Lindsay Buchler

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“Passionate leader who drives transformational and complex changes through a pragmatic and business-focused lens.”

Hometown: Medford, New Jersey

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was on the MTV show “Total Request Live” when I was 16 years old and met Liv Tyler and Jesse McCartney.

Undergraduate School and Major:

University of North Carolina at Wilmington, BA in psychology

Montclair State University, MA in industrial/organizational psychology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Deloitte Consulting, Organization Strategy and Design Senior Consultant

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Kenan-Flagler’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The rigorous healthcare aspect of the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program was very important to me. My passion about healthcare has been a constant throughout my life, as my dad suffered from several life altering health issues. While I quickly realized that I could not save lives, I could indirectly help different components within the system through consulting. The doctors, nurses and specialists who gave him a fighting chance were the driving factor in my decision to specialize within the healthcare industry. The healthcare concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler offers a clearer view of the operational challenges that healthcare providers and payers face from a U.S. and global perspective. This will strengthen my healthcare subject matter expertise and allow me to grow in my career as a healthcare consultant.

What has been your first impression of the Kenan-Flagler MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Kenan-Flagler story so far. Throughout the admissions process, I spoke with several UNC Kenan-Flagler alums, and they told me, “Kenan-Flagler is more than just an MBA program, it is home.” They couldn’t have been more accurate – once I stepped into the McColl Building my first day of orientation, it was a sigh of relief; I was finally home. This was even more realized when we went to a dinner reception later that day where we were able to meet our classmates in a less formal setting and the time flew by because we were all having so much fun. I am truly excited and motivated to be a part of the UNC Kenan-Flagler community and this is only just the beginning!

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Kenan-Flagler? Carolina Women in Business and Consulting Club are two (of many) clubs that excite me at UNC Kenan-Flagler. They represent my biggest passions, which include supporting women in the workplace, in general, and, more specifically, in consulting. As a woman with a career goal of becoming a partner at a consulting firm, I believe it’s important for us to continue taking the steps to break the glass ceiling and both these clubs do just that. In terms of coursework, I’m looking forward to strengthening my business acumen and healthcare knowledge through core classes and electives focused on business strategy and global jealthcare.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: From a holistic perspective, my biggest accomplishment in my career so far has been obtaining a position at a top consulting firm. My drive for tackling challenging business problems stemmed from my two parents, both entrepreneurs. I knew I wanted to help organizations remove similar barriers that my parents faced starting their companies and from there, I fell in love with consulting.

From a specific consulting project perspective, in my most recent role at Deloitte, I led the organization design of the North American Shared Services Center, identifying over $3 million in labor cost efficiencies. We provided client executives with recommendations through quantitative analysis that aligned the desired shared services future state with the overall corporate strategy, which ultimately resulted in a successful launch of the shared services center. The success of this project and others was recognized by leadership, which allowed me to achieve my promotion to senior consultant and the trust to lead several other impactful projects.

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 the “Calm” app or something similar for meditation and relaxation. Through the admissions process, I was juggling work, family, friends and self-care and taking a few minutes a day to listen to this app really centered me.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? Fast forward two years, my MBA experience would be successful if I built relationships with amazing classmates, learned the ins-and-outs of business and healthcare, and strengthened my leadership skills to reach my long-term career goal of becoming a partner at a consulting firm.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program? My advice would be to attend all the events (in-person if possible) that UNC Kenan-Flagler has to offer during the admissions process, network with admission directors and alums, and allow your personality shine through. The admissions directors are looking for your dedication to the program and your personality fit. So, the more you interact with them, the more you will know and they will know if this is the right program for you.

DON’T MISS: MEET UNC KENAN-FLAGLER’S MBA CLASS OF 2024