Melinda Mathias

Senior Director

Melinda has been affiliated with The MBA Exchange since 1999. Prior to that, she worked at McKinsey & Company in editing and document production. She oversees key processes including operations and internal and external communications. Melinda earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism from Indiana University, and a Certificate in Basic Manuscript Editing from the University of Chicago.

Deepak Punwani

Managing Consultant

An MBA graduate of INSEAD (France and Singapore), Deepak has interviewed applicants and prepared other alumni interviewers on behalf of INSEAD. Over the past decade he has helped numerous applicants gain offers of admission and substantial financial aid from the most competitive MBA programs in the US and Europe. His professional background includes sales management, corporate strategy and brand development in China, India and Singapore for consumer goods companies Colgate Palmolive and Goodyear. More recently, he co-founded a renewable energy company operating in India and Sub-Saharan Africa; the company’s patented technology was voted among the “top 10 ideas to change the world” by CNBC Global. Deepak has also served as a management consultant for strategy formulation, due diligence and process optimization for corporations across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and gained entrepreneurial experience in Europe. In addition to his INSEAD MBA degree, he earned a business management degree from the University of Mumbai. Born in Spain, Deepak speaks fluent Spanish and Hindi, and has travelled to over 40 countries worldwide.

Jonathan Harari

Managing Consultant

An MBA graduate from The Wharton School, Jonathan has over a decade of MBA admissions consulting experience. He served as an Admission Fellow evaluating MBA applications and interviewing candidates on behalf of Wharton’s admissions staff. Majoring in business and public policy, Jonathan was awarded a Joseph Wharton Fellowship and organized the annual Warren Buffett Trek. His asset management experience includes key roles at PIMCO, Blackstone and JPMorgan. Immediately after college, he co-launched an equity hedge fund in Singapore focused on Southeast Asian equities. Jonathan has been a guest lecturer and volunteer at non-profit Year Up helping young urban adults attain their highest potential. A native of France, he has lived on three continents and traveled to more than 20 countries. A CFA and CAIA Charterholder, Jonathan earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting at the NYU Stern School of Business. Over more than a decade, he has had the privilege to work with MBA applicants across a wide range of backgrounds and career goals, including PE, investment banking, consulting, tech, startups, infrastructure, public service, nonprofit, hospitality, and manufacturing. His approach to working with clients centers around three key tenets: authenticity, honesty and hard work.

Stephanie Horn

Managing Consultant

Recognized by industry expert Poets & Quants as one of the “Top 10 MBA Admissions Consultants” for 2017, Stephanie is an MBA graduate with honors from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She was engaged by Kellogg to serve as an admissions interviewer. Immediately after business school, Stephanie was a senior associate at McKinsey & Co., advising technology and service clients on competitive strategies. She has worked in executive positions for DaVita, a Fortune 500 healthcare company; Viking River Cruises, a global travel firm; and Safety-Kleen, an industrial chemicals company. Since joining The MBA Exchange in 2011, she has helped a wide range of clients achieve admission to top-tier business schools worldwide. Stephanie earned a master’s degree in English and bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Bucknell University, where she was a recipient of the Mellon Foundation Fellowship.

Talon Rindels

Managing Consultant

Talon Rindels is an MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Talon served in leadership capacities including VP of the Marketing Club and President of the Triathlon Club. Following graduation, she interviewed and assessed candidates on behalf of the Kellogg admissions committee and served as a lead on-campus recruiter for General Mills and ConAgra. Talon has successfully guided MBA applicants targeting top U.S. and European programs including Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, Ross, Fuqua, Darden, London Business School, INSEAD, IE Business School, HEC Paris and others, many of whom have received full or partial merit-based scholarships.  She places a particular emphasis on working with clients of SE Asian descent and has traveled extensively to India on business.  Clients benefit from Talon’s 15 years of consumer/brand storytelling and her caring, empathetic nature while working through periods of self-doubt.  Her professional experience spans CPG/Retail marketing, brand management, global M&A, sales, finance, ecommerce, and merchandising for iconic companies such as General Mills, ConAgra Brands, Mars, Inc. and Target.  Passionate about inclusion, Talon serves as an ambassador of the Network of Executive Women.Talon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and business management from the University of Wisconsin Madison. See Talon’s Reviews on Poets & Quants.

Marina Glazman

Managing Consultant

Marina is an MBA graduate of The Wharton School where she served as an Admissions Fellow, assessing applicants for admission to the full-time MBA program. She is currently the founder and CEO of Suitely, a startup online retailer reinventing the shopping experience for home furnishings and décor. Marina previously worked in corporate strategy, consulting, and competitive intelligence, serving media, education, and pharma clients at Bainbridge, Inc., and worked in international revenue strategy at Dow Jones with The Wall Street Journal. Prior to attending Wharton, Marina co-founded and ran Olympia Consulting Group, providing marketing strategy for growth stage retail, media, and hospitality businesses. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of California San Diego in international studies and Russian literature.

Susie Gruda

Managing Consultant

An MBA graduate of The Wharton School, Susie emphasized marketing and strategic management. While attending Wharton, she also worked in the admissions office evaluating applications on behalf of the admissions staff. She has successfully advised a wide range of applicants targeting top-tier MBA programs including Wharton, HBS, Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, Kellogg (and their MMM program), Columbia, and others, many of whom have received full or partial merit-based scholarships. Susie has also advised clients on post-MBA career transitions and interviewing. Her professional background includes senior management roles at Google in New York City and Toronto, as well as positions with Amazon, McKinsey & Company, and a number of tech startups. She has lived in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Susie earned a bachelor of commerce degree at McGill University with concentration in marketing, math and psychology.