Home Region
Boston, MA
Undergrad Education
Northeastern University, Finance & Accounting, 2009
Previous Experience
Deloitte & Associates (Paris); Deloitte & Touche (Boston)
“Every class, whether it is dedicated to strategy or not, always has an element of strategy.”
After two years in Paris, Dave Vitello exchanged the banks of the Seine for the banks of the Charles with his wife, Brita, and his two daughters, Vera and Tess. “I see HBS as similar, a parallel to our time in France,” says Dave. “In both cases, we’re intellectually stimulated and exposed to different perspectives that take us out of our comfort zones.”
With seven years of experience as an accountant at Deloitte, and a family in tow, Dave says, “I’m a little older than the average HBS student in age but a lot older in stage. In my section, maybe five people have children; I’m the only one with a five-year-old.”
Although his professional intention is to move from accounting to a more strategic leadership role, HBS is very much a family affair. “It’s important that this be a full family experience,” says Dave. Brita has become deeply involved in social entrepreneurship, leading a breakout section at the Social Enterprise Conference on “Empowering Displaced and Trafficked Persons.” Vera takes ballet class on campus, while Tess is enrolled in an HBS play group. They’re all involved in the Crimson Parents club for Harvard families.
Applying strategic thinking
Dave’s MBA objective is to “take the accounting and financial management base I built at Deloitte and pair it with the strategic thinking I gain at HBS.” The environment is perfectly suited to his ambition. “Each class, whether it is dedicated to strategy or not, always has an element of strategy. No class is in a silo – in each case, we think of how the topic of the class is related to the overall strategic goals of the company.”
For his EC year, Dave is “really excited about cross-registering with other Harvard schools, especially the Kennedy School. I’m very interested in the global aspects of business. Today, all business has a global dimension that is important to understand.”
Dave’s post-graduation plans remain open. “In general, I’m looking for a company that fits my profile: Boston-based with international exposure,” he says. “I want to do something I’m proud to explain to my children, something with positive social impact. Overall, unity of self is important. I want to live the same values at home and at work and in any other setting, to be the same person wherever I am.”
Home Region
Boston, MA
Undergrad Education
Northeastern University, Finance & Accounting, 2009
Previous Experience
Deloitte & Associates (Paris); Deloitte & Touche (Boston)