Jeanette Uddoh

Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business

“Self-motivated, solution-oriented leader, passionate advocate for women’s advancement.”

Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Fun fact about yourself: I am learning how to play the violin. I’ve always been obsessed with the instrument and admire the talented violinist Karen Briggs. She is unreal!

Undergraduate School and Degree: of Nigeria, Nsukka – Bachelor of Science

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS) – Head of Innovation and New Product Development

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? Apple, Austin, Texas

Where will you be working after graduation? Apple, hopefully!

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

Community Work and Leadership

Graduate MBA Association (MBAA): V.P, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 2023/2024

Women’s Leadership Association (WLA): Co-President 2023/2024

Women’s Leadership Association (WLA): 1st Year Representative 2022/2023

Inclusive Excellence Summit 2023: Student Co-Moderator

School awards & honors:

W.P Carey Merit Scholarship

W.P Carey Net Investor award

Society of Information Management (SIM) Scholar of the Month, Arizona Chapter

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am proud of the concentration I decided to pursue within the MBA Program: Information Management, focusing on AI and cloud. It has further exposed me to the world of tech and upskilled me to work in the future, especially with the rise of GenAI. I saw how quickly work has changed and continued to change within the last two years since I took a work break to go back to school.  I feel more confident and empowered transitioning back to work post-MBA with the depth of knowledge and learnings I have garnered from my AI, cloud, and cybersecurity courses.

Also, I am a convener of the MBA DEI Series, an initiative I birthed out of the need to build a community outside the W. P. Carey School of Business. I invited student leaders from other business schools like Cornell, Northwestern (Kellogg), and Michigan State Universities to dialogue on DEI topics and how we can improve DEI in our various schools. The event was a huge success; the connections and networks made from such are lifelong and invaluable.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Winning the coveted Access Bank Group CEO award — Employee Volunteer of the Year, 2021. I emerged as the country winner, Nigeria (30,000+ employees), and the overall winner, Nigeria and all African Subsidiaries. It is a proud achievement for me because being recognized by the largest bank in Africa by customer base and the largest bank in Nigeria by assets is no walk in the park.

Additionally, during my early career as a bank associate, I was redeployed cross-regionally to manage a branch while still an Executive Trainee. I am proud of this achievement because though there were managers within the region, my then Regional Manager felt I was a great fit for the role because I stood out. I led and transformed the branch to achieve a 5* customer service rating from a consistent 1* rating. This resulted in commendations from Management and also winning the ‘Best Staff’ and ‘Best Processor’ awards.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose W. P. Carey School of Business because of its focus on innovation. It has consistently been ranked the #1 school in the U.S. for innovation for the 9th consecutive time – I was sold when I learned this. As an innovation manager, I understand how continuous innovation bolsters organizations. I was excited to be associated with an innovative school like ASU, where forward-thinking learning and research are at the helm and constantly being improved.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? I prefer to call it my most challenging course: CIS 506: Information Management. It was a technical course that stretched me beyond my limits and expectations. The course covered dimensional modeling, SQL, advanced database design, and ER diagrams. It helped me gain more data management knowledge and extend strategic thinking to enhance enterprise IT value, which I would apply post-MBA in my career as a Product Manager.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The “Around the World” event celebrates the program’s diversity and different cultures. I always looked forward to attending because it was a great opportunity to learn more about my classmates, their country, food, traditions, music, and all the other artifacts that make them unique. Students had country stands while dressed in their cultural attire with a display of pieces of their culture, such as food, drink, and art, and shared about it with other students visiting their stands. I loved that it made us more culturally intelligent in embracing our diversity.

