Maria Allen

University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business MBA Online

“Strategic leader who thrives on collaboration, using diverse perspectives and talents to build something great.”

Age: 28

Hometown: Logan, Utah

Fun fact about yourself: I was born in Spain while my father was serving as a Navy JAG.

Undergraduate School and Degree: I received an English Degree from Utah State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Utah.

Where are you currently working? Goldenwest Credit Union, Strategic Market Growth Manager

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The achievement I’m most proud of in my career so far is building two departments, one from scratch, and doing it with the most incredible people. I’m especially proud of the culture we built across both teams. It’s been a pleasure to watch people thrive in an environment founded on trust, accountability, and care.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? I chose the University of Utah’s online MBA program for several reasons. I grew up in a small town about an hour-and-a-half north of Salt Lake City. I always dreamed of attending the University of Utah (the U) because it was in the “big city” and felt much bigger and full of possibilities. Several years ago, I moved to Salt Lake, so when I decided to pursue my MBA, the U felt like the natural choice, especially after learning from the admissions team how well the program could fit into my life. It allowed me to continue growing my career while earning a great education. The MBAO team guided me throughout the process, and I always knew what to expect next. Even though the classes were fully online, the professors clearly knew how to run an online course, which created a high-quality experience.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? My favorite part was connecting with some of the professors. You could tell they genuinely wanted to teach and put a lot of thought and effort into helping us succeed as professionals. After one-on-one interactions, I often left feeling like my professors truly believed in me.

How did your online MBA experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? I appreciated the flexibility of the online experience. At this stage in my life, it provided the perfect balance of time flexibility and meaningful opportunities to interact with other business professionals in my classes.

How has your online MBA education helped you in your current job? I love motivating a team to achieve something great. My MBA education gave me the tools and frameworks to build the infrastructure needed to take it to the next level. Just as important, it taught me that I can dig deep and do hard things, like working full-time while pursuing my master’s degree.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? Yes, I recently stepped into a Vice President role at my company to help strategically grow our branches. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be in this role if it weren’t for my MBA and the credibility it gave me. It’s also given me the confidence to step into this level of leadership.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? I feel like a broken record, but the flexibility it gave me allowed me to still invest energy into other aspects of my life—friends, family, and my career.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In one of my strategy classes, we worked in a ChatGPT-style simulation in which a company was undergoing a major change, and our role was change management. It was a really cool experiment. One of the best insights I gained from using AI is that it’s not a substitute for thinking or great writing, but rather a tool to help streamline other tasks so you have more time to think and write.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 15-20 hours

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved leading a group of people. My motivation, then and now, is to make an impact on the people I work with and those I serve through the vehicle of an organization. Whatever role or career path allows me to do that is my goal. I feel like I’m already getting to do that in my current position, which feels very meaningful to me.

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