Alexis Aubry, originally from Paris, France, is a second-year student and serves as President of Darden’s European Society. Alexis holds a Master in Management with a specialization in Finance from Audencia Business School. Before coming to Darden, Alexis worked as a Financial Synthesis Manager at LFB Biomédicaments. In addition to his involvement with the European Society, Alexis is a big soccer player and soccer fan and likes to share his passion for cooking.
Could you share a little bit more about your background? What influenced your decision to attend Darden?
I’d love to! I spent most of my life in Paris, France, where I started in audit at Deloitte and worked on various clients, including energy, construction, and automobile giants. Outside work, I made lifetime connections at Deloitte, three of whom currently live in the United States. After Deloitte, I joined LFB, a pharmaceutical laboratory where I had the opportunity to work with both the finance department and the corporate senior leadership team. Even though I loved my city, I needed international exposure, and Darden was the perfect place.
Darden was a natural choice, and I can state without a doubt that what I read and heard was true: Darden offers a learning experience that is second to none and has built a tight-knit community. Every morning, I thank my former self from a year and a half ago for making the tough decision to leave my loved ones and my country to reach Charlottesville. The Darden MBA experience is incredible, and the fact that every day is different is a perfect illustration of its distinctiveness.
Outside of class, I have practiced many sports, such as soccer, rugby, golf and skiing (I can’t wait to be in Breckenridge for the ski trip with classmates!) Also, I love to travel and I have visited more than 30 countries so far. I am counting on my second year to increase this number!
How did you first get involved in the European Society and why did you decide to run for President?
I met the European Society at the Club Fair at the beginning of my first year at Darden, and had a great connection with Maria, the President, and Alexis, the Treasurer, at the time. I enjoyed attending European Society events, such as Oktoberfest or the Crepes Party (I cooked the crepes). One of my best memories was the Global Food Festival in First Year when six of us cooked and served French food together. Running for President of the European Society was a natural step for me. I love Europe and wanted to get involved in promoting Europe at Darden.
What is your vision for the European Society? Where do you hope to see it go in the future?
The biggest challenge of the European Society is the small number of European students at Darden. Yet, the European Society’s leadership team sees the club as an open club promoting all that we love about Europe as well as career prospects so that we can raise Darden students’ interest in Europe. What we achieve today would not be possible without the help of several domestic student club members – Michaela, Evan and Christopher – who share this common passion for Europe.
What European Society event or initiative are you most excited about for this year?
I appreciated the work that Evan put in for the Panel with the Dean and the Faculty in September, during which we debunked many myths about Europe. I will always remember the passion our faculty displayed on European topics!
In addition, Michaela is doing an amazing job at planning and coordinating all the events of the European Society, especially the Oktoberfest with the Wine and Cuisine Club and School of Brew. Personally, I haven’t had crepes for a long time and I am looking forward to the Crepes Party in February!
What would you like prospective students to know about the European Society? (both those from Europe and anyone else)
I would like prospective students to know that they can reach out to our club on any topic. We are looking forward to connecting with them and sharing our amazing experience here in Charlottesville!
