Liza Moskowitz

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

“A fervent champion for women who is always raising her hand to ask questions.”

Hometown: Plano, Texas

Fun fact about yourself: I am a certified barre instructor! Throughout business school, you could catch me in the studio helping clients be the strongest version of themselves.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Boston University, B.S. Communications

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Moishe House, Moishe House Without Walls Associate Director

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? Summer Associate, Deloitte Consulting, Austin, TX

Where will you be working after graduation? Senior Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, Atlanta, GA

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Women’s Business Association President
• Admissions Campus Visit Coordinator
• Career Management Center Peer Coach
• Jewish Business Association Programming Vice President
• Texas Club Treasurer
• Teacher’s Assistant – Financial Accounting, Corporate Valuation, and Strategic Management
• Bronson Ingram Scholar and Forte Fellow

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of my involvement with the Jewish Business Association. Prior to business school, I worked at a Jewish non-profit helping Jewish young adults cultivate a Jewish community. I was so lucky that I was paid to think about meaningfully building community! When I arrived at Owen, I had to intentionally choose to be Jewish and share that identity with my peers around me.

The Jewish Business Association not only hosted events for the Jewish community at Owen, but also for our non-Jewish peers to build a more inclusive and understanding place. We hosted countless holiday and Shabbat meals, passed out apples and honey to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, interviewed the only Jewish SEC athletic director, and hosted a Holocaust survivor to share his story of survival and hope. Being Jewish in the South is at times not easy, but I am proud that we have built a tight-knit community at Owen during a difficult time to feel connected to one another.

I’ve also grown a small following for my challah (braided bread) that I have loved being able to share! Maybe I’ll use my new-found MBA skills to become an entrepreneur one day!

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my ability to transfer skills from one role to another. I’ve had an interesting career path thus far; I started as a leadership consultant for an international sorority, then moved on to media strategy for a large retailer, and then managed a global volunteer program that impacted more than 20,000 people annually. Each of those roles required unique skills to be successful, but I have been able to use my problem-solving, critical thinking, and team management skills across all three roles. To an outsider, my career progression might seem random or ill-planned, but all those roles provided value and lessons to help me get to where I am today!

Why did you choose this business school? After 4 years in Chicago, I was ready to retire my winter coat and move to a warmer climate. Vanderbilt Owen qualified on that factor, but I chose the program for so many more reasons! I was drawn to the Human and Organizational Performance concentration that would allow me to explore the human capital element of business as I knew I wanted to pivot my career to human capital consulting. I also was impressed by Owen’s Leadership Development Program and the opportunity to connect with an executive coach during my 1st year of school to help me refine specific and personal leadership goals. I am so grateful that I have spent the last two years at Vanderbilt.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Professor Nancy Lea Hyer. She teaches a course once a year only for second-year MBAs called Managing and Improving Processes, and I had heard it was a must-take class while at Owen. She is the most engaging educator I have ever been lucky enough to have who cares deeply about her students. Her level of preparedness is unmatched. I walked away from her class inspired every day to apply the concepts from her course in my professional endeavors.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I am so grateful to have been able to experience Humans of Owen in-person this year! Humans of Owen encourages classmates, staff, and faculty to speak freely and openly on a themed topic. This year, I learned more about my classmates as they shared stories on themes of pride, resilience, and their identities. I have been able to learn about peers whom I might not have had the opportunity to engage with. I love how Humans of Owen shines a spotlight on people so we can learn who they are outside of the business school environment.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? The MBA experience offers you a lot of opportunities from classes, clubs, recruiting, networking, and events. I spent a lot of time at Owen (and on Zoom!) during my two years immersing myself in the Owen community, but I wish I had spent some more time exploring Nashville. The city is growing exponentially, and every day it feels like there is a new restaurant, concert, or art exhibit to see. That’s my biggest piece of advice to incoming students – take advantage of everything that Owen and Nashville have to offer.

