Meet IE’s MBA Class of 2017

Natalie Rodgers

IE Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m always eager to stand up for my beliefs and improve the status quo.

Hometown: The Hague, Holland

Fun Fact About Yourself: Born in Holland with an Irish-American father and an Albanian-Macedonian mom, my national identity is blurry.

Undergraduate School and Major: Public Administration BSc from Erasmus University Rotterdam. International Public Administration MSc from Leiden University with International Politics as major.

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Heerema Offshore Marine Contractors: Planner; CB&I: International Procurement Trainee; Petrobras: Procurement Specialist; Shell: Contracts Engineer.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When a major contractor went bankrupt, I persuaded internal management to cover the losses of a subcontractor because payments hadn’t been forwarded. This saved a small family company from bankruptcy.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants? I am not brilliant in math and I was stressing out about taking the GMAT. IE informed me about their own entry exam which is more fit for the needs of the program. That test was a delight as it made sense to me and it saved me lots of time and money needed for GMAT prep.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? Wanting to go to a top 10 MBA in Europe, IE stood out because of their focus on entrepreneurship and their ideal location. Who would not want to live in Madrid?

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I would like to work for an international institution that invests in the Balkans and manage their projects to prevent corruption and make sure that citizens experience the benefits of the money foreigners donate for their advancement.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? She was always there to help.