Stephanie Rocha

IE Business School

“I’m quirky, high-energy, and fun-loving. I’ll try anything once.“

Hometown: Marlborough, MA, USA

Fun Fact about Yourself: In undergrad, I joined the UMass Equestrian Team. I went from never being on a horse before to competing on a team in a period of weeks.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Accounting

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Global Atlantic Financial Group, Associate, Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My team at Global Atlantic led a transformation initiative of our internal reporting and metrics. I developed KPIs and Tableau dashboards to be used by our business leaders. It was a fun experience for me to not only learn a new system but also to familiarize myself with how change management works inside an organization.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? IE students possess the “work hard, play hard” mentality, which is further amplified in Madrid – a city that truly never sleeps. On any given day, you’ll find IE students collaborating on campus, networking with the Madrid tech ecosystem, and satisfying their inner foodie at one of the city’s top-rated restaurants. The “typical” IE student is multi-faceted and cares about creating an impact in every area of his or her life. This wide net of passion creates unique experiences and opportunities for the community.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The IE curriculum places a lot of emphasis on technology and digital transformation. We learn about new technologies, but also spend time discussing frameworks and the various considerations applicable to implementation. Even the slowest moving of industries are preparing for their move to digital, and the next generation of executives will need to be nimble to keep up with that change. It’s important for me to become proficient in this process so that I can confidently usher my organization through this change.

IE Business School calls itself “An “MBA out of the ordinary.” How has IE’s curriculum and activities been out of the ordinary from what you expected or what you experienced in other educational institutions? The accelerated nature of the MBA program means that students move to Madrid ready to hit the ground running. There is a big focus on entrepreneurship at IE, and people come to campus looking to meet their future co-founders, or are, for example, already juggling a family business from afar. Entrepreneurship is part of our core curriculum, and I‘ve had plenty of opportunities to practice putting together a business plan and fine-tuning my pitch. It’s been a great experience even though I intend on pursuing intrapreneurship from the angle of a corporate career.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I attended an IE “Masterclass” in Boston, which was about the future of Quantum Computing. During the interview, I was asked about my opinion of the applications of this technology. I had recently watched a whole documentary on the topic. It was a lucky break for me.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years? Leading strategic planning for a global company. I’ve always been a methodical planner with an eye out for new opportunities and growth. I would love to be in a position where I can help put the pieces together and be an internal advisor to my firm.

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