I currently work for the data analytics firm owned by the largest traditional grocer in America as a Senior Customer Strategy and Activation Consultant. I currently leverage our loyalty card data to target personalized marketing campaigns for our $60MM annual loyalty marketing program; I specifically lead our contactability initiatives (incentivizing customers to provide us with clean, actionable contact data), and have kicked off new customer retention initiatives as a result of covid19. Before this, I spent two years in accounts at a creative agency, and two years as an analyst in a PE-style family office as part of a two-year entrepreneurial fellowship in the midwest.

I am pursuing my MBA for two main reasons. First, I have no formal business background; I didn't quite know what to study in undergrad, and have been running from finance my entire life. So, I'm first and foremost going to get a really solid understanding of business fundamentals and thus want a program that requires a core set of classes in year one.

Second, I've noticed a gap in marketing leadership in my industry. The marketing function has become very specialized and siloed; the general management knowledge / how to run an efficient business is missing, and often means the function doesn't get a seat at the table. In my company, who serves 1 in 2 Households in America, we do not have a chief marketing or customer officer (just merchandising). I want to position myself with the general management knowledege and experiences to bridge this gap and break into leadership.

Post-mba I intend to stay in my current industry, but return in a different capacity; ideally, would like to shift to brand management.

I realize my GPA is lower than average for the schools I'm interested in; I battled some illness in undergrad that I plan to explain. I went to a "public ivy" in the midwest. I am taking HBS core and anticipate a score of 700+ on the GMAT based on my practice (taking in Sept).