Master’s in Supply Chain Management: Allegra Campbell, University of Washington (Foster)

“Foster is a great choice because you will get a superior academic experience and join a vast alumni network in one of the most tech-forward cities in the country.”

Student Name: Allegra Campbell

Graduate Business School: University of Washington Foster School of Business

Describe Yourself In 15 Words: Creative and introspective Washington native who is always learning something new.

Master’s Graduation Class: 2019.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Puget Sound, Cell Biology.

Current Employer and Job Title: Rainier Industries, Supply Chain Manager.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The greatest thing has been the evolution of my leadership skills during my time at Rainier. I started in 2016 as an individual contributor and since 2019 have led a team of three. During my first year as Supply Chain Manager, I learned a lot on the fly, like how to interview and hire candidates, and leaned heavily on the people around me. I am proud of how far I have come thanks to a growth mindset and am happy to continue learning every day.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as a graduate student: I was on a team selected to participate in the TCU supply chain case competition in 2019. We had 24 hours to solve a distribution network problem. We earned second place overall due to the creativity of our solution, which was backed by good forecasting, financial analysis, and research.

What was the key factor that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The two factors in my decision were geography and legacy. First, I was able to continue working at Rainier, located in Tukwila about 30 minutes south of Seattle. Second, the personal and overall legacy of Foster. My father is an alumnus of the executive MBA program. In addition, there are connections to many world-class, Seattle-based companies at Foster. The MSCM advisory board includes representatives from Paccar, Boeing, Alaska Air, and Amazon.

What led you to choose a Master’s in Supply Chain Management over an MBA? I didn’t really consider an MBA, honestly. The benefits of Foster’s MSCM were well aligned with what I wanted. First, the depth of learning in a single field rather than breadth across many disciplines. Second, a shorter time commitment because the program format is accelerated to be completed in one year.

What has been your favorite course and how has it helped you in your career? The course on Forecasting and Inventory Management, taught by Kamran Moinzadeh, by far had the most impact on me and I still refer back to the course materials two to three times per year. We learned the nuts and bolts of supply chain: the quantitative methods for predicting future demand and solving economic order quantities.

What role did your school play in helping you to land your first job out of the program? A great feature of the Foster MSCM program is that it is work-compatible and all classes are on evenings or weekends. Before and during my time at Foster, I worked at Rainier Industries as a buyer. Upon completing the program I was promoted to the Supply Chain Manager position. This presented opportunities to lead a team, to share my new knowledge with others, to make supply chain decisions for the entire company. It would not have been possible for me to do this without my education from Foster.

How did your classmates enhance the value of your business school experience? They brought different perspectives; we had five countries (other than USA) represented in our class. Their global backgrounds really opened up my eyes to how little I knew and experienced in my life so far. Despite our differences, we have so much in common. Those who I have kept in touch with since graduating are considered close friends.

Who was your favorite faculty member and how did this person enrich your learning? Pat Bettin taught us a course called Enhancing Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness. We learned about communicating with people from other cultures, decision-making styles and strategies, and elements of organizational culture. Pat shared with us a rich vocabulary to look at leaders and organizations which has been a valuable skill both at work and in life ever since.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s graduate Master’s program? Engage throughout the application process. Attend webinars, sit in on a class, connect with a student ambassador. These are tools that will allow you to learn whether Foster is a good fit for you. Foster is a great choice because you will get a superior academic experience and join a vast alumni network in one of the most tech-forward cities in the country.

What was your best memory from your Master’s program? I loved my entire time at Foster, but a personal highlight was travelling to Germany for the supply chain study tour. We stayed in Munich and Berlin over seven days and toured companies including Audi and Duetsche Telekom. The trip not only added a global element to what I had learned at Foster, but also allowed for quality time with my classmates that could not be replicated in Seattle.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MASTERS OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT