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[Note: All names and other personal data in this sample recommendation have been changed. This letter of recommendation has been sent to many major graduate schools in the US, Europe, Canada, and Australia. Please avoid using content from this sample because it will be recognized as a previous student’s letter and may hurt your chances for admission.]

London Business School

Letter of Reference for Ms. Maiko Takagi

Chieko Nakano

Fashion Division Marketing Manager

Versace Japan

September 2, 2007

How long have you known the applicant and in what connection?

I have known Ms. Takagi since September of 2002, when she joined Versace Japan. As the manager of marketing in the Fashion Division, I am Ms. Takagi’s direct supervisor.

What do you consider to be the applicant’s major talents and strengths?

First and foremost, Ms. Takagi is a strong and dynamic leader who possesses excellent negotiation and team-building skills. For instance, when Ms. Takagi was entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing our annual banquet for VIP clients, she did an outstanding job of overcoming logistical barriers and working with various teams to organize a creative and highly successful event. Throughout the six-month process, Ms. Takagi successfully negotiated with her supervisors and outside contacts to ensure the success of the project. First, she spent many arduous hours in the meeting rooms to convince the senior managers to increase the budget and obtained an impressive four million yen increase. Then, she persuaded Japan’s Orchard Theater to host the banquet and efficiently dealt with bureaucratic restrictions and regulations. Moreover, Ms. Takagi initiated daily meetings with two other divisions that were involved in the project, namely Sales Promotion and Public Relation, to discuss any foreseeable problems that might arise during the event. By building a strong communication network and fostering a solid relationship with her colleagues and supervisors, Ms. Takagi distinguished herself as an effective leader.

Furthermore, Ms. Takagi is someone who has a great sense of responsibility, and who undertakes various tasks with a great deal of commitment and dedication. When Ms. Takagi became our Assistant Project Manager in 2003, for instance, we had not found her replacement as a marketing assistant: for six months, Ms. Takagi dedicated herself to both tasks, performing equally well in both positions. In addition, since our Ready-to-Wear (RTW) marketing manager left, Ms. Takagi has been carrying out responsibilities both as the assistant project manager and the RTW marketing manager. I must say her willingness to undertake numerous tasks with such dedication and zeal has impressed me time and again during her time here at Versace.

Finally, Ms. Takagi works well under pressure and knows how to step back and relax. When she led our first buying trip to Paris, she was under a lot of pressure to lead a group of twenty people for the period of three weeks. Although it was a highly stressful situation, Ms. Takagi not only established strong partnerships with our counterparts in Paris, but also fostered a friendly and relaxed atmosphere in the team. Between a series of exhausting meetings, Ms. Takagi arranged dinners and special tours to make us relax and enjoy our time in Paris, however brief our rest could be. I appreciated Ms. Takagi’s “Work Hard, Play Hard” mentality, which increased our productivity and diffused the tension that may have arisen in the team due to stressful circumstances.

What do you consider to be the applicant’s major weaknesses or areas of improvement?

As someone of exceptional drive and motivation, Ms. Takagi dislikes compromises. Although determination and persistence are important elements in successful negotiation, knowing when and how to make compromises is also a crucial skill. Fortunately, Ms. Takagi recognizes this weakness, and we have discussed the need to consider “the bigger picture” when making decisions as managers. Given her intelligence and willingness to address her shortfalls, I believe Ms. Takagi will soon learn to appreciate and accept the necessity for compromises.

Another weakness I noticed when Ms. Takagi first joined Versace was her time management skills: partially due to her willingness to undertake numerous tasks, Ms. Takagi did not always budget her time in an efficient manner. Nonetheless, during her time in Versace, Ms. Takagi has improved greatly, learning to prioritize her responsibilities and keeping track of deadlines. Although there is still room for improvement, I believe that the rigorous atmosphere of MBA study will help her make further progress in this area.

In what developmental areas has the applicant changed most over time?

When Ms. Takagi first joined Versace, she had had extensive experience in the financial world as a trader at Merrill Lynch, but almost none in the field of marketing and brand management. In the past years, she has acquired an in-depth knowledge in the art of brand management and marketing in the Japanese luxury market. Her ability to quickly grasp the nature of the industry and emerge as an active and leading employee is indeed quite remarkable.

What will this individual be doing in 10 years? Why?

I see Ms. Takagi as an international entrepreneur, as head of a highly successfully and expanding company. In the past, Ms. Takagi has expressed her desire to manage her mother’s childcare service company, which is very well-known and successful in Japan. After obtaining her degree from the London Business School, I am positive that Ms. Takagi will put her intellectual knowledge and management skills to use by expanding the company in Japan and leading it into overseas markets.

I have no doubt that whatever project she may undertake as a CEO will be innovative and enjoy a lasting success: she has proven herself to be a passionate and dedicated individual whose superb intellect does not overshadow her compassion and amiability. Her experiences abroad, both as a student and as a professional, have already given her a cosmopolitan outlook that will serve her well, not only in LSB, but throughout her professional career.

Please elaborate either below or in a separate letter on the ratings you have assigned above and comment on how the applicant will contribute to the Programme. Please also make any additional comments concerning this applicant which you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee.

Ms. Takagi possesses a remarkably keen and analytical mind, and is capable of finding an innovative solution to a given problem. As an assistant manager at Versace, Ms. Takagi has tackled various challenges with great success; even when faced with an unfamiliar task, Ms. Takagi quickly analyzes the nature of the problem and develops an effective solution.

Her intelligence, confidence, and charisma have established her as an outstanding leader, who not only takes the initiative to start a project, but also follows through the entire process and maintains solid and lasting ties with her colleagues.

As for her English skills, I am certain that Ms. Takagi’s own essays and resume, which I read before preparing this letter of reference, will attest to her superb writing abilities. Ms. Takagi speaks English at a native level: the eloquence and ease with which she expresses her thoughts both orally and in writing are indeed impressive. In addition to her native English ability, she also speaks and reads French fluently, skills she gained through study at the Sorbonne and through regular work in Paris with our company.

Ms. Takagi is truly the most extraordinary young woman I have encountered in my career. Her character and intelligence bear all the marks of an exceptional leader in the making. I have no doubt that she will not only thrive in your institution academically, but also serve as an invaluable resource to your community.

Sincerely,

Chieko Nakano