Ashley Martin
MBA Concentration: Strategy & Entrepreneurship
Summer Internship: 3M
Background: I was raised in Austin, Texas and attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where I earned a BA in Economics. Before matriculating at Kenan-Flagler, I worked at Vanderbilt University as a Management Information Systems project consultant.
Career goals: I hope to work as an intrapreneur on projects that will improve social, economic and environmental sustainability. Additionally, I would like to successfully start, grow and manage a small business in the future.
Why did you choose Kenan-Flagler?
Kenan-Flagler was the best fit based on course and extracurricular offerings, the collection of supportive and engaging students, the size of the MBA student body and location.
How will you define success within the MBA program?
I consider participation in the program as a long-term commitment, so success is defined by taking advantage of the school’s resources to complete my career transition and by staying engaged with the program as an alumnus.
What are you looking to gain the most during your first year experience?
Outside of engaging in the coursework, I accomplished the following goals during the first year of the MBA Program:
· Studied in Asia (DBI Thailand),
· Participated on a Dean’s Fellows project (Corporate Relations Benchmarking Team),
· Actively competed in the Legacy Cup Challenge (Tillman Karaoke Performance and 2nd place finish in Legacy Olympics Egg Toss),
· Was selected for leadership positions (VP of First Year Outreach for Alliance of Minority Business Students, VP of Career Development for Carolina Women in Business, VP of Events for the Wine Club).
What does Your Kenan-Flagler and Consortium network mean to you?
The network provides excellent resources for professional growth and inspiration for my future success.
Who is someone in business that you admire the most?
I admire Ron Johnson, CEO of jcpenney because of his leadership and courage to implement a new pricing strategy in opposition of current industry trends. Sometimes bold decisions need to be made to rebuild a brand and customer loyalty; I am impressed by his efforts.
What three words define who you are, and why?
Liberal – My interests are quite varied and this has allowed me to interact professionally and socially with my diverse classmates in a more connected manner.
Team Player – I make an extra effort to be supportive of my classmates and to help them achieve their goals.
Optimistic – During the core, my classmates often commented on the influence of my positive demeanor and smile.
What is an interesting personal fact that you would like to share?
I love bluegrass music and during my free time I like to visit local music festivals.