Maria Rafaella Guerrero Romero

Boston University, Questrom School of Business

“Passionate and energetic woman who thrives by helping others, learning new things, and working out.”

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia

Fun fact about yourself: I started running because I felt mentally and physically challenged when doing it. I’ve done 5 marathons in the last four years, and still feel challenged every time.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

• Strategic Marketing Specialization – Pontifical Javeriana University; Bogotá, Colombia. 2021
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Pontifical Javeriana University; Bogotá, Colombia. 2017

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Edelman

• Senior Account Supervisor March 2023 to August 2023
• Account Supervisor March 2022 to March 2023
• Senior Account Executive December 2020 to February 2022

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Biogen Inc, Rare Disease Patient Marketing Intern. Cambridge, MA 02142 USA

Where will you be working after graduation? Biogen Inc – MBA Rotational Associate

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Health Care Management Club, first and second-year representative
• Latin American Students Club, second-year representative
• Link Day Volunteer (non-profit one-day consulting MBA initiative)
• I volunteered at the Biogen co-lab where we hosted kids from vulnerable communities in Boston, to live a one-day experience in the labs, doing science experiments, and learning about the different roles a pharmaceutical company could have for them when they grow up.
• Teaching Assistant Marketing Management, Fall 2024
• Teaching Assistant Competition, Innovation and Strategy, Spring 2025

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I was the first intern in Biogen’s history to receive a Biogen Award. The recognition was made by the Patient Advocacy Lead in the Corporate Affairs Team, someone on a different team with whom I worked closely to materialize one of the most important events we had with patient advocacy groups during the summer.
Beyond her recognition, during this activity, I was able to meet with patients and their families, connect directly with the leadership team from Biogen, and motivate 40+ employees to participate in the activity on a weekend morning.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? One of my proudest achievements at Edelman was building and centralizing a high-performing Health Corporate Communications team. When I joined, the practice wasn’t fully established. I collaborated closely with my supervisor to grow the team, structure operations, and secure new business opportunities for the Colombia office.

By the time I left, the team had expanded to over 20 members, serving more than 10 healthcare clients across Colombia and Latin America, a significant transformation from where we started, sharing people with accounts all over the business, focuses. Guiding junior account executives in their growth, contributing to strategic planning, and shaping the practice into a sustainable, impactful operation remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.

Why did you choose this business school? I knew I wanted to get into the pharmaceutical industry. The Health Sector Management Program at Boston University was a great opportunity to dive into healthcare and make the most of my MBA experience, both because of how well-designed the program is, and its location in Boston.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Rena Conti. She is an honest, smart, empowered woman, and her classes are built in the sweet spot between the academic approach and the healthcare industry dynamics, with a great intersection of real-life wisdom, cases, speakers, and experiences that nurture discussions, powerful learnings, and skills development. She’s also a professor who is very clear in her drive to do good through her work, something I find inspiring and noble.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Drugs, Devices and Diagnostics. This class was meaningful in multiple ways; it allowed me to connect all the business basic courses learned skills and apply them to the industry that I am most interested in. It equipped me with managerial, critical thinking, and negotiation skills while also allowing me to translate skills and knowledge I brought into the program, and had a perfect balance between cases, practice, industry speakers, and academic work.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Link day. The annual event where MBA students volunteer in a consulting format, for a whole day experience, to help nonprofit organizations tackle business or organizational challenges. This experience was meaningful to me because it allowed me to connect with first-year students, alumni, and faculty while applying my MBA skills to positively contribute to organizations that are positively impacting the Boston community.

It showcases the commitment we have at Questrom to doing good for the world. I felt lucky to be assigned to the project I was on and was able to make the most of the event, giving the organization leaders assets that would positively impact their cause and goals.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would take less time worrying about the grades, and invest my energy into connecting with my classmates, living the experience, enjoying the ups-and-downs, and meeting faculty. I would also reconsider training for a marathon during the first semester.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Legend has it that anyone who steps on the university seal located at Marsh Plaza, won’t graduate. I know about some classmates who had walked through it and are already registered for commencement, but I have avoided it every time I’ve passed there while running!

