Sam Cutrone

“A curious and determined marketeer, inspired by ideas that could change the world”

Hometown: Laguna Hills, California

Fun Fact About Yourself: I learned how to make Bolognese sauce last year and now constantly in pursuit of making the perfect batch.

Undergraduate School and Major: Seton Hall University, Marketing

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Associate Vice President, Brand Strategy at Havas

What has been your favorite part of Atlanta so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA?

The ATL energy. It’s entrepreneurial. It’s expressive. It’s authentically grounded in community. There’s a lot of opportunity in this city, and ATLiens are incredibly welcoming to those who want to join and contribute. The people are what make this city a perfect place to get an MBA.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was one key part of the Scheller MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? 

The TI:GER program which stands for “Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results.” It’s an academic program that connects PhD and MBA students together to learn how to bring innovation to market.

While applying I wasn’t sure exactly what my path would be like but I knew I was interested in new product launches. Coming from a career in life sciences advertising I enjoy working with incredibly talented diverse teams and leveraging creativity, technical expertise, and tenacious problem solving to translate complex science into meaningful benefit for patients and providers.
When thinking about where to land for my MBA, I was most excited about Scheller’s connection to the engineering talent coming out of Georgia Tech. TI:GER symbolized all of the best parts of Georgia Tech’s campus coming together modeling those real world dynamics.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Georgia Tech? 

GirlsintoVC! I really enjoyed getting to learn about venture capital throughout the semester with women from across campus. We had a lot of fun!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

The last two years of my advertising career were spent as a brand strategist on a blockbuster biotech brand. I wasn’t sure I was ready for it at the time, but I jumped in and was so glad I did. I got to collaborate with world class professionals and lead a variety of work like market shaping activities, creative campaigns, and strategic workshops.

This experience is an amalgamation of many accomplishments, but what I’m most proud of is showing myself I am capable of anything I put my mind to.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far:

Surviving the first semester 😉 It takes a moment to get back into school mode and balance different parts of the MBA experience. I’m proud to say I completed most of my core curriculum, connected with new friends at Georgia Tech and in industry, and distilled down my goals for the next chapter of my career.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far?

Attending the Inaugural TechForward Conference this fall. Our second years put together a phenomenal forum for the Georgia Tech and Atlanta community to connect on the latest tech trends. I listened to leaders of NVIDIA, Salesforce, and Stord share their experience and perspective on how AI will impact their industries. It was also great to connect with the Atlanta VC and start-up community. Can’t wait for next year!