Rita Korkor Agyei

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“I am a vibrant and passionate person with a warm personality and a great love for learning.”

Hometown: Accra, Ghana

Fun Fact About Yourself:  To me, nothing beats a good hike! I also love to dance, and I am gunning towards intermediate level in Salsa, Kizomba, and Samba!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Ghana, BSc. Business Administration-Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Nestle Central and West Africa Region, Brand Manager, Coffee.

In the second half of the year, you will be completing an Academy devoted to areas like Marketing, Finance, Operations, Digital Enterprises, and more. Which Academy interests you the most and why? I have built a six-year career in marketing in both the service and product industries. I enjoy the variety that comes with the marketing role, the opportunity to make countless impactful decisions and face the numerous challenges related to product, price, promotion, and place. This love for variety and solving multiple business problems draws me to the Kelley Consulting Academy. I am excited about the consulting practice’s cross-industry learning and problem-solving approach. I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves and get working.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Indiana Kelley’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you? Kelley has an experiential learning approach and is big on personal career development. What hit the nail right on the head in my decision to join Kelley was the collaborative culture and the sense that everyone I interacted with was genuinely ready to help. From alumni to current students and faculty, I knew I belonged in this collaborative culture. Navigating a new country and culture can be challenging but knowing how supportive the Kelley community is, gives so much assurance.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? As I prepare to plunge into the two years of MBA, I look forward to joining Kelley Women in Business because, we definitely need more women leading and supporting each other. As a lover of the outdoors and a true foodie, I look forward to following the trails of the beautiful Bloomington landscape with the Outdoors club and sampling food from diverse cultures with the Kelley Food club and the Wine Club.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I am at my best when I take a plunge, feet first, and dive into work. In 2017, I set up the marketing department of Nsano, a fintech start-up with a presence in four African countries as its first marketing manager. I developed a brand identity for the company and leading a digital marketing campaign that announced the company’s presence on the fintech landscape. The groundbreaking work I did and the structure I put in place still guides the company’s marketing footprints today.

I was also named a Nestle Digital Warrior in 2020 because of my passion and drive for digital marketing. I had passion, commitment and a mindset to test and learn. I led the implementation of a brand-new website for NESCAFE CWAR that told our unique story. I liaised with the SEO team to ensure an effective search strategy, deploying modern tools that helped gather first-party data. My contributions to the team made NESCAFE CWAR a bright light in the region for digital marketing.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? I am hooked on the Business Wars podcast by Wondery. The podcast gives me industry history and background and carries me along the different tension, turnaround points, and the critical decisions that have anchored the survival of the successful businesses of today. Additionally, I am reading the book by Marshall Goldsmith titled What Got You Here Won’t Get You There for the second time. I find the book’s lessons essential as I transition into my MBA journey.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? The Kelley MBA program focuses on bringing out your strengths, helping you discover your true self, and using your uniquely placed attributes to build a great career. At Kelley, we go from moment to momentum. My advice to prospective students is to be authentic throughout the application process. Never be afraid to bring your true self. That’s the mark of a Kelley.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2024