Mallory Kirby

Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management

“Libra sun, Gemini moon, Gemini rising – but mostly into astrology for the bit.”

Hometown: Washington, DC

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve lived and/or worked in five countries! My dad was a Marine Corps aviator, so we lived all over the world growing up; I’ve chased that passion for life abroad by working briefly in Germany and India as an adult.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Pennsylvania; Public Health, Chemistry

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Advisory Board, Director of Health Plan Research

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Northwestern Kellogg’s MBA curriculum or programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I’ve worked in healthcare research and consulting for several years but felt keenly aware of my lack of an academic business background when applying to MBA programs. I knew I wanted a program that balanced structure from core classes (nine at Kellogg) and the flexibility to dive deep into elective areas both familiar and unexplored (healthcare and corporate finance, respectively, for me). Kellogg’s academic advising team and deeply-invested faculty – who reached out to me even before I made my decision – made me feel confident in the structure and support I’d receive in a new and potentially daunting environment.

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? I’m definitely an urbanite—I went to college in Philadelphia and loved living in Washington, DC for seven years after graduation. Chicago has some of the best restaurants, art, and cultural experiences in the country, and, from a professional perspective, a robust healthcare industry I’m hoping to explore as an MBA student. It doesn’t hurt that I’m not afraid of the cold.

Kellogg is known for a team-driven culture. What quality do you bring as a teammate and why will it be so important to the success of MBA class? I think my best quality as a teammate is my adaptability. When managing teams, this adaptability manifests through my ability to craft development opportunities respective of unique personal and professional circumstances. When collaborating with peers, I have a good sense for whether my current team needs a leader or a supporter, a planner or an executor, and I’m not afraid to embrace different roles to make sure we can collectively succeed.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Northwestern Kellogg? During Day at Kellogg (Kellogg’s admitted students’ day), I learned about a course called Moral Complexity in Leadership: An Exploration through Literature. I’m an avid reader and firmly believe there are lessons to be learned through fiction – maybe not facts but new perspectives, social complexities, and morals. I’m so excited to take this course and love the idea that well-rounded leaders are not just built on business acumen but the skills to more discerningly explore moral questions through multiple modalities, not just the classroom.

What has been your first impression of the Kellogg MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Kellogg story so far. My best Kellogg story probably isn’t a single story but a collection of experiences I’ve had since committing – so many people, from alumni to current students, are eager to connect and facilitate new relationships with incoming MBA students. Kellogg alumni are amazingly generous with their time, advice, and friendship. Kellogg doesn’t just talk about community, but goes out of their way to foster that inclusive environment before you even set foot on campus.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’m most proud of the depth of my accomplishments as an executive partner and facilitator. In my most recent role at Advisory Board, I developed research on topics like Medicare Advantage strategy and health plan diversification. Across the span of two years, I presented to over 50 executive audiences, from C-suites to industry summits with over 400 attendees. Creating research described by executives as “clear, concise, and actionable” makes me feel that I’ve made a mark, however small, on improving our complex healthcare system.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? My MBA experience will be successful if I’m able to grow my network and walk out of Evanston with great friends, not just classmates. That said, I’ve long maintained that I would only return to school when I had a clear vision for how a degree could serve me next. I’m hoping my MBA will allow me to pivot from research and consulting to a business development or strategy role that brings me closer to consumers at a health plan or healthcare-focused retailer.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Wharton, Booth, Harvard, Darden

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Northwestern Kellogg’s MBA program? It’s helpful to familiarize yourself with things that Kellogg is known for (in my case, I heard a lot about their marketing program and their collaborative culture), but don’t feel like there’s a formula for molding yourself into the perfect applicant. My GPA was on the lower end of Kellogg’s range, and I didn’t have a stacked record of community service – what I did have was a compelling story of my career and the way I hope to shape healthcare in the future. Visit Evanston, meet current students, and, most importantly, be yourself – in priding themselves on their high EQ, I feel like Kellogg admissions can really sniff out inauthenticity.

DON’T MISS: MEET NORTHWESTERN KELLOGG’S MBA CLASS OF 2026