Tell us about your path to business school and your future plans. How will the Berkeley-Haas experience help you along this journey?

“America is living in spin.” After watching the movie “Thank You for Smoking,” I knew what I wanted to do with my life: not become a lobbyist, but be the brains behind influencing consumers. Following graduation I joined Prophet to gain first-hand experience in understanding consumers.

At Prophet I’ve held four positions and worked with the world’s biggest CPG firms. I’ve learned about the research that develops marketing strategies, the need for dynamic approaches to compete in ever-shifting landscapes, and the importance of relationships in forwarding initiatives. In my current role I’ve built out a new Prophet practice in new-product-launch performance, managed the production team and developed a go-to-market strategy. Through these experiences, I uniquely understand the importance of innovation; I know what trends are occurring globally and have identified best practices. While I’ve learned so much, I desire to be closer to the products. I want to expand beyond analysis and strategy recommendations and apply my knowledge as part of a team that dreams up the next new product to fulfill a consumer need.

Ultimately I want to be the CMO of a B2C company; to achieve my goal I initially want to work in brand management at an innovative company like Cliff Bar or Uber and grow with the company to achieve this leadership position. I believe an MBA would prepare me to make this transition and that Haas is the best program for me as it is uniquely positioned to provide a rigorous general management curriculum while being at the center of business innovation.

What’s most distinctive about the Haas academic experience is the opportunity to participate in Applied Innovation courses, honing leadership skills in real-life business settings. Two in particular, Influencing Consumers and Managing the New Product Development Process, will help develop my brand management abilities and better my understanding of solving for consumer needs and positioning products. Haas’ global focus is also something I value. My role leading Pepsico’s Global Beverage account has instilled the importance of a global perspective to grow a business. Courses such as International Marketing and opportunities like Winter Treks will enable me to compete in the ever-globalizing business environment. Beyond this, Haas will allow me to develop the skills necessary to transition into brand management – from managing a P&L through financial accounting classes to managing a team through courses such as Leading People.

Beyond academics, Haas has an appealing list of “extras.” Foremost is its highly personalized Career Management Group, where tools such as Virtual Interview Coaching or Job Search Teams will help me find the best company to launch my career. Additionally, I would like to take a lead role in Haas’ extra-curricular opportunities such as the Marketing Club and Women in Leadership forum, to explore both personal and professional interests in an encouraging learning environment that values both confidence and humility.

Haas has exactly what I need to reach my goals and is beyond a doubt the best MBA program for me.