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Boston is a great city. It’s a runner’s city, diverse, welcoming, and academic. I’ve had a great time experiencing every season and running through the Charles while there are sunny hot days, red tree leaves everywhere, or in between the snow days. I also value the amount of academic and industry events that the city has to offer in addition to the MBA experience itself.

What movie or television show (e.g. The Big Short, The Founder, Mad Men, House of Lies) best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Recently I rewatched Air (2023) and again, was inspired by it. This is a movie that showcases the importance of storytelling and the power this skill has in business. Also, it’s about building meaningful relationships, trusting your gut, and the value of taking calculated risks. I love this story and how it meets business with the passion and power of sports.

One of my favorite quotes from it is “Believe the saying that if you say what you want, that’s fine and good, but doing something about it that’s what really counts.”

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? AI use is permitted in Questrom through a clear and stated policy. From my perspective, this has allowed students to interact with these emerging technologies consciously and critically; where they leverage on it to strengthen their deliverables and support their learning process, but still hold critical thinking and have learning experiences as we traditionally know them.

As part of the curriculum, there are also classes offered to students who want to understand the implications of AI use in business at all levels, research, efficiency, day-to-day management, and so on. I took a class on responsible AI for business, where we were able to learn and understand the challenges and opportunities that AI brings to multiple industries. Along the way, we learned how to improve processes and supporting professionals in their daily activities, such as healthcare providers while facing patients or businesses in general on daily administrative tasks.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Caroline Stack. She’s a young smart woman who has made a great impact in our class, the healthcare club, and personally, on my journey at Questrom. She’s kind, generous, and disciplined. I admire how she’s always on board to help others and how determined she is with her professional and personal goals.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Working at a company that is as committed and passionate as I am about my professional and personal goals, while learning from the US market.
• Grow to be a thought leader and have a regional or global role in marketing a pharmaceutical product that I feel is making a difference in the world.

What made Maria such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Maria Guerrero joined the Health Sector Management Program (MBA) at Boston University Questrom School of Business in August of 2023. She is curious, tireless, entrepreneurial, and committed to improving the health of others. She came to Boston University from Colombia, the first time she had lived or studied outside of her home country. Her undergraduate studies in political science, with a focus on peacemaking, and her work in health communications in Columbia, focused her interests on health and her desire to make the world better than she found it.

Upon arriving at Questrom, it was a big adjustment. She had little business background and had not studied in English. That said, she poured her energy and commitment into the community and her courses. She became a first-year representative of the Health Sector Management Club, organized treks to local biopharma companies, became one of the leaders of the Latin American Students Club, and volunteered to serve on a consulting team to support a local non-profit dedicated to “center, affirm, and empower” women of color. What makes her stand out is her indefatigable commitment to her studies, the Questrom community, and her pursuit of a purpose-driven career in life sciences.

After her first year of graduate studies, she secured a coveted internship at Biogen, with specific focus on rare diseases. While at Biogen, in addition to her work, she volunteered at their co-lab, hosting youth from local urban communities to help them explore the labs, science experiments, and to learn about potential future roles that a pharmaceutical company could have in their future. She was the first intern in Biogen’s history to receive the Biogen Award, recognizing her contributions to patient advocacy groups during the summer. She received a full-time offer to return to Biogen upon graduation as an MBA rotational associate.

I am immensely proud of Maria, not just for her accomplishments but for her contributions to the student community. It is not a surprise to me that she has fulfilled the dream she had five years ago. Maria is a star, and I will be watching her career in the years ahead. I am confident that healthcare will be better because of Maria.”

Ned Rimer
James E. Freeman Lecturer; Faculty Director, Health Sector Management Program; Master Lecturer, Management & Organizations
Boston University Questrom School of Business

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