Home Region
Congers, NY
Undergrad Education
U.S. Military Academy, Political science/gov't, 2004
Previous Experience
US Army
HBS Activities
Armed Forces Alumni Association, Marketing & CPG Club, TechMedia Club, Wine & Cuisine Society, Catholic Students Association, HBS Mentoring Program with Gardner Elementary School
“The mission of HBS was already aligned with what I wanted to do with my life.”
Many HBS graduates will manage brands; few, however, will be responsible for a brand as storied – and as important – as the one that will be under Juliane Schwetz’s care: the United States Military Academy at West Point.
An Army captain, Juliane has served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Logistics Corps officer. “At my level,” Juliane explains, “it was about getting all the soldiers I led the resources they needed to do their jobs as easily and efficiently as possible.”
While getting an MBA is a requirement for her upcoming responsibilities, choosing the right school was up to Juliane. “I knew HBS was the place for me,” she says. “I’m in the leadership business, and HBS is the icon for leaders overall in America. The mission of HBS was already aligned with what I wanted to do with my life.”
Magic, fashion, and beauty, too
For Juliane, coming to HBS means branching out into new areas such as finance, strategy, and entrepreneurship. “It could be intimidating, but it’s really quite magical,” she says. “I don’t ever feel I have to prove anything – I can relax and learn. My classmates have become an extension of my family.” Juliane’s husband, David, has transitioned out of military service and is currently working as research staff at MIT. “With the section and club events, the campus is not just a nice place for me to thrive, but a welcoming place where my husband is included.”
In an unexpected twist, Juliane is taking HBS relationships one step further by interning this summer with a sectionmate, Grace Choi, who is launching her own brand of beauty creams. “Her aim,” Juliane says, “is to educate women and make them feel beautiful inside and out. I never had the intention of working at a startup, but through my experiences at HBS and our exposure to entrepreneurship, I really got interested in the idea. I realized entrepreneurship is nothing for me to be afraid of. My attitude and personality are actually very complementary to an environment where people have a passion to work.”