Desiree Nattell

Boston University, Questrom School of Business

“I love travel and finding new experiences. I’ll stop learning the day after I die.”

Age: 38

Hometown: I did most of my growing up in Watertown, NY.

Fun fact about yourself: I once ran into a burning building to save two children. Long story short: everyone was okay!

Undergraduate School and Degree:

• Undergraduate: Cornell University, College of Arts & Sciences, B.A. Anthropology (2009)
• Graduate: Boston University, Questrom School of Business, M.B.A. (2025)

Where are you currently working? Most recently, I worked with Universal Destinations & Experiences, NBCUniversal’s theme parks as Strategic Intelligence Lead over the social listening function.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I was named #1 internationally on the Social Intelligence Insider 50 list in 2023. This award recognized over a decade of research work in the social media listening space – what people say online and the practical implications for a brand.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? I chose Questrom’s program because I could work toward the MBA while continuing my career. I’m looking for my next step back in the northeast, so knowing that my education was portable was a huge plus over a traditional in-person program.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? Meeting people in different industries and professions.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? I miss the happenstance meeting and relationship building that happened as an in-person undergraduate student at Cornell. Back then, being a student was my everything for 4 years. Questrom’s OMBA program has been just a facet as the rest of my life has been able to continue without (much) interruption.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? Build relationships. Most of the online program isn’t very personal – it’s recordings and readings. Your classmates and their experience are the unique benefit of an online program of mid-professionals, so it’s important to get to know them as people. I’ve found that most were in the same boat and perhaps a little lonely in our education – it can be nerve-wracking to reach out to people you don’t know but most will eagerly reach back.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I’m actively seeking a new role in brand strategy, targeting Boston, NYC, DC, or maybe Chicago. I’ll have to let you know in a few months when I achieve it “immediately after graduation.”

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program?   I chose Questrom’s program because I could work toward the MBA while continuing my career. I’m looking for my next step back in the northeast so knowing that my education was portable was a huge plus over a traditional in-person program.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Honestly, OMBA’s shift from encouraging my classmates and I to think critically and analytically to depending on AI has been a major disappointment. I didn’t sign up for an educational program to have a poorly named “artificial intelligence” summarize for me. I think AI can be a useful efficiency tool, but the quality of shared work I’ve seen since AI-use was encouraged in the OMBA-program has markedly decreased.  We’re at a crossroads right now; if we’re expected to come up with “good” queries, there needs to be some sort of training incorporated – it isn’t easy or intuitive.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: I was completely dependent on the group I was assigned in each module. A good group meant fewer hours, a poor one doubled the amount of time as I’d have to pick up the slack when a team-member dropped the proverbial ball or submitted something clearly written by AI that doesn’t answer the assigned question. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that OMBA (like business) prioritizes teaming over individual success.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? The anthropology undergraduate degree with Cornell broadened my perspective while BU’s MBA has focused me on what’s feasible. I’d like to bring my prior experience in trend identification and social research to work in brand strategy… maybe for a travel or hospitality business (e.g., Hilton, Marriott, Delta). I love to travel and intend to work with those similarly driven.

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