Samantha Caldwell

Smith School of Business, Queen’s University

“Happiest in motion, working in a team environment and feeling connected to the bigger picture.”

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Fun Fact About Yourself: A business trip to Peru this year accomplished a bucket list goal: visit every continent (except Antarctica)! I was there working on a trade connection program in the city of Arequipa, which is primarily a mining city high up in the Andean mountains.

Undergraduate School and Major: Queen’s University, Political Science and History

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Senior Associate, Global Trade, Export Development Canada

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Being selected to participate in a month-long secondment in the Canadian consulate in Houston, Texas. During my time there, I was part of a team that organized a trade connections component to an oil and gas conference happening in Houston.

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 was drawn to the coaching aspect of the Smith program. Mentoring is an important cultural piece of my previous work environment, so I felt aligned with this aspect of the Smith MBA. I strongly think that mentoring and coaching benefits people at any and every career level. The coaching component is a unique feature among Canadian MBAs!

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Case competitions!

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most challenging question I received was how I provide feedback to colleagues. In my previous role, I was significantly younger than my colleagues so providing feedback was a challenge to be taken carefully and delicately! The follow-up question – “How did your colleague respond” – was easier to answer but still required me to relive a situation that had been stressful at the time.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I wanted to give myself more career options and increase my skill set. Working at a financial institution with an arts undergrad meant I felt limited as to which teams I could work on. Pursuing a Master’s degree was also a personal goal.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I considered many programs before settling on Smith. A one-year program in Canada was a top priority for me.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I had a great undergrad experience at Queen’s, which fed into my decision to consider Smith for my MBA. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself working for a financial institution, in a customer-facing role, where I can see the value and impact I’m delivering for clients’ financial success.