Adriana Estevez

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business

“Venezuelan-American woman passionate about the intersectionality of business success and making a positive impact on the world.”

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have had the opportunity to travel to 28 countries to date.

Undergraduate School and Major: The University of Texas at Austin – Petroleum Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Visa Inc – Strategy and Monetization Manager

What excites you most about studying in Washington, DC? Washington, D.C., is such a vibrant and diverse city. Being situated in the nation’s capital, I will have access to a vibrant and thriving business community and numerous networking opportunities. As a student, I will have the opportunity to engage with policymakers, global organizations, and influential leaders, which creates a dynamic learning environment.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Georgetown McDonough’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The key part that was most important to me was the program’s focus on ethics and social responsibility. As a business leader, I believe that it is essential to have a strong moral compass and to use my position and skill set to make a positive impact on the world. I was drawn to Georgetown McDonough’s program because of its emphasis on these values. Additionally, as a Venezuelan-American, it was critical for me to attend a program that focuses and places a strong importance on international business and global perspectives. Georgetown offers various global immersion experiences, study abroad programs, and international consulting project opportunities.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Georgetown McDonough? I am very excited about joining the Latin American Business Association (LABA) – I am passionate about increasing Latin American representation in business so connecting with people from similar cultures and building that network both professionally and personally is critical for me.

Georgetown McDonough programming focuses heavily on instilling a global mindset. Why is exposure to global diversity so critical to business success? A diverse workforce is critical for business success because diversity brings a wealth of different perspectives and experiences that lead to more effective and efficient innovative ideas and problem-solving. Additionally, the world is continuously becoming more interconnected. Businesses that operate on a global scale need to have the ability to work with multicultural and multinational teams to facilitate success in new markets. At Visa, it was critical to understand the nuances of different regions as well as markets within those regions – we cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach in pricing strategy across the globe or even within regions. For example, pricing strategy in Asia would vary if we are going to market in Japan versus India.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At Visa, I had the opportunity to lead the evaluation, creation, and execution of business strategies including pricing, go-to-market, commercial solutions, and agreements. In the process,  I drove accelerated growth and adoption of value-added services globally resulting in +21% adoption. I engineered strategies through extensive data analyses, incorporating value-based analytics, local market dynamics, and stakeholder feedback which led to $1.7M revenue uplift for FY22.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? In two years, I want to have a deep understanding of the different aspects of business, including finance, marketing, operations, and strategy. Additionally, I want to have built a strong network of contacts within the business community and with my classmates.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Georgetown McDonough’s MBA program? Do your research and make sure that Georgetown McDonough’s program mission and values are the right fit for you.

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