Arthur Felipe Simoes
Saint Louis University, Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
“I am a curious person who enjoys learning every tiny aspect life offers.”
Fun fact about yourself: I am a self-taught artist with experience in music and theatre since middle school.
Hometown: Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
High School: Fundação Evangélica de Novo Hamburgo
Major: International Business
Minor: Marketing
Favorite Business Course: International Business Strategy
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
- President of the Dean Student Advisory Board (24-25)
- VP of DEIB, Dean Student Advisory Board (23-24)
- Member of Mission Committee under VP of DEIB (22-25)
- VP of Diversity Leadership Chair (22-23)
- MLK Scholar (Community work/22-25)
Where have you interned during your college career?
- Account Manager Intern, CGP Coating Innovation, Atlanta GA (Remote) (Sep ‘24Present)
- Order Management / Global Supply Chain Intern, World Wide Technology, Maryland
Heights MO (May ‘24 – Aug ‘24)
Where will you be working after graduation? Going through applications processes right now and waiting on my current company, but more likely CGP Coating Innovation.
Who is your favorite business professor? My favorite professor in the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business is Dr. Rob Boyle, who was my professor for Intro to Business, Management 4000, and Rhythms and Innovation. I had Rob for the first time during my first semester at Saint Louis University. Coming from a foreign country, I was scared and pressured to fit in and speak up in class. Incredibly, Rob always managed to support his students to be the way they are and share their thoughts and ideas with no judgement in class. Rob made me feel comfortable to create relationships with my professors and present myself in class. The comfort I created around myself through college is connected to the first impressions he passed to me and other peers, trusting myself to impact without the shame of being myself.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The main lesson I learned studying business, and specifically international business, is that every single being around the globe is very different because of their culture and background. However, it is possible to find common traits and behaviors across all regions of the globe. I learned that people make purchasing decisions based on their past and the environment presented to them. Understanding how different and similar people are in business settings is fascinating to me, and every behavior can be justified or linked to one’s specific aspect in culture.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? The advice I would suggest to a student willing to pursue international business is to go with an open mind and have the desire to learn people’s stories and cultural background. In the IB field, it is important to understand your consumers and where those trends follow. Being aware of that since the beginning will push you to become a more knowledgeable person.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I am very proud and grateful of every experience I’ve had and believe that every decision led me to the place I am today. If I had to change something in the past, I would have dedicated more time during my freshman year exploring the opportunities offered in the business school. I believe I did not put enough effort or tried to engage enough during that year, but I also understand that was a year of discovery and change from high school to college.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? Today, I am pretty aware of all the AI tools used in the academic setting. I believe that AI taught me to enhance my research skills. I am used to participating in academic research since high school, but with the existence of AI in our daily tasks, I realized I had to improve my research methods and writing. I discovered it is important to know the techniques to dig deeper and find better resources and references to support strong arguments built in research, and AI can be a powerful tool for that usage.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am very proud to serve as the President of the Dean Student Advisory Board. During fall ’22, I got invited by Hannah Craft to join Mission Committee. Since then, I became increasingly involved in helping to develop the business school community and create an impact among the students. I believe that through the years leveling up to this position I gained a lot of knowledge, such as managing responsibilities, and couldn’t be prouder of the many achievements I’ve reached.
Which classmate do you most admire? One classmate I admire the most is Sahar Hussaini. Sahar is an Afghan student at the School of Business who has contributed a lot to the SLU and St. Louis community. Sahar is passionate about helping others; she serves and the President Chair of Service Leadership in the School of Business and has participated in many events for DSAB. Sahar is academically talented-she has proven to create an impact inside and outside the classroom.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? In the School of Business, I would like to thank Ben Smyth for my academic success. Ben is the Director of Co-Curricular and Service-Learning Programs. He has been responsible in leading the Dean Student Advisory Board. Since the beginning steps I took to be around these leaderships position, Ben has strongly encouraged me to pursue my goals and pushed me to these roles. I have received delightful feedback from him through the years and could have never gone through this process without his support and believing in me.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Two items on my professional bucket list are:
Work with product positioning and marketing strategy in a specific region of globe for a multinational company.
Travel across the world for work.
What made Arthur such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Arthur, an International Business major, was born in the US to immigrant parents. After he was born, they moved back to Brazil where his parents instilled in him the value of education. It is his parents’ hard work and passion for education that inspired him to applied to study in the US and was accepted at SLU. Since arriving at SLU, Arthur has striven for both academic excellence (3.5 GPA) and leadership development. He served on the mission committee for the Dean’s Student Advisory Board his sophomore year and later, during his junior year, he served as the Vice President of DEI for the Dean’s Student Advisory Board. This year, he is the President of the Dean’s Student Advisory Board. Under his leadership, the Board has undertaken multiple initiatives, including working with the Dean and faculty on reducing the plastic waste generated by the Business School and creating leadership development opportunities for club members in collaboration with the Barry-Wehmiller Company. Arthur is always open to help and lead when asked. As such, he is a great example of a servant leader. Arthur is hard-working and humble. He is intelligent and patient. He is a great example of student who will make the world a better place throughout his business career.”
Benjamin Smyth, PhD (he/him/his)
Director of Co-Curricular and Service-Learning Programs
Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business
Saint Louis University
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