Konstantin Chebotar

MBA 2019

Home Region

Moscow, Russia

Undergrad Education

Moscow State University, BSc Geology, 2008

Previous Experience

HBS Activities

Section A International Rep, Venture Capital & Private Equity Club CFO, Energy & Environment Club, Business of Sports Club

“I want to lead a better version of the energy industry.”

Growing up in a mining town in the Far East of Russia, Konstantin Chebotar naturally gravitated to geoscience and the oil and gas industry. "I observed all these geological processes and overheard geological conversations," he says. "I was excited by geology—and in Russia, over twenty-five percent of our GDP is from oil and gas."

After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from Moscow State University and Master’s degree from Imperial College London, Konstantin spent the next six years working in the oil and gas industry in London. Similarly, his views on energy challenge prevailing conventions. "The energy industry is changing, reshaping," says Konstantin. "I want to lead a better version of the energy industry, one that moves away from today's obsolete model focused exclusively on fossil fuels to a future model that combines cleaner oil and gas with innovative clean energy sources."

Drilling deep into HBS resources

As an international student, Konstantin understands how novel the HBS experience can be to those accustomed to more traditional educational institutions. "It's definitely challenging for the first few weeks," he says. "As an International Representative in my section, I know how my colleagues feel—it can be overwhelming. But HBS has all the resources you can imagine to get you in the right mindset. On the first day, we had an orientation for international students led by a professor who explained how the U.S. and HBS teaching systems are different from what we might’ve experienced before."

The case study method is a good example. Instead of a top-down approach dominated by the instructor, case classes depend on active student participation. "The professor doesn't provide answers," Konstantin says. "Their job is to ask the right questions to facilitate conversation. Fortunately, HBS does a great job attracting good people. They have experience in any industry you can imagine, and they're willing to share it. I learn a great deal from them—that's how it's supposed to work. I would encourage people considering HBS to visit a class. Once you see how it works, you can make a more informed application, and get a better idea of how you would contribute to the class."

Konstantin arrived at HBS with his wife, Simona, who serves as CFO of the Partners Club. "She has access to the resources I have: the library, career coaches, case discussions, any presentations or speakers on campus. HBS does a great job integrating partners into student life."

With a career in energy leadership in mind, Konstantin has already begun to build a foundation for his future. In his RC year, Konstantin helped organize an energy panel for the private equity conference held on campus last February. "I met dozens of private-equity oil and gas experts open to talking to me," he says. For his summer internship, Konstantin is seeking a role that combines his experience in energy with his ambitions in a new field, private equity. Looking toward his second year at HBS, he "wants to concentrate in entrepreneurship, finance, and private equity to seal the gaps in my knowledge."