Mariam Doudi

New York University, Stern School of Business

“An inquisitive learner that is addicted to caffeine, weight lifting, socializing and traveling around the world.”

Hometown: Dearborn Heights, MI

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m a dual Canadian citizen that doesn’t speak French but can speak Swahili and Arabic

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a concentration in Accounting and Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Ford Motor Company: NA Collision Segment Analyst

What excites you the most about living in New York City and how do you see it enhancing your learning experience? The bright lights of NYC excite me because I know there is a whole world that I have yet to discover. From the amazing cuisine to the inspiring people, I’m excited to learn from the city. I look forward to having easy access to leaders in entertainment, attending film festivals, becoming an extra on set, and taking on semester internships. I also look forward to venturing beyond NYU’s campus to further learn from people that share both similar and different interests to mine. I expect to build long-lasting relationships and create everlasting memories. I know that as long as I’m in NYC, there are endless opportunities that await.

Aside from your classmates, what was key part of NYU Stern’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? NYU Stern is one of the few schools that offers an entertainment and media specialization. It’s top in the field and provides opportunities to take courses across NYU’s schools, work on projects to solve real issues at major organizations and opportunities to take advantage of what the city has to offer.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at NYU Stern? I’m very excited to take ‘The Craft and Commerce of Cinema: Cannes Film Festival’ course at Stern as it provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to the Cannes Film Festival and have access to actors, producers, and financiers. It will allow me to delve deeper behind the screen to really understand how the film industry works at each level.

What does EQ (Emotional Intelligence) mean to you and when have you seen its value in your career? To me, EQ is about how you carry yourself. Are you self-aware? Can you be compassionate, patient, or empathetic? Do people gravitate towards you? It really is all encompassing. I’ve seen that having a higher EQ really helps get work done more efficiently. When I’ve made time to build a relationship with an operation partner, I have driven better and faster results as we worked together to solve problems.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When I started my career at Ford back in 2019, I was placed in the product development finance group. Within this role, I was asked to lead the financials for the exterior parts on the Mach E., Ford’s first all-electric product that had the public waiting in anticipation for the reveal. Fresh out of university, I was tasked with the crucial role of making sure the individuals across engineering, cost estimating, and purchasing could come together to source parts in a timely and efficient manner. My role ensured that the development of the Mach E remained on schedule, as I was in charge of budgeting the vital exterior parts.

Through this role, I collaborated with Ford’s joint venture team in China to fix part sourcing issues, brainstormed with the design and marketing teams to create the illuminated pony badge, and partnered with engineers in negotiating additional funds for parts when necessary. This project not only offered me the chance to assist in the development of the Mach E, but also helped build my leadership, time management, and analytical skills.  I’ll forever cherish being part of a team that was able to launch the first fully electric vehicle at Ford. A luxury electric vehicle that’s modeled after Ford’s famous mustang. I’ll always be able to look at a Mach E passing by and know that the hard work I put in helped bring it from inception to completion.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I decided to pursue an MBA because I knew that I wanted to make a switch into the entertainment industry. I was finishing up a three-year finance rotational program and thought it would be a good time to pivot after gaining valuable analytical skills. Post-graduation, I hope to explore strategic roles within consulting and/or finance. I have a particular interest in the media practice.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I would highly recommend prospective MBAs listen to podcasts such as B-Schooled. They are helpful for getting free advice on how to tackle the whole process from researching schools to interview tips.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? London Business School, UCLA, UC Berkeley HAAS, Columbia and USC

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into NYU Stern’s MBA program?  Throughout the whole process, it’s important to be true to yourself. You want to go to a school that will allow you to succeed both academically and socially. The ‘Pick Six’ is really an opportunity to showcase your personality and what makes you unique. Remember that you bring value to the table and have fun!

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