Maddie Gissler

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Infectiously positive and deeply driven leader, building meaningful connections and memorable experiences.”

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: My family is working on our dual citizenship in Italy!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Advertising

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: EY, Senior Consultant

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? I’m looking to join the entertainment industry upon graduation, making L.A. the perfect place for me to earn my MBA. I’m a huge fan of classic Hollywood cinema so living near all the major studios is deeply exciting to me. The city is so vibrant with culture around every corner, and I love that you can get the best of both worlds – being in a major city while being close to the beach, too.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Trojan Network was an important draw for me when I was deciding where to attend business school. I attended an MBA program open house at Marshall, and I was struck by the pivotal role that Trojan alumni have played in both the education and internship/full-time job searches for MBA students. There is so much pride in being a Trojan, and I really appreciated the emphasis on community building and support – now and beyond graduation.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? I’m excited to join the Business of Entertainment Association, forging connections with my fellow first- and second year classmates, as well as alumni in the entertainment industry. I’m particularly looking forward to participating in case competitions to further my industry knowledge and attending the Sundance Film Festival as part of the organization.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized that USC Marshall was the right program for you? Why? I knew that USC Marshall was the school for me when I realized that our investment was mutual. I felt a strong sense of community very early on in my recruiting process at Marshall and found that it was truly reciprocated. I already feel so valued by the Marshall faculty and my fellow students and have found that the team members here are deeply invested in my future success.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career so far was leading a team to develop public communications and community engagement materials during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage vaccinations and boosters. I was able to leverage my professional experience while driving impactful change during a pivotal time for public health.

What is your long-term career goal? My long-term career goal is to join the marketing team at The Walt Disney Company, continuing to promote and foster the magic that so fondly impacted my own childhood.

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