Agnese De Grossi Mazzorin

Arizona State University, W.P Carey School of Business

“I am resilient, curious, and goal-oriented person with a desire to grow and learn new things.”

Hometown: Rome, Italy

Fun Fact About Yourself: In the past 6 years, I lived in 7 different cities in 4 different countries. Needless to say, traveling is one of my biggest passions!

Undergraduate School and Major:

Undergraduate: Bocconi University, Business Administration and Management

Graduate: Bocconi University – Fudan School of Management, Double Degree MSc in International Management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:  BASF – Digital Solutions Expert

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the school’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Although there are a lot of MBA programs, I believe the main factor that led me to choose the W.P. Carey’s MBA was the inclusive and diverse community of this business school. Starting from its leitmotiv “business is personal”, ASU fosters a learning environment characterized by a supportive, collaborative and welcoming mindset. For me it was important to find a university with a primary focus on individuals and on diversity, where every person with his/her unique characteristics counts and plays a vital role in the learning process of others. Thus, ASU fit perfectly with what I was seeking.

Arizona State is renowned for its innovation. How have you seen innovation in the philosophy, curriculum, or researches at W. P. Carey? I have seen innovation especially in the ASU’s “Forward Focus” curriculum. It can be considered a holistic curriculum, which combines theoretical and experiential learning and provides students with the right set of soft and technical skills to face the complexity of the ever-changing business landscape. More specifically, there are three experiences that are unique to the W.P. Carey curriculum and are extremely innovative. The first one is the Intellectual Fusion Lab, where students with different backgrounds work together on hands-on projects. The second one is the Future Forward Leadership aimed at enhancing resiliency skills. The third one is the Executive Connections”, where students are paired and mentored by executives.

What club or activity excites you most at this school? There are three clubs that I would love to join, namely the MBA Ambassadors, the MBA Women International, and the Volunteer Council Club. Firstly, becoming an MBA Ambassador would mean having the possibility to “give back”. As I was helped by both MBA Alumni and Admission Representatives, I would love to offer support and advice to any prospective student. Similarly, becoming a member of the MBA Women International Association is one of my aspirations. I feel the need to do as much as it is in my power to change the status quo, by contributing to raise awareness on the conditions women face in business and by striving for a more equal society. Last but not least, I would like to join the Volunteer Council Club to continue my social commitment as I was doing in my home country.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: So far, my biggest career accomplishment is represented by the deep relationships I developed with colleagues working in my same team. Despite the initial challenges, as a team we worked on our relationship and we truly nurtured it, becoming day-after-day a stronger and more cohesive team. Among all the accomplishments, that is the one I am most proud of.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I felt the need to go back to school to be equipped with several soft and technical skills that I could not gain easily at work. Indeed, while working I was often distracted by the daily routine and there was no chance or not enough time to really improve myself. Thus, I believe that pursuing an MBA was the only way possible to pivot my career in the direction I want.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?  W. P. Carey was my first and only choice.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? The most difficult question I had to answer during the admission process was one of the Essay Questions: “Describe your career path both immediately upon graduation, and five years post MBA”. It is not easy to write down your career aspirations, especially those concerning the long run. I remember I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to explain concisely my career goals and how the W.P. Carey MBA could help me to close the gap to achieve them.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? At a specific point in time, I realized that my career was not going in the direction I desired. Even though I liked my job role, I had the feeling that it was not exactly what was setting my soul on fire. At the beginning of my professional life, I had the chance to work on a supply chain management project. I had so much fun, I was literally thrilled to go to work. Whereas, the role I was in before leaving work for the MBA did not satisfied me completely; it did not give me the same level of excitement I experienced while working in the supply chain management area. Thus, I felt the need to do something about, so to be happier in the future. In that moment, I made the decision to give my dreams a chance, by pursuing an MBA which will get me closer to my goals.

What is the most important attribute that you are seeking in an MBA employer? I would like to work in a company that values diversity, curiosity and inclusion.

 

DON’T MISS: Meet Arizona State’s MBA Class of 2022