Guadalupe and Kat met while studying for an MBA at Saïd Business School, Oxford University's business school. Having left their hometowns and facing the challenges of Europe, they reconnected with their roots through a shared passion: their love of wine.
Guadalupe Oliver She was born in Buenos Aires and graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Austral after obtaining the title of Industrial Engineer. After graduating, he worked in the Marketing sector of the Peñaflor Group, the largest winery group in Argentina, where he began to develop his interest in this industry.
Katherine Mayhew, originally from Oregon, USA, developed her connection to wine while working in various restaurants on both coasts of the United States. One of her greatest achievements was working as a sommelier in Michelin-starred restaurants.
The classrooms of Oxford University were the prelude to a venture that turned them into partners. As the only two people in their class obsessed with wine, they immediately connected. They both agreed that there was a need for innovation in the wine industry, to make wine a more accessible, sustainable, and enjoyable product. Seeing nothing on the market that matched their vision, they decided to create it themselves. And so, Candour was born.
Candour is a venture that brings limited editions of genuinely good wines with minimal intervention to the English market. The wine's presentation is different from what we're used to: aluminum cans were chosen as the material for a more sustainable and convenient container.
Now far from Buenos Aires, Guada fondly remembers her time at Austral University. For her, her undergraduate degree provided invaluable tools that have aided her professional development. She emphasizes that the university allowed her to cultivate systemic and critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to consider and analyze multiple variables simultaneously. Furthermore, she stresses the importance of focusing on values to ensure ethical work practices.
Starting a business in a country with different customs and a different language is a challenge for anyone, but her professional journey has shown her that she needs to have more confidence in herself and not let fear of making mistakes stop her from pursuing her goals. “Nothing compares to making the decision to start a business and create something of my own. Nothing has ever scared me so much, and nothing has ever given me so much happiness and pride,” she says. “Walking into a wine shop in London and seeing my wines being sold is definitely a huge achievement that makes me incredibly proud,” she adds.
The degree Guadalupe chose opened up a vast array of professional development opportunities, and today she finds herself doing something she is passionate about. “When we are about to graduate, uncertainty about the future is normal, and it is in our hands to decide what we want to do. To someone going through that moment, I would say to always look for something that makes them happy: our work occupies a huge place in our lives; it must be awful not to enjoy it ,” Guadalupe recalls about her time at Austral University. From her perspective, there are two key skills for an engineer to succeed in the working world:
“To those taking their first steps in the field, I recommend getting involved, experimenting, asking questions, researching, and talking to lots of people. The more you connect with different people, the easier it will be to get a sense of the field and job prospects. Besides, you never know when a connection might come in handy,” Guada concludes.
