Frida Winkelmann

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Global Shaper. German-American. Self-Starter. Committed to doing good, while doing well. Love Darjeeling and Haribo.”

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

Fun Fact About Yourself:  I taught a dance class at an international dance festival in Zanzibar

Undergraduate School and Major: Maastricht University, International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Mobisol Group is a leading German company for pay-as-you-go Solar Home Systems in East Africa. The company is dedicated to delivering a clean, affordable alternative to fossil fuels for low-income households living without access to reliable energy. Throughout my time at the company, I was based in Tanzania and then in Rwanda. Most recently, I was Business and Customer Strategy Lead in Rwanda.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  I led the market-entry for a new product, managing a multi-functional, multi-cultural project team to deliver a wide range of project deliverables, including sales forecasting, customer research, and marketing plans.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Humble leaders. The students I have met at Anderson are accomplished, curious, and embody a bias towards action. They are natural leaders that do not forget or hesitate to ask questions, seek advice, and ask for help.

Aside from your classmates, 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? I chose UCLA Anderson for the action-oriented curriculum, the school’s culture, and the city of Los Angeles. Anderson offers a wide variety of options to apply the skills learned in the classroom in a real-world business during the MBA. These include the unique capstone project (either Applied Management Research or the Business Creation Option), case competitions, and the ability to conduct academic internships during the school year.  The school’s culture stood out to me – every current student and alumni I spoke to showcased the right mix of intelligence, optimism and humor. Lastly, Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in the world and offers a blend of business opportunities. I believe it is the perfect place to grow both personally and professionally.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I plan to take advantage of the human-centered design education at Anderson, including product management workshops. My favorite part of business is direct customer interaction and adapting product, marketing, and sales strategies to consumer preferences. I enjoy discussing business questions such as: What does the success of food delivery startups like Jumia Food mean for the future of on-demand delivery in Africa? I believe my experiences conducting market research focused on “last mile customers” will be a value-add for design thinking teams at Anderson.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After working in a rapidly-growing company, I had a strong foundation of business experience. However, I also recognized that there are skills I need to strengthen to reach the next stage in my career. An MBA will allow me to learn inside and outside the classroom from classmates, professors, and alumni and to work on developing my skills in several areas simultaneously.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I considered my career projection and job opportunities with and without the MBA.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, NYU – Stern, Berkeley – Haas

How did you determine your fit at various schools? When deciding on a school, I factored in cultural fit, location, depth and breadth of curriculum, alumni network, and student club offering. As I was based outside the USA during the recruitment process, I focused on gathering information through the school’s websites and by reaching out to student admissions ambassadors.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Over the last 10 years, I have lived in seven cities across four continents – Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. From the bustling streets of Buenos Aires to the rolling hills of Kigali – these experiences have shaped my outlook as a global citizen. I speak multiple languages, have lead teams consisting of people from a variety of cultures, and I am adept at navigating international business contexts. These skills and perspectives will serve me well at business school, in my future career, and in life.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I intend to work as a strategy consultant, focused on the verticals commercial strategy, consumer products, and new media.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I hope to be working in strategy and commercial management for an entertainment company or media conglomerate. I am sure that Anderson will serve me well in getting ready for that opportunity and I hope to be at a company like Disney or Netflix, working on international expansion and product development.