Born in a disadvantaged area on the outskirts of Chicago, David Olivencia knew early that education was his ticket to open doors and a better life. With great parental support and quality role models who encouraged him, David began to set academic goals and take advantage of the educational opportunities that came his way. And David’s father worked two jobs, carpenter by day and janitor by night, to put David through school. With his help, David became the first person in his extended family to attend college.

David, his wife Yesenia, & Tom Mendoza

When he decided to further his education and pursue an MBA, David visited several leading business schools. He immediately noticed a difference at Notre Dame. He felt at home, comfortable in the classes, and connected with the other students. “The Notre Dame program rose to the very top, and I appreciated the culture and values that were evident on the campus,” he says.

Now the Executive Insight Program Director for Oracle, the world’s leading enterprise software company, David helps clients align their business goals and strategies to technology solutions. He credits Notre Dame for laying the groundwork for his success, saying, “My Notre Dame MBA prepared me for my job by giving me a world-class education in the relevant areas of leadership, information technology, entrepreneurship, ethics, economy, finance, innovation, accounting, and business strategy.”

Always one to exercise the gifts he has been given, David was recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of Detroit’s 40 Under 40 in 2007 because of his business success and was presented with the 2006 Alumnus of the Year Award by Notre Dame. Proud of his Puerto Rican heritage, David has a passion for education and seeks to give back to the Hispanic community. In his current role as President of the Hispanic IT Executive Council and former President of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, David focuses on preparing Hispanics for leadership roles and increasing the number of Hispanic IT executives in corporate America. Recognized nationally as one of the top 30 young corporate leaders by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, David is making that happen not only in his position but also by his example.