Sofia (Uyen) Mai

Washington University, Olin Business School in St. Louis

“As a persistent conqueror, I have always been obsessed with customers’ problems and sought innovative solutions.”

Hometown: Binh Dinh, Vietnam. Born in a place well known for Vietnamese “Martial Arts.”

Fun Fact About Yourself: I find balance in my life through peaceful yoga and tranquil meditation in the morning, yet enjoy an active, high-energy lifestyle in the evening.

Undergraduate School and Major: Ho Chi Minh University of Economics, International Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Customer Strategy & Planning Manager, Unilever

What has been your favorite part of St. Lous so far? What makes St. Louis such a great place to earn an MBA? I enjoy spending time in Forest Park, because it offers an incredible escape for nature lovers like me. The park is filled with an abundance of lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and stunning landscapes, and these sceneries create a serene atmosphere perfect for unwinding. Forest Park always is the ideal location for a casual picnic, a lively social gathering with friends, or a quiet but meaningful moment with someone special. Besides its beauty, Forest Park suits itself as an inspiration for personal well-being improvement. Walking leisurely along its scenic paths not only relieves my stressful day and revitalizes me, but also provides me with space for introspection and self-improvement. The abundance of fresh air combined with peaceful surroundings and a sense of natural connection helps me clear my mind and makes my thoughts refocus on the personal goals that I have been pursuing.

St. Louis offers great access to Fortune 500 companies, which provide MBA students with excellent opportunities for networking, internships, and post-grad employment. The city has various industries, from healthcare, finance, biotechnology to agriculture, and startups. This diversity allows students to explore plentiful career paths. In addition, the city is strategically located that makes travel more convenient to other big cities (e.g. Chicago, Indianapolis) so that students are given better networking and employment opportunities. I can see that St. Louis offers an integrated business ecosystem with accessibility to other business cities, making it the best choice for students in pursuing MBA, accommodating their professional goals, and advancing their careers.

Aside from the global immersion, what was the key part of Washington Olin’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? My favorite field of study is data-driven business analytics, as it combines critical thinking with actionable insights to solve complex challenges. WashU Olin offers an impressive array of analytic and data-driven strategy courses, supported by its STEM-designated tracks, which are designed to prepare graduates for abundant opportunities in the rapidly growing big data industry. Most professors teaching in the program have been extensively experienced in the industry, which offers students both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise. And what’s more, the Center for Experiential Learning at WashU has provided us with practical opportunities to bring knowledge learned in classes to apply to the real world. These analytics courses are pivotal in helping me achieve my career goal of excelling in corporate strategy, driving impactful business decisions through data.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Washington Olin? The class Intro to Management and Strategy of Professor Seth Carnahan is what I have enjoyed to the fullest. His teaching approach goes beyond simply introducing theoretical frameworks and academic concepts. Instead, it provides us with a thorough understanding of how the business differentiate themselves among the market crowd through unique value propositions, operating models, and most importantly, how to sustain the competitive advantages. Moreover, the practical application of these concepts across various industries has equipped us to tackle complex business cases entirely. All this makes a big impact on how students truly engaged with the course, and I am not an exception, I guess.

Besides lesson structure, the class also offers students opportunities to explore business cases in the U.S market – both success and failure stories. All the studies allow me to deepen my business knowledge and offer me insightful understanding about how complex the strategic decision-making processes could be. What excites me further is the multi-faced perspectives from a diverse group of students in the class, which enriches my learning experience. We had plenty of in-class discussions, where we shared stories and true examples from various businesses within the U.S. and in the world. These sessions have all broadened my horizons and provided me with global perspectives on the field of studying management and strategy.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My time with Unilever was a big transformation in my pursuit of continued growth professionally and personally. The biggest moment was when I got promoted to a managerial position. This achievement was the result of my strong determination and consistent ability to drive business resiliently. In more than five years with Unilever, I have ingrained a strong “can-do” mindset that now empowers me to go on my journey to keep overcoming challenges in both work and life with confidence and joy. I developed a deep understanding of corporate strategies and honed transferable skills, such as driving category growth by aligning category strategy with customer objectives and consumer needs.

This promotion also taught me to take on new challenges from leading and collaborating among teams to managing multi-stakeholder expectations. I overachieved growth and targets and kept up Unilever market leadership at some of the largest retailers for the categories that are under my stewardship. The job as manager truly enhances my expertise in trade category management and stakeholder engagement. The experiences I gained have equipped me with a versatile skill set and a strategic mindset. And I am now ready to make an impact in any other challenging roles in my future career.

Describe your biggest achievement in the MBA program so far: In this MBA program, I have an opportunity to be a Corporate Ambassador at The Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation. I have gained invaluable experience from this role as it allows me to grow myself both personally and professionally. Also, I have honed essential skill sets including effective communication, team leadership, and client management. All these have not only strengthened my ability of team collaboration among diverse groups of people but also prepared me to navigate complex stakeholder relationships.

Moreover, this amazing experience offers me hands-on exposure to real-world business challenges. For example, by working with clients directly, I am able to analyze the supply chain issues first-hand, and then cater strategic solutions, and enjoy its fruitful impact on the business resulting from our recommendations. By getting myself immersed into real-world problems and the resolutions aftermath, I gain a deeper understanding of the business landscape in the U.S as well as the intricacies and complexities of supply chain management across various industries.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? My best memories are of Global Immersion trips to Washington, D.C., and Barcelona. I also managed to use my weekend to fly to Paris, the city well-known for its incredible scenery, cultural arts, fashion, food, and romance. As a backpacking hobbyist, I treasure all the traveling memories I have gained from my trips to all these beautiful European cities.

DON’T MISS: MEET WASHINGTON OLIN’S MBA CLASS OF 2026