Meet Cornell Johnson’s MBA Class Of 2019

Lindsey Staley 

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: My perfect day includes my Labrador, barre class, country music, and preventing non-optimal financial decisions.

Hometown: Ithaca, NY (yes, same Ithaca!)

Fun Fact About Yourself:  Before finishing my undergraduate degree, I was a professional ballet dancer with Nashville Ballet 2.

Undergraduate School and Major: Barnard College of Columbia University, Economics

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

Mercer

Investment Consulting, Analyst (2013–2015)

Investment Consulting, Associate (2015–2016)

Defined Contribution & Financial Wellness Research, Associate (2016–2017)

Defined Contribution & Financial Wellness Research, Senior Associate (2017)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Just before coming to Johnson, I was invited to give a ten-minute “Lightening Talk” on fintech at Mercer’s Global Investment Forum. There were nearly 400 people in the audience, including clients, asset managers, and senior leaders at Mercer. While preparing was a significant undertaking over several months (no prompts or note cards), ultimately it was exhilarating to present to such a large audience on such a complex and fascinating topic.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? As soon as you know that you want to pursue an MBA, start saving and investing in a 529 college savings plan. People often think these plans are just for undergraduate education, but they can be used for graduate school as well. In many states, there are also significant tax advantages to investing in this kind of plan. Even if you do not end up going to business school, you can always keep the funds for your children or transfer them to another friend or family member.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The tight-knit community was a key factor in my decision to attend Johnson. I not only wanted to build my professional network during my two years in school, but I also wanted to develop lifelong friendships. Though we have only been in class for a few weeks, I can already tell that is definitely achievable at Johnson.

I believe that Johnson’s small class size and “non-urban” location foster this type of supportive environment. Going to college in NYC, I sometimes felt disconnected from the on-campus community because there was so much to do off campus. I knew that I wanted a different experience for my MBA and that Johnson could undoubtedly provide that. (That said, it also helps that my partner is a member of our class and that Ithaca is my hometown!)

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? Honing my leadership skills is an important goal that I have for my time at Johnson. Therefore, success after my first year would be progress toward this goal. In particular, I would like to hold a significant leadership position in a student organization (my classmate and I are currently discussing co-founding a Johnson Fintech club) and leverage my experience and network to help my classmates who are recruiting for asset management.