Taking a Chance on an MBA—and Seattle
From engineer to MBA, José Luis “Pepe” Pano revisits the impact of his experience at the University of Washington
What’s it like to return to campus 32 years after graduation? In the words of José Luis “Pepe” Pano (MBA 1992), “amazing.”
Close to 35 years ago, Pepe took a chance and applied to the Foster School of Business Full-Time MBA. An industrial engineer with a bachelor’s and master’s from Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Pepe wanted to gain international experience and business skills to lead an organization.
From engineer to MBA
He set his sights on an MBA from a U.S. university. Growing up in Argentina, he had never heard of the University of Washington. He applied on a chance recommendation from a friend who praised the business school—and Seattle.
“The Full-Time MBA transformed my life,” recalled Pepe, now head of the private equity impact & return strategy at Vinci Partners, a Brazilian private equity firm focused on alternative investments. “The business school faculty—here at what is now the Foster School of Business—taught me how to think critically and strategically. At the same time, the rigorous MBA curriculum taught me more than business acumen; the MBA taught me how to think like a leader.”
Launching a career in private equity
In September 2024, Pepe returned to campus and reconnected with fellow MBA Class of 1992 alum Emer Dooley (Ph.D. 2000). He welcomed the opportunity to meet Dean Frank Hodge and share how the MBA inspired him to transition from engineering to management consulting and then private equity.
Following graduation, Booz Allen Hamilton recruited Pepe for its Argentina office. He was the first MBA hired by Booz Allen Hamilton (at the time, the leading management consulting firm in Latin America). He has also worked in Colombia, Southeast Asia, and Brazil.
After five years at Booz Allen Hamilton, Pepe forged a new path, starting a dot.com venture in Brazil. After closing the startup, one of the funds that invested in his company hired him as a private equity investor. Over the years, he has managed more than 25 investments in Brazil. In addition, he served as CEO of a large manufacturing firm after investing in the company.
“Today, my career in private equity has come full circle,” Pepe explained. “Vinci Partners is one of Brazil’s largest private equity firms, and I am dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our investments in small- and mid-sized companies help build communities and solve social and environmental challenges.”
MBA lessons that hold true today
Ed Rice, Stephan (Steve) Sefcik, Ali Tarhouni, and Stephan Siegel are just a handful of faculty members Pepe remembers well and whose research he has continued to follow. “I am still applying what I learned in the classroom decades ago to private equity—it was such a solid foundation that I still remember particular classes.”
One of his favorite memories is of Professor Ed Rice. “I can still remember Ed Rice encouraging us to think differently—and pushing us to participate. He once included ‘The professor is stupid’ on a multiple-choice question. That was an option!”
During his campus tour, Pepe was amazed to see the PACCAR Building, Dempsey Hall, and Founders Hall—all built since his graduation. If it weren’t for Denny Hall as a navigational landmark, he isn’t sure he could have found his way off campus.
As he returns to Sao Paulo, Pepe is excited to inspire a new generation of Latin American students to consider the Foster School of Business. He encourages his fellow Class of 1992 alumni to reach out, reconnect, and not wait 32 years before returning to the school that transformed each of their lives.
Learn about the Full-Time MBA at the Foster School of Business here.
