Ekaterina Tretiakova

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Life-loving mom, outgoing, passionate about the beauty industry and marketing with a zest for travel.”

Hometown: Orenburg, Moscow (Russia)

Fun Fact about Yourself: The real fun fact is I have vicariously lived through two years of MBA experience while my husband was earning his degree. Now it’s my turn! On a personal side, I once aspired to be an interior designer. Although marketing became my career focus, I’m still captivated by beautiful spaces. When selecting hotels or restaurants, I often rely on photos to assess the atmosphere and interior.

Undergraduate school and major: Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Major: Economics

Most recent employer and job: LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics, Marketing Manager in Givenchy brand

What has been your first impression of the Marshall MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far: I caught the first glimpse of the Marshall community long before I started the program. I was reaching out to different students and graduates when I was researching schools and was struck by the openness and kindness of Marshall students and alumni. As an admitted MBA, as soon as I arrived on campus, I was given an unprecedented level of attention and support by the second-year students who instantly took me on a campus tour, showing every corner from library and pool to USC Village and answering every question I had. One of my classmates, who I hadn’t even met, reached out to me on LinkedIn and invited me to his band’s gig. Again, this proved to me how open the community is. When the program started, I was absolutely blown away by my classmates: they are all different and diverse, but all sharing the same qualities: they are smart, outgoing, supportive and full of life. And, of course, we all bonded in a matter of days. On day four we were celebrating our classmate’s birthday at Venice Beach.

Tell us your best Marshall story so far: Tommy’s Days of Fun. This is a series of activities led by second-year students to help new admits become part of the family and bring the first and the second years together. These were informal meetings before even the orientation started and each took place in a different location – a bar, a restaurant, a beach spot. These events were the best introduction into the USC Marshall community and set the social ball rolling.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA: First, LA offers second-to-none opportunities to build a career in marketing after an MBA: it’s a home for a wide range of industries including entertainment, beauty, technology that hire MBA students. Even your immediate network may open your first doors to the field you are interested in. Personally, I am passionate about the beauty industry. In my first week during Tommy’s days of Fun, I met two people connected to skincare, a second-year student who started her own skincare brand, and a classmate who had already built a successful brand. Other classmates, too, who came from marketing backgrounds had shared their experience and insights with me. Secondly, Los Angeles is a vibrant city with rich cultural life and lots of things to do. Each neighborhood is its own different world. My husband and I are outdoor people – we bike, we hike, we swim, and we love to dine out. From this point of view, Playa Vista is a perfect place for us to live. We love it. Every weekend, we go to a farmer’s market and then we bike to Venice Beach where the three of us (my husband, my daughter and I) spend the rest of the day.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall that led you to choose this business school and why it was so important to you? Trojan Family. As I said, I was talking a lot to Marshall students and alumni before I even applied, and instantly felt that they treated me from the word go as a prospective part of the family. I realized that this level of collaboration and support is something that strongly resonates with my own values.

What course club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall (and why): As someone with a plan to advance my career in marketing, I am really excited about my participation in the Graduate Marketing Association (GMA). The club connects students to industry professionals, potential recruiters, and companies, helping you to build your own network and shortening your distance from getting an internship or a job offer.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I joined LVMH as an assistant and within two years rapidly advanced to a position of marketing manager. Also, while being the youngest on the LVMH Perfumes & Cosmetics team in Moscow, I took charge of the skincare segment and grew it from 3% to 6% on a highly competitive market.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into USC Marshall’s MBA program?

1) My first advice is very straight-forward: do your homework. Learn as much as you can about the school; talk and network with students and alumni; and inquire what led them to choose Marshall, what they love about it, what activities excite them. Match your values with the values of students and the community. Match your career expectations with what school has to offer. If you feel that your values and expectations match, make sure to translate this into your essays. The admissions team will see that.

2) Spend a lot of time on personal reflection: who you are, what’s important to you, and what you want from your career.

3) Be authentic. Be yourself.

DON’T MISS: MEET USC MARSHALL’S MBA CLASS OF 2025