Olivia Ahearn

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

“Passionate leader helping teams make data-driven, strategic decisions. Passionate about animal advocacy, travel and cuisine.”

Hometown: Plymouth, MI

Fun Fact About Yourself: I traveled to four continents in 2023.

Undergraduate School and Major: Grand Valley State University – Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Deloitte – Finance & Performance Senior Consultant

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Carnegie Mellon’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was most attracted to the Tepper school’s Accelerate Leadership Center. I’m excited to gain more skills and confidence through this resource to help me become the best leader I can be. The tailored leadership training and guidance will improve my ability to drive impactful decisions and grow my emotional intelligence. The Tepper school’s focus on analytic and soft skills set it apart from other top business schools.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Carnegie Mellon? I’m looking forward to joining the Women in Business Xlub. Some of my most inspiring and uplifting colleagues have been women I’ve met through similar resource groups and I’m excited to grow my network of motivated and intelligent women.

The Tepper MBA is known for intensive one-on-one coaching and personal development. What area do you hope to strengthen during your two years in business school and why?  One area I hope to strengthen is my ability to use data partnered with my emotional intelligence to make people-centric, strategic decisions. This is important to me because as AI analytics capabilities grow, being able to incorporate ethics into my decisions, while keeping in mind what options are backed by data, will be critical.

The Tepper MBA is also known for being highly data-driven Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? In today’s world, it’s easy to hear people’s opinions on various platforms, but using data to drive decision-making allows leaders to make unbiased decisions. The Tepper School’s tried—and-true approach will effectively teach me how and when to utilize specific data to make decisions that incorporate a broader point of view, promoting equity and expansion of thought.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Tepper was the right program for you? Why? I was really impressed at Welcome Weekend by the family approach to the MBA program. Tepper had programming for me and my partner, including resources for relocating, teaching partners how to best support MBA candidates, and information on how partners can be included in MBA events year-round. The admissions team and students even remembered my partner’s name and were truly invested in us as individuals. When I realized this community was the right fit for my family and my business goals, I made my decision to attend the Tepper school!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My most significant achievement to date is my successful global initiative to train a client on a new financial planning and reporting system. I take pride in how swiftly I adapted to diverse cultures and effectively instructed over 100 users in a platform that was unfamiliar to me, leading to several successful financial planning cycles. This experience not only enhanced my leadership skills, but also contributed to my personal growth.

DON’T MISS: MEET CARNEGIE MELLON TEPPER’S MBA CLASS OF 2026