Leticia Pfeffer

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

“I’m a passionate change-maker that is committed to driving positive impact for business and society.”

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Fun Fact About Yourself: I speak three languages—English, Spanish, and French  

Undergraduate School and Major: New York University, Global Liberal Studies

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Global Citizen, Director, Private Sector Policy, Partnerships & Innovation

What word best describes the Tuck MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far and why? Change agents. Every Tuckie I’ve met—both fellow classmates and alumni—truly embodies the ‘Tuck nice’ spirit. Tuckies are extremely friendly and genuine and are always willing to help each other out. Tuckies are also bona fide change agents: they are purposeful leaders that have inspiring career and personal goals that they work hard to achieve while having fun and creating a positive impact in their community. I’m so grateful to be part of the Tuck family.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Coming from a non-traditional MBA background, I was very values-driven when researching MBA programs. At Tuck, the foundational core curriculum and classroom learning is reinforced by the myriad of co-curricular activities designed to support each student’s personal interests and career goals. Given my passion for social impact, this was very appealing to me as I will be able to personalize my MBA experience and take advantage of many fantastic opportunities:

* Pursue a fellowship with the Center for Business, Government and Society given the various focus areas it touches on: ethics, sustainability, social entrepreneurship, impact investing, corporate responsibility, public-private-social sector partnerships and community engagement.

* Tuck Social Venture Fund: Tuck is among a handful of schools that offers students first-hand experience in impact investing.

* Nonprofit Board Fellows program: As a Tuck student, I can sit on a local nonprofit board to help the organization create value.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Dartmouth Tuck? In addition to the co-curricular opportunities listed above, I’m super excited to join the Ski and Snowboard Club and hit the slopes with fellow Tuckies!

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hanover? What is the one activity you can’t wait to do? It would be taking advantage of all the amazing outdoor activities that the Upper Valley has to offer, including hiking and skiing.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In 2014, I started my career at Global Citizen, an international nonprofit advocacy organization with a mission to end extreme poverty by 2030. During my time there, I grew tremendously and quickly rose through the ranks as I embraced new challenges, took on more complex work and leaned into increased leadership responsibilities. As a director, I developed and executed campaign strategies that successfully mobilized over $2.5 billion in policy and financing commitments from governments and the private sector in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Working in a highly collaborative, tight-knit, and fast-paced environment—where I grappled with complex problems and created out-of-the-box campaign solutions that were mission-aligned—was extremely rewarding. As the Director of Private Sector Policy, Partnerships & Innovation, I scaled Global Citizen’s policy and philanthropic engagement with companies and supported some of the world’s leading B2B and B2C brands with their environmental, social and governance, and corporate social responsibility approaches in a data-driven, forward-thinking, and impact-focused manner.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? After living in New York City for nearly a decade, I decided to move to Mexico City during the pandemic to be closer to my mom and siblings. I had many important realizations. First, family time and work-life balance is very important to me. The same is true about being passionate about my work and continuing to invest in my personal and professional development.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? My time at Global Citizen took me around the world to work with decision-makers across public and private sectors. Global Citizen was generous in imparting indispensable lessons, challenges, and failures. I’ve developed a growing understanding of the interplay between business, government, global institutions, and civil society, and how companies can be a force for good.

This perspective defines my post-MBA goals: to advise companies, both recognized industry leaders and newcomers to the sustainability journey, to drive new socially responsible solutions that address global challenges.

An MBA at Tuck will, without a doubt, allow me do develop into a leader that inspires people and companies to drive meaningful impact for all stakeholders.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? London Business School, NYU Stern, USC Marshall, Yale SOM, Berkeley Haas, HBS, Stanford GSB

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Dartmouth Tuck’s MBA program? Be genuine and purposeful in your MBA application and let your personality shine. I spent a long time thinking about my professional experiences, my personal values, and why a Tuck MBA would help me achieve my future goals. Devote significant time during your application process for personal reflection—this was personally an invaluable exercise!

DON’T MISS: MEET DARTMOUTH TUCK’S MBA CLASS OF 2023