Julie Deng

Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scheller College of Business

“An opportunist that loves to get out of her comfort zone.”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Facts About Yourself: On my first day of college, I couldn’t find my classroom and accidentally met Owen Wilson while he was filming a movie on campus!

Undergraduate School and Major: Industrial Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Deloitte, Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Advocating for nutrition informed food procurement policies for the government of Rwanda to decrease malnutrition in food-insecure populations across the country.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? The humility and “roll up your sleeves” mentality of Georgia Tech Scheller students is incredible. It shows that they are results-driven and not afraid of taking on a challenge.

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? The current roles of the Scheller alumni was a key factor in my decision to come to Georgia Tech for my MBA. The success of the alumni proved that the Scheller MBA was a valuable investment.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most looking forward to the international practicum. I spent some time working abroad at a non-profit in Africa and it was one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had so I look forward to going to a new country, working with a new company, and discovering new problems to be solved!

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “Tell me about a book that you recently read and enjoyed” – This question was difficult as it was unexpected, but I loved that it gave me the opportunity to show what topics excite and engage me.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was at a point in my career where I felt like I had experience in most roles within my function (supply chain/manufacturing operations) so I wanted to get an MBA to expand my knowledge and diversity my experience. 

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UCLA, Berkeley Haas

What made you select Scheller? Having graduated from Georgia Tech for my undergraduate degree, I understood the power of the Georgia Tech degree and network. I am confident that the Scheller faculty understands my background and will help take my career to the next level in a way that makes sense for me.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Because I was an engineer and worked in operations consulting, I looked for schools that had other students with a similar technical background. The most important factors for me were the student culture and future job potential so I reached out to alumni of various business schools within my company to speak with them about their experiences and understand where they are in their career after graduation. I wanted to understand if they were not only working in roles that I could see myself in, but also living personal lives that I admired.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? A defining moment for my life was when I decided to transfer schools in during my undergraduate studies. I originally went to the University of Georgia and was intending to study medicine. However, I come from a long family line of Georgia Tech faculty and alumni who opened my eyes to engineering. I decided to transfer to Georgia Tech and from there, I learned fundamental, transferable skills such as problem-solving that allowed me to have a successful consulting career where I was consistently working in fluid environments.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In 10 years, I hope to be leading a customer-focused innovation team.