Every student’s path to Harvard Kennedy School is unique, and what our alumni go on to do after graduating is equally varied.
We asked several HKS alums to tell us about their experiences before, during, and after HKS, and to reflect on how their time at HKS has shaped their careers and lives.
With a background in economics, Christophe Abi-Nassif MPA/MBA (Wharton) 2021 used his time at HKS to explore a diverse range of interests.
Here’s what he shared.
“I knew HKS would be the ideal environment to explore academically and professionally across the diverse interests I’ve long had, whether in economic development, international affairs, or arts administration.”
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2026Begins new role as chief growth officer at The Cleveland Orchestra
In Christophe’s new role, he will be charged with securing earned and contributed revenue opportunities and leading the Orchestra’s technology, data, and content teams and systems.
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2023Becomes the vice president of content and growth initiatives at The Cleveland Orchestra
Christophe oversaw the Orchestra's content, publications, communications, public relations, and archives functions. He also led the strategy, execution, and financial performance of key business and product lines that helped the Orchestra expand its reach and footprint while operating more nimbly.
“In essence, I spent most of my time thinking about how to meaningfully connect more people to symphonic music than ever before and ensuring we did so in a sustainable way.”
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2022Begins working as the director of strategic initiatives at The Cleveland Orchestra
Christophe’s first role at The Cleveland Orchestra consisted of developing and implementing strategic analyses and recommendations to support executive decision-making and the orchestra's mission.
“Performing arts organizations are complex businesses, and decision-making in such mission-driven institutions must balance both artistic and business considerations.”
Much of his work involved assessing tradeoffs and reconciling those dual priorities.
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2021Graduates from HKS
“My time at HKS taught me that there is something new to learn every single day, and that doing so requires equal parts curiosity and humility. It’s also trained me on structured and compassionate problem-solving, which I try to embody in how I lead, collaborate, and make decisions.”
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2021Launches and grows the Lebanon program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
Alongside his coursework at HKS, Christophe spent much of this year advancing the Lebanon program at the Middle East Institute, the country's oldest think tank dedicated to the study of the Middle East.
“Because COVID-19 hit halfway through my time at HKS, one of the few unexpected advantages of that period was the ability to be in two places at once – HKS and Washington, D.C.”
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2020Spends second summer internship at the World Bank’s Office of the Chief Economist for the Middle East and North Africa
Here, he conducted and published empirical research on citizens’ perceptions of economic and political conditions and the incidence of civil unrest.
“It was yet another period of experimentation as I learned more about myself, my skills, and my professional interests.”
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2019
On campus, Christophe served as a course assistant for one of Meghan O’Sullivan’s courses and as a teaching assistant for an economics course at Harvard College. He was also involved with HKS’s Journal of Middle Eastern Politics and Policy. Some of Christophe’s favorite classes at HKS were MLD-223: Negotiating Across Differences with Kessely Hong, DPI-830M: Column and Opinion Writing Workshop with Jeffrey Seglin, and MLD-802M: Nonprofit Management and Leadership with Arthur Brooks.
“These were the classes where my horizons widened, where I could experiment hands-on, receive iterative feedback from my peers, and genuinely enjoy wrestling with questions that had no simple answers.”
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2019Spends his summer working on strategic initiatives at American Ballet Theater in New York City
As a concurrent MPA/MBA student, Christophe was able to complete two summer internships during the three-year program.
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2018Applies to HKS
“I wanted to be in a community of passionate, genuine, and accomplished people who would challenge and inspire me every single day.”
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2018Moves to the United States to begin his master’s in business administration at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
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2015Begins role as an associate in management consulting at Strategy& (formerly Booz & Co.)
Christophe’s projects primarily focused on growth strategy, operating model design, and operations launch.
“Although I was based in Beirut, Lebanon, my work took me to Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. I learned skills across different industries within the public sector, such as energy, agriculture, transportation, and entertainment.”
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2015Graduates from American University of Beirut with a bachelor’s degree in economics
