosenberg@africasia.com
