Marcelo O. Zimmler is our Alum of the Month for February. He completed his MSc in Management in 2015. Marcelo is the Founder and Director of Upsilon Gallery, a renowned art publisher with galleries in New York, Miami and London.
What’s your current job?
I’m the founder and director of Upsilon Gallery. Based in Midtown Manhattan, the gallery specialises in American Post-War and Contemporary original and edition artwork, with an emphasis on Minimalism, Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism. For the past two years, the gallery has mounted many exhibitions, published numerous catalogues, and placed work in some of the most prestigious museums and private collections in the world. Upsilon collaborates with renowned fine art printers to produce and publish limited edition prints based on the artwork of represented artists. We recently opened new exhibition spaces in London and Miami in Fall 2017.
Where have you worked previously?
While completing my MSc in Management I worked as a Research Analyst at Fair Oaks Capital where I developed a system to analyse the risk of CLO portfolios.
How has the programme enabled you to make an impact?
I chose the MSc in Management programme because it would give me the necessary skills to start my own business, including courses in Marketing, Finance, Product Pricing, Negotiation, and Innovation. My thesis was a great opportunity to develop key insights in my industry, and was based on a quantitative study of auction sales records, focussing on the pricing of Contemporary artwork. The conclusions I gathered from the study evolved into one of the foundational strategies of Upsilon Gallery. The Department provided me with all the necessary skills to launch my enterprise, which has now expanded its reach across many areas of the world.
How has studying at the LSE helped you since graduating?
LSE offers so many invaluable resources it was often easy to fail to appreciate all of them. The school's location in the heart of London was one of them, which provided countless professional and networking opportunities that were vital during the early days of my enterprise. Similarly valuable was the intellectually diverse student population, second to none, which offered constant challenges and intellectual stimuli that was also key to solve many problems. The list really does go on and on.
What was the greatest lesson you have learnt in your career to date?
Always believe in yourself. Regardless of what you do, there will always be times when you encounter seemingly insurmountable challenges. If you are to rise above them, you need to start by having the confidence to recognise that your education and experience have properly equipped you for the challenge ahead.
What’s the best thing about being part of the Department of Management alumni community?
The Department of Management’s alumni community is an excellent resource to create new opportunities for career development. Given the vast network of alumni across industries and geographies, it allows you to explore new ideas and connections with extreme ease. I highly recommend everyone to take full advantage of it.