Elizabeth Hitti

Emory University’s Goizueta Business School

“Intense, organized, and athletic. I live life face first, and I trust in the process.”

Hometown: Ashland, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was captain of the Division 1 Field Hockey team at the University of Pennsylvania.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania, BSE in Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Consultant at Deloitte Consulting LLP

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Working in a highly competitive and technological consulting environment, where I travel all over the country, and still being able to coach and mentor field hockey athletes and serve as a role model for young women.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would say my classmates are interesting, in the extreme version of the word. Their life stories are fascinating, from the ex-professional rock climber who lived out of a van to climb to the Chinese-born woman who managed luxury hotels, I feel like I have just begun to scratch the surface on getting to know these incredible individuals and understanding their unique experiences from around the world.

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 Goizueta Business School for its leadership program, which I believe is a leader in its field. My coaching background made me realize how passionate I am about leading and developing people. To position me best to have this same influence in a professional setting, a deliberate leadership program was key. To start, Goizueta puts classmates in “core teams” of 4 or 5 for the entire first semester while requiring a class on Coaching & Team Performance and assigning a second-year MBA student, a Leadership Coaching Fellow, to help manage team dynamics. In the subsequent semesters, Goizueta offers ample opportunities to hone leadership skills purposefully, from elective classes to coaching engagements to speakers. It is an instrumental part of their curriculum and set the school apart in my decision-making process.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m really looking forward to the mid-semester modules, which are Goizueta’s international trips offered every spring. In particular, there is one module that is led by native students, and not just seeing a new country, but seeing it in the eyes of the people who grew up there and exploring areas that I wouldn’t think to go as a tourist will be an unparalleled experience.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? What is something you don’t like about your current job and why?

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? On client projects, I was facing increasing business challenges, and every day it motivated me to pursue an MBA. As a female engineer, competitive athlete, and technology consultant, I needed to enhance my background with a business education to bridge the gap between technology and business to be able to advise clients on how technology can or does impact their business.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Northwestern Kellogg, UPenn Wharton, Michigan Ross

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I evaluated schools in three key areas: curriculum, leadership, and location. First, I was looking for a school with a rigorous curriculum and strong emphasis on core business classes to strengthen my business acumen. Second, my coaching background made having leadership-specific courses a priority to achieve my goal of having a similar influence in a professional setting. Third, a global city was key to my MBA experience, specifically a city with strong ties to the consumer industry. I did all on-campus interviews, so I could see the campus, meet the people, and understand if the school was a good cultural fit!

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Getting my offer letter from Deloitte as a senior at Penn was a big moment for me. I was in-season (meaning I was spending 40 hours per week on field hockey and traveling for away games) and I was taking a full mechanical engineering course-load while I successfully navigated the competitive on-campus recruiting and intense interview process. Not only did I get an offer from my top choice firm, but I also led the field hockey team to the Ivy League Championship game and maintained dean’s list grades in engineering. It will forever be a reminder to me that I can handle anything that comes my way and be successful doing it!

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself as the COO of a large corporation, driving sustainable corporate growth and innovation and elevating individual and team performance. Also, I’d like to still be coaching field hockey, inspiring young female athletes, and developing future business leaders.