From early adolescence, I have always found myself reaching outside my comfort zone through
international endeavors. Privileged with worldly parents, I was able to establish a global footprint and
learn about many other countries and cultures through first-hand experience. Never was I more excited
than when planning an international excursion, a sentiment which continued on throughout the years
and led me to visit places all over the world by the time I went off to college. Always wanting to travel to
Australia, I applied to a study abroad program that would support my personal goal of travel and
contribute a few educational credits along the way. While my intentions were initially self-serving, a
greater calling was instilled in me through my time spent in Australia. Through a curriculum centered on
International Sustainable Development, I learned about how cultural, corporate, and political groups can
utilize solutions to cultivate wide-scale change that can benefit an entire community or country. These
moments over the months spent in-country not only cultivated my desire to see more of the world, but
also sparked interest in furthering my understanding of how international businesses can have an
impact on the communities they serve.
I began my career in the CPG industry as a Consumer Insights professional supporting a US
infant care brand; while it was an extraordinary experience working in such a highly emotive category, I
continued to find myself using my free time to develop macro analyses, call into webinars, and attend
conferences around different cultural trends and themes occurring across the world. After some time, I
was fortunate enough to spearhead one of our brand’s expansion initiatives into China. I was able to
travel to China to lead project development, fielding, analysis, and sharing of insights to company
executives, while also pulling together a complimentary Chinese consumer meta-analysis sourced from a
multitude of secondary sources. This opportunity fostered a deep sense of inspiration and fulfillment in
my professional career that I had yet to experience in all the projects prior. From this moment on, I
knew my passions would only continue to grow through paths of the like.
After receiving my first promotion, I transitioned into a role in the food category to advance the
insights agenda on mason jar and food storage brands. Working specifically on Sistema, my eyes were
opened to how an international brand’s passion for sustainable practices could be executed through
multiple divisions. Seeing this corporate social responsibility coming to life in areas like supply chain,
innovation, and company culture reignited that passion I originally developed from my time spent in
Australia/New Zealand and my first project in China. While I noticed myself feeling driven to pursue a
career that could span borders, I felt as though I had so much more to learn before this could be
possible. This longing for learning became the foundation for my desire to go back to school and work
towards my MBA.
In my current role in Consumer Insights, my scope of knowledge is quite specific. I have spent
the past 5 years developing the necessary skills to succeed as a market researcher but have found
myself feeling hindered as I continue to progress into positions of leadership. My entry level
understanding of fields outside my own, such as supply chain, operations, and finance, has become
more prevalent in my day to day, and I crave a richer knowledge of many of these topics to enhance my
business acumen in order to better serve the brands I support. With this program, I intend to learn
about domestic business processes as a short-term goal for my current role, but my long-term objective
is to expand that knowledge and further my familiarity with international business and its nuanced
approach to sociocultural strategy and management. More specifically, I hope to continue a career in
Consumer Insights that includes a global perspective which would transition me into a role in
International Insights. I expect to uncover how strategies and processes vary in multicultural markets
outside of the US, with the goal being to drive my strategic thinking skillset and apply thoughtful and
actionable business recommendations from the research I conduct. By cultivating an understanding of
the various domestic and international functions within a business, I hope to accelerate my own career
and find the intersection of both my corporate and personal aspirations.
I am eager to advance my education and believe my drive and passion for international business
will make me a successful student in this MBA program.