Alex Xue

Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

“Serving others and building a better world through disciplined, values-driven leadership.”

Hometown: Portland, OR

Fun fact about yourself: I was baptized in the Jordan river 10 years ago

Undergraduate School and Degree: Pepperdine University, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and minor in nonprofit management

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? IQVIA, HR Project Lead

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Boston Consulting Group, Summit, NJ

Where will you be working after graduation? Consultant at Boston Consulting Group

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• TuckTalks Co-Chair
• Tuck Volunteer Club Co-Chair
• Tuck Admissions Associate
• Nonprofit Board Fellow
• Center for Business, Government & Society Fellow
• Tuck mentor (for Dartmouth undergrad)

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of serving as co-chair of TuckTalks, one of Tuck’s most cherished traditions. To me, TuckTalks captures Tuck in its purest form. It is an evening of storytelling where members of our community courageously share deeply personal experiences that have shaped who they are and how they see the world.

Each year, I am struck by the vulnerability of the speakers—their willingness to stand before classmates and offer an unfiltered glimpse into moments of doubt, loss, resilience, and growth. In a place defined by achievement and ambition, TuckTalks reminds us of our shared humanity. It creates a space where authenticity is not just welcomed but honored.

I am proud that we could continue providing that space — one where intimacy is protected, stories are held with care, and listeners walk away feeling seen in their own unspoken struggles.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? (And why?)
During my time at IQVIA, I became certified as an advanced LEAN facilitator and partnered with business units to improve their operations. One engagement stands out. I led a process improvement project for a team managing patient support programs in Australia that was operating at negative margins. Leadership initially believed high turnover was the primary issue, as rising personnel costs were eroding profitability.

Through surveys, interviews, and workflow analysis, we uncovered significant time lost to outdated manual processes and inconsistent workload allocation across projects, which made it difficult for employees to transition between assignments. These structural inefficiencies were not only hurting margins but also exhausting the team. We presented our findings to leadership and secured sponsorship for targeted process overhauls that led to meaningful time savings and improved staff well-being.

I am especially proud of this accomplishment because LEAN facilitation was not part of my formal role. I chose to pursue the certification and apply it where I saw opportunity. To diagnose the issues effectively, I had to immerse myself in how that unit created value — from frontline workflows to financial drivers. The experience reinforced my interest in understanding how different parts of an organization connect and how disciplined frameworks can be used to create meaningful impact.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Tuck for its close-knit community and the depth of connection it fosters. After several years living and working in China, I was preparing to move back to the U.S. and start over professionally, geographically, and personally. I needed a place where I could build meaningful, lasting relationships as I entered a new chapter of my life.

One of the most memorable moments in my application journey was my interview with a second-year student. It immediately felt like catching up with an old friend. He was encouraging yet transparent, and the conversation felt like an invitation into a community. That tone continued in conversations with students and alumni who generously shared their experiences. What struck me most was the consistency: people cited the community as the reason they chose Tuck and why they continue to show up for one another long after graduation.

I chose Tuck because I wanted to be shaped in an environment defined by empathy, inclusivity, and genuine connection. I knew it would be a place where I could be challenged and deeply supported—and that is exactly what Tuck has been for me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor is Tianna Barnes. She was the first professor I had at Tuck, kicking off Managing People during Tuck Launch. From the very beginning, she set the tone for what thoughtful leadership looks like in practice.

Over the course of the term, I became increasingly impressed by her ability to facilitate healthy dialogues. She seems to be able to strike a rare balance between building consensus and inviting dissent so effortlessly. It was especially powerful to witness in a course focused on managing interpersonal dynamics; she didn’t just teach the concepts, she modeled them in real time through how she led the classroom.

Beyond the classroom, I have come to value her as a mentor. She demonstrates a genuine investment in students’ growth, but what stands out most is her attentiveness. She notices subtle dynamics within the room and asks probing questions that push us to think more deeply about ourselves and our impact on others. Learning from Professor Barnes has helped me become a better student and leader.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The South Asian Business Association (SABA) at Tuck hosts the coolest Diwali celebration, and it is one of my favorite events every year. Imagine a night where your classmates show up dressed in lehengas, kurtas, and other vibrantly beautiful traditional Indian outfits. They spend the evening dancing to Bollywood music while learning about the deep cultural and spiritual meaning behind the Festival of Lights. I had never been to a Diwali celebration before coming to Tuck, so experiencing it firsthand, especially guided by classmates for whom this holiday holds deep personal meaning felt incredibly special. To me, this event uniquely captures Tuck’s culture. Instead of asking people to assimilate, Tuck creates space for traditions to be shared proudly and embraced by the entire community.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back, the one thing I would do differently is be more intentional about creating space to reflect, especially with others. My first year moved so fast as I tried to balance academics, social life, and recruiting, and in that constant motion I rarely paused to deliberately reflect on how these experiences were shaping my values and leadership. If I could do it again, I would focus on intentionally building in moments to debrief experiences with classmates and learn from how they are processing these experiences. Being part of an MBA program is a rare environment where you are surrounded by thoughtful peers navigating similar transitions, and I learned that growth accelerates when reflection is shared.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? One of the most memorable case studies I encountered was on the Michelin PAX system in Ecosystem Strategy, taught by Professor Ron Adner, an award-winning strategy scholar and author known for his work on ecosystem thinking. The PAX system was positioned as the future of automotive tires—backed by an experienced team and strong confidence in its technical superiority. Yet despite its innovation, the launch failed. Michelin assumed adoption would follow innovation, but they failed to fully consider whether other players had the incentives, capabilities, or willingness to adapt alongside them.

Professor Adner distilled the core lesson of the course into two simple words: “What else?” That question has stayed with me. It captures the discipline leaders must develop to look beyond their immediate product or strategy and ask what additional partners, assumptions, or dependencies must fall into place for success.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What is there not to love about being surrounded by nature and people I love? Hanover was a welcome change after several years of city living, where I felt like everything and everyone is moving at full speed. Being in the Upper Valley slows you down. Whether it is an afternoon canoeing on the Connecticut River, a morning stroll around Occom Pond, or hiking to a viewpoint to take in the fall foliage, life here invites you to pause. It creates space to breathe, reflect, and be present. Being so close to nature is definitely one thing I will miss moving back to the city.

What business leader do you admire most? One business leader I admire is John Replogle (T’91). As CEO of Burt’s Bees, he scaled the company from a niche natural products brand into a global personal care business while preserving its commitment to responsibly-sourced ingredients and environmentally-conscious packaging, even through its acquisition by Clorox.

At Seventh Generation, he led the company to fully disclose product ingredients, increase the use of plant-based and recycled materials, reduce virgin plastic in packaging, and set measurable sustainability targets. He also publicly supported reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act, advocating for stronger chemical safety standards across the industry. To me, he exemplifies the kind of leader I aspire to be—someone guided by conviction who makes deliberate choices about how to use his platform. His leadership shows that purpose and performance can advance together when a leader is clear about what they stand for.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Tuck has taken a democratic approach to AI integration. Students are given access to tools like ChatGPT and Copilot and encouraged to experