Meet the IESE MBA Class of 2018

Danielle Bailey

IESE Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Change agent inspired by humanity and charged to make true impact through entrepreneurship and togetherness

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Fun Fact About Yourself: I used to swim competitively and butterfly was my specialty 

Undergraduate School and Major: Georgetown University – International Business & Marketing double major

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Operations Coordinator – Scratch, a Division of Viacom

Assistant Buyer – Lord & Taylor

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far has been helping to execute and build upon Scratch Culture – an internal initiative of my group to intentionally mold our office culture into a reflection of its people and an incubator for what we’d like to become.

When I started at Scratch, it was clear that the group was an anomaly — it was driven by true collaboration over competition; people were sincere friends and enjoyed one another’s company, and everyone was inspired by each other’s brilliance and individuality. I quickly became heavily involved in the culture initiative —planning events, managing activations and being supportive through change. We then put together the second deep dive and re-launch of Scratch Culture. Through this project I realized two things about myself: 1) my strength and passion lies within people – I receive constant feedback that I am a positive force in the office and it fulfills me to make the working environment a more enjoyable place; and 2) The hallmark of a successful company is its people and their experiences, and I look forward to bringing a similar intentionality to my own company in the future.

Focusing on a healthy work culture has been a proven benefit to the bottom line, but I also believe this should be its own measure of success. A company is more than its output; it’s how it treats its input. Furthermore, it seems that a lack of focus on the culture and employee experience has become a common denominator in the downfall of some startups as most young founders have little experience in managing people. They don’t fully realize how crucial their decisions are on the lives of those that work for them and how much impactful their attitudes and leadership style can be on the entire company’s culture.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?

I would say the most important thing is to get to know the people at the schools you’re interested in — students, alumni, admissions officers, professors, career services officers, etc. It’s where you will be spending the next 1-2 years of your life and a name that will be associated with yours for years to come, so the students and alumni are a reflection of who you are. As much as you want the school to like you, you should be making sure you like them. This also helps you to have advocates throughout the application process who can vouch for you as a vetted candidate. 

In addition, it’s definitely best to start your school search and GMAT studying as soon as you make the decision to seriously consider pursuing your MBA. Applying on top of work isn’t easy for everyone, so the sooner you take it seriously the better.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? If it isn’t abundantly clear by now, I’m passionate about people. I’m also passionate about being successful in business, seeing the world through varied perspectives, and making a lasting impact. My first touch point with IESE was at an MBA fair where one of admissions representatives pulled a chair out and had me sit with her and talk. That has always stuck with me and this initial interaction was followed up with similar experiences such as meeting with Associate Director Jessica Smith to alumnus Niccolò Cappon. My decision to make IESE my top choice was fully solidified when I visited the campus and fell in love with the program, people and, of course, the place. It’s the most humanitarian program I came into contact with while also boasting a competitive and rigorous program, accomplished network, and renowned professors.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? At this point in my life, my dream job is to start my own business, so I am focused on making strides to be the ideal employer for others, as well as myself. I have long wanted to go out on my own since watching my father run his business as a child. He would have me work in his office, so I saw first-hand how his business had a positive and lasting impact on our family, his employees, his customers, and our community at large. Ever since, I’ve aspired to have that same or greater impact through my own successful company that is led with consciousness.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? I would like my business school peers to say that I was a team player who understood the importance of true collaboration and diverse perspectives. I would also like them to say that they enjoyed working with me and valued my contribution in class, on projects and beyond. Most importantly, I would like them to say we’re still friends!