Kellogg MBA Alumna Profile: Hiring for Abbott Laboratories

By Pavel Kantorek Updated May 03, 2016

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Introduction
Finding the best talent for Abbott Laboratories

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Elena Kharlamova currently works for global pharmaceutical and healthcare powerhouse Abbott Laboratories as senior talent acquisition manager for Russia and the CIS. She is an alumna of the Kellogg MBA at Northwestern University in the Chicago area.

Kharlamova has a background in HR, having worked as an HR manager for Information Business Systems – a consulting division of SAP – just after the turn of the century. This perhaps was enough to mean that she did not deem it necessary to focus on her specialty area during her MBA, instead trying her hand at something different.

“Being a dedicated HR professional, I took private equity and entrepreneurial finance classes and found them very exciting and enriching. The most difficult experience for me was taking the PhD-level class in sociology – it was also probably the most rewarding!”

Despite this, it is the HR field which remains the most attractive to her, she states, and the area in which she intends to continue her professional development.

After completing the Kellogg MBA, Kharlamova combined the entrepreneurial skills she gained on her MBA with her expertise in HR, working as the director of Leadership Development Center, working with clients such as BAT, L’Oréal and Accenture, after which she worked for a year for Prof-Media before taking up her current role with Abbott Laboratories.

Finding the best talent for Abbott Laboratories

Abbott Laboratories is a US-based but very global firm, with a history that stretches back to the 19th century. It is known for being the company that launched the world’s first HIV antibody assay in 1985, and continues developing world-changing innovations in the medical field including Absorb – ‘the world's first drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold for the treatment of coronary artery disease’ – in 2011.

“Abbott people have been driven by a constant goal,” says Kharlamova, “to advance medical science in order to help people live healthier lives.” Her current talent acquisition role sees the Kellogg MBA alumna responsible for employee value proposition implementation, talent management and employer branding.”

So while we have the attention of a talent manager for a major global player in one of the biggest industries for MBA jobs, what does she look for in a hire? “Drive, ambition, determination to be the best and to rise to highest ranks. At the same time, ability to manage details and work from the ground is much appreciated, too.”

What is it that can make MBAs stand out during the recruitment process and after? “We understand the basics of business, yet are able to see a much bigger picture. I know a few people who have this ability without getting an MBA, but in general studying at business school helps.”

Following from this point, she is somewhat reticent about universally recommending the MBA without qualification. “This should be individual choice; my HR experience makes me refrain from recommending the MBA to everyone.”

She is, however, emphatic about her satisfaction with her choice of degree and school – even turning down a full-ride scholarship at Duke to enroll on the Kellogg MBA. Given her rise to the top of her field, this should come as no surprise!

You can meet Elena Kharlamova at the QS World MBA Tour in Moscow on March 29, at which she will be participating in the alumni panel and sharing her wealth of knowledge with fair attendees.

Written by

Pavel Kantorek

Mansoor is a contributor to and former editor of TopMBA.com. He is a higher and business education specialist, who has been published in media outlets around the world. He studied English literature at BA and MA level and has a background in consumer journalism.