What did you do before you came to CPD?

Before I joined the Career & Professional Development (CPD) team, I spent two years as a case researcher working with faculty to develop and write business case studies for use in the HBS classroom and in business programs around the globe. My very first case, “The Fiat-Chrysler Alliance: Launching the Cinquecento in North America” remains my favorite. I am a trained attorney and prior to landing at HBS I worked for the Massachusetts State Senate developing legislation and also dabbled in litigation. I certainly qualify as a “career switcher” which I think helps me relate to the many MBA students who are making a career switch themselves.

What is your role with the facilitation of work-visas with international students?

My role in CPD focuses on all things international. I work closely with students who are from outside of the U.S. and would like to pursue careers here. This involves advising international students about the U.S. companies that are open to hiring them, and coaching students as they navigate work authorization. I also manage CPD’s employer relations for Africa, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, regularly travelling to these regions to meet with organizations that are interested in hiring the many HBS students and alumni seeking roles outside of the U.S.

What is a highlight of the year for you?

September and October – the first two months of the academic year are incredibly busy but the new first-year students and returning second-years really energize the campus. I really enjoy meeting new students through my career coaching and hearing about their career vision. Sometimes, students think that CPD can’t possibly have connections to impact investors in Nairobi or hoteliers in Patagonia, so it is always a highlight for me when students discover how helpful CPD can be in every student’s unique career search.

Tell us a fun fact.

I was born on January 20th, which is Inauguration Day in Washington, D.C. when every four years the U.S. President is sworn into office. Beginning on my 4th birthday, my father made it a tradition that we attend every Inauguration together, and we have. January 20th, 2017 will be our eighth inauguration (you can do the math and figure out my age).