Giovanna Hughes

Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business

“Energetic, curious thinker who loves learning, connecting deeply, exploring outdoors and driving impactful projects.”

Hometown: Carlsbad, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: My favorite ritual is to mail letters and postcards during my travels around the world to my best friends and family at home – I’ve been doing it since middle school!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Philosophy major and Public Affairs minor, Class of 2019

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: McKinsey & Company, Business Analyst Fellow

What has been your favorite part of Houston so far? Why? I love walking around Memorial Park and the Rice campus — protected hubs within an otherwise busy city. I also love trying all the yummy food that has been recommended to me.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the one key part of the Rice Jones MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I was led to pursue an MBA at Rice Business because of its entrepreneurship curriculum and ecosystem. I also knew that Rice provided an opportunity to grow in a close-knit community of entrepreneurs — both learned and amateur. I have spent the past few years learning on-the-go in a variety of fast-paced environments, so I wanted to set time aside for targeted educational investment into my own human capital.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Rice Jones? I love finance and accounting courses – the Negotiations and Leadership Interactive Leadership Exercises (ILEs) as well! I also enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes perspective of the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition Conference as a member of the planning committee.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At McKinsey, I organized a strategic workshop for the leadership of a multinational Japanese gaming company. Recognizing the need to foster trust and collaboration, I designed activities that encouraged open dialogue, bridged cultural differences, and aligned diverse perspectives on strategic objectives. I also arranged networking opportunities between our team and the client, culminating in a dinner with the company’s management team.

At dinner, I engaged with the CPO, sparking a conversation about their CX team structure and the value of a strong CX program, which is my expertise. This led the CPO to consider launching a new initiative — effectively planting the seed for future work. My contributions were acknowledged by both the client and my team, with the client expressing excitement about working with me again. This experience underscored my ability to manage cross-cultural interactions, drive meaningful conversations and support business development through relationship-building and strategic insight.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? One of my biggest accomplishments as an MBA student has been successfully negotiating the largest equity claim during our ILE. Despite starting from a competitive disadvantage in a three-person negotiation, I carefully analyzed the dynamics, identified key leverage points and built strategic alliances.

By balancing assertiveness with collaboration, I navigated complex stakeholder interests and secured the largest share of equity for my position. This experience reinforced my confidence in negotiating under pressure and demonstrated the value of thoughtful preparation and adaptability in achieving optimal outcomes.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? My best memory has been building relationships and planning cultural and social outings for our program through the Wellness Community, a group I founded with a classmate, Aimee Pelayo, to orchestrate events that promote wellness and connectivity for our MBA class of 2026! We have done rooftop yoga and pilates and celebrated Halloween at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (among other fun activities).

DON’T MISS: MEET THE RICE JONES MBA CLASS OF 2026

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