These cultural traditions increased my interest in global cultures in business, including my participation in the ‘Doing Business in Japan’ class. It prepared me for impactful outcomes during our immersion trip to Japan. I was exposed to how business was done in other cultures, deconstructing myths and preconceived notions, which enabled me to have a wholesome experience.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? My MBA experience has been extremely rewarding. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Looking back, I do not think there’s anything I would have done differently because I allowed myself to be a sponge these past two years, soaking up all the experiences and enjoying the moments. I have a very supportive faculty who go out of their way to ensure that we have the best MBA experience and classmates with whom I have forged lifelong friendships that have made the experience worthwhile. #BusinessisPersonal is one of the ethos at W. P. Carey that is truly imbibed and demonstrated among us as a class. Beyond the classroom, we also try as much as possible to learn more about our classmates through bonding events like happy hours, Taco Tuesdays, Game Night, Girls’ Night, and other social activities. It’s been amazing!

What is the biggest myth about your school? My school’s strong Supply Chain Management focus. While it is true that it is one of the best schools in the U.S. for Supply Chain, there is this myth surrounding it that other concentrations might not be as strong, which is untrue. Concentrations like Consulting, Marketing, Business Analytics, Information Management, and Entrepreneurship have seen students distinguish themselves and demonstrate value to the companies they interned with, making them employable for full-time roles. An Artificial Intelligence concentration was recently added to the program to demonstrate the school’s commitment to innovation.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Besides being host to one of the seven wonders of the world — the Grand Canyon — the affordable cost of living in Arizona makes it a student attraction. It is also a great city for outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and mountaineering, with its scenic views. Also, the weather during winter is nice. It doesn’t snow, and I love that!

What surprised you the most about business school? One thing that surprised me about business school was the intense nature of the program and how one’s time management skills will be tested. I’m adept at multi-tasking, but was overwhelmed with coursework, assignments, and team meetings in my first semester. Also, being an international student trying to settle in a new country didn’t make it easier. However, it was a great learning experience, as that is the real business world – prioritizing decisions in a fast-paced world.

Another thing that I found surprising was how accessible our professors are. You could tell that they want students to succeed. Office hours were set up to support student success. Class engagements were also highly encouraged, and being curious about challenging a professor’s point of view on a topic was OK. In fact, they admire such qualities in students as it is a learning experience for everyone.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire?  I have incredible, thoughtful, and intelligent classmates who I admire for how they add value to the program. One classmate that I most admire among them is Rajanikant Gajera. He is the epitome of professionalism and applies curiosity to learning. We worked on the same team during our first semester, and it was great working with him. He was our ‘unofficial’ team lead and was responsible for executing and delivering his tasks. You could always count on him! He also provided quantitative tutorial support to classmates and peers without being asked. Raj perfectly embodies the #BusinessisPersonal values of W.P Carey School of Business.

We share the same Executive Mentor. Every time we meet, he asks the most probing questions on topics he wants a more diverse perspective on. His curiosity shines through and has made him a great asset to the program. I always look forward to reading his LinkedIn posts, where he shares his learning experiences from the program. It is always a delight!

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Joining the board of a Fortune 500 enterprise technology company. I plan to achieve that with continuous learning, and the first step would be to obtain my Cloud Technology and SAFe POPM certifications to deepen my expertise in my field. Combining personal and professional development and my varied experience will pave the way for me in the long run.

Second on my list would be to meet Tim Cook and tap into his wealth of knowledge. I am confident that I would gain deep insights into building a company that I might not have heard about in a podcast or read about in a book.

What made Jeanette such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“If you can’t pay it back, pay it forward. For Jeanette Uddoh, this mentality goes hand-in-hand with the W. P. Carey “Business is Personal” motto. Jeanette’s initiatives in helping others succeed are prevalent in her DEI efforts. As the MBA Association VP for DEI, Jeanette has made efforts to ensure it is not just a topic of discussion but an embedded element of W. P. Carey. Jeanette was a key contributor to the campus’s inaugural Inclusive Excellence Student Summit, coordinating with local and national leaders to provide a great experience. Jeannette’s presence is felt across the program with her cheerful and welcoming personality. She is a force for good and change and a true example of the future of female leaders.”

Erica Day, Associate Director, Full-time MBA

Kate Eaton, Clinical Associate Professor – Department of Marketing; Assistant Dean, MBA Programs

Erin Jordan, Clinical Assistant Professor – School of Accountancy; MBA Program Faculty Director

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