What is the biggest myth about your school? One of Owen’s taglines is, “Competitive not cutthroat.” I think some people see that as meaning Owen MBAs are not driven or ambitious and more relaxed than other business schools. That can’t be further from the truth. My classmates push to be the best versions of themselves. We want each Owen student to be successful as that reflects positively on them and all of Owen. We are competitive with ourselves to be better when we leave than when we arrived.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I was unapologetically myself during the application process. I wanted to find a business school that fit my goals, and that I would contribute to the community and culture. I took the time to research each institution, its career outcomes, and leadership opportunities. In my essays and interviews, I shared my story authentically and knew how an MBA was the logical next step. I think schools appreciated this because they knew I was serious about bettering myself and the community around me.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I deeply admire Anna Kovach. Anna is what I hope all Owen students are – incredibly bright, driven, involved, and kind. Anna gracefully balanced being the president of two organizations this year and holding leadership positions in a handful of other clubs. She wants everyone to feel as they are not only included but they also belong and are valued members of the community. She is not afraid to speak up on behalf of others and advocate for the student experience. I know she will take these qualities with her far beyond graduation and anyone who gets to work with Anna professionally is incredibly lucky. 

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My dad. I watched him excel in a 30-year corporate HR career and was amazed at all the incredible people and places he experienced. I hope this is not too cliché, but I think deep down I wanted to pursue business because I wanted to be like my dad when I grow up. Being able to share this experience with him and understanding his perspective on the world has been an incredible unintentional consequence.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Live and work in a different country
• Achieve gender parity across all levels of business – from business schools to board rooms

What made Liza  such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“Liza Moskowitz is a powerful advocate and a creative change agent. At Owen, she advocates for women, fellow members of the Jewish community, D&I initiatives, and strength of community. Liza chose to attend Owen because of the caliber of the program, the collaborative spirit of our community, and with the clear intention of pivoting her career from the non-profit sector into human capital consulting. She immediately joined the admissions team as a Campus Visit Coordinator and from there she involved herself in the Consulting Club, Women’s Business Association, Jewish Business Association, and as a Peer Coach, just to name a few. Liza has consistently found ways to make a positive impact across the school through student organizations, the classroom, and various internal departments such as Admissions and the Career Management Center.

Liza has been an active member of the Women’s Business Association during her tenure at Owen and was elected to serve as President her 2nd year. Upon her election, she spearheaded the development of a WBA organizational mission statement that included a commitment to the following: elevating and amplifying different identities through guest speaker; supporting minority-owned and operated businesses as vendors or the organization’s events; and partnering with Owen affinity groups to support their efforts in identity-based programming and further explore intersectionality. Liza and her board have provided rich and dynamic programming to our entire community this year and truly elevated and empowered the woman of Owen to grow, push boundaries, develop, and expand the integral relationships established with students and alumni of the school.

As a Campus Visit Coordinator for the Recruiting and Admissions team, Liza is a visible and powerful ambassador of Owen. Liza is passionate about bringing female candidates to Owen, making them feel welcome and supporting them throughout their career. When asked by the RAO team to share her personal story with perspective students of “why Owen” she simply laughed and said, “When it comes to bringing women candidates to Owen, you say jump and I say ‘how high?’” A staff member remarked that this enthusiasm clearly exemplifies what Liza has brought to Owen as an ambassador, president of the WBA, member of various clubs, and a tireless champion for women entering business school. She is impactful in so many ways and does it with grace, a positive attitude, and just enough humor to help everyone around her stay in the moment and gain perspective.

Many of her peers are quick to note her steadfast support as they walk through professional or personal highs and lows. When a student reaches out to staff about further interview preparation, she is top of mind as a peer-to-peer resource. She will walk with you through a problem, give you the tools to succeed, and cheer you on throughout the process. And when a member of the MBA class of 2022 passed away this fall, Liza immediately stepped in to gather class support and establish a fund in memory of their classmate.

To put it simply, Liza Moskowitz is a FORCE! Liza is leaving a legacy of mentorship, advocacy, determination, and true passion; and she will undoubtedly be an outstanding alumnus for Owen in the future. If you’re lucky enough to have Liza on your team, then rest assured that the journey will be interesting, fun and you’ll end up better for it, regardless of the outcome.”

Courtney Fain
Associate Director, Career Management Center

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