Christina Reed

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign – Gies College of Business iMBA

“Consultant, military veteran, and leader who networks and learns by exploring the world.”

Age: 31

Hometown: Originally from Woodstock, Illinois but currently residing in Chicago

Fun fact about yourself: During my two years in the MBA program, I went on 23 trips, with nine being international. I was able to balance my love for exploring and learning new cultures with both work and school.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Illinois, Bachelor of Arts in Communication

Where are you currently working? SAP, Principal Consultant

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In my professional career, I have completed dozens of projects for Fortune 100 companies. However, when I reflect on what I am most proud of, it is not those client-facing projects, but rather when I had the privilege to step away and participate in the SAP Social Sabbatical. This was a four-week immersive program that took place in New Delhi, India. We partnered with a local nonprofit to address key business challenges through pro bono consulting. I partnered with a group dedicated to providing vocational training and skill building to India’s unskilled workforce, with a project focus on empowering women. This life-changing experience allowed me to make meaningful impact on the community and deepen my understanding of inclusive leadership. This is a lesson I apply daily thanks to the flexibility of pursuing my MBA online.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? Many schools offer online MBA programs, but I chose to pursue Gies College of Business due to the unmatched program flexibility and affordability. I accelerated my degree plan to finish in just 24 months by doubling up on all classes, comfortably knowing the program allowed up to 60 months to finish if I needed. Having already attended the University of Illinois for my undergraduate degree, I was already familiar with the top faculty leading the program, which helped reinforce my decision.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The easy answer here is the convenience that comes from getting access to the same opportunities no matter where you are in the world, through the power of the internet. Most people assume that being in an online program means the closest you will get to connecting in real life, is through Zoom. However, outside of the numerous virtual networking events, there were also multiple in-person options that were available. One highlight for me was the pleasure to attend a Capstone immersion in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. The team-building and collaboration with the 38 other MBA candidates allowed us to take concepts we had learned throughout our courses and apply them to a real life business scenario. These relationships and experiences have expanded my professional network globally, which is not something I would have found without this online program.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? It is easy for me to compare attending University of Illinois online from my living room to sitting in a classroom on campus. The quality of the content and professors were equally professional in both settings, and I truly felt I got the same level of education. That being said, I found the online format more enjoyable as I could take pauses during lecture videos to make sure I fully understood complex concepts. By taking a slower approach to my learning, it took more time to get through topics, but I understood concepts at a deeper level. During my undergraduate time, my priorities were different; now my goal was not just about getting an A in class, but applying these concepts in my career.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? Being enrolled in an online MBA while working full time has brought some immediate benefits. For example, during a group discussion about leaders vs. managers, I heard multiple stories about why managers struggle in organizations. Some of the examples shared really resonated with me, as I saw the same challenges within my own company. The big difference is in an education setting, people tend to be more open-minded and a broader range of perspectives are often shared. This conversation left me with some self-reflection on how l could be more effective as a leader, and I was able to apply those concepts the very next day at work.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I am grateful to say that I earned two promotions while in the program. My first promotion happened after my first series of classes and I was promoted from Senior to Principal Consultant. My second promotion occurred right before graduation to a higher tier level. These were a direct result of applying MBA program material into my work to help solve real problems.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? At this stage of my life, stepping away from my career to pursue a degree was not realistic. I am also in the process of starting a family, and considering this, relocating wasn’t a viable option either. My main priority was flexibility, which came with choosing to pursue this program online. I was able to create my own schedule, which includes but is not limited to taking advantage of downtime at airports or setting alarms to complete coursework before breakfast. Overall, this online program offered a way to integrate school into my life with minimal disruption.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? AI is the buzzword of 2025 and definitely something I use in my daily life. Our courses used Coursera for lecture videos and AI was integrated into Coach, an AI assistant. This let me, in real time, ask for examples of concepts to really deepen my understanding of course material. This was both a blessing and a curse, as I spent entirely too much time asking the AI assistant questions. Many classes also encouraged us to leverage AI, as a tool in our toolkit. It was always presented to support our critical thinking and never to replace, allowing us to be more effective in all aspects of our education.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: ~15 hours per week

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to grow and take on a leadership role at SAP. My long-term goal would be to hold an executive role managing global teams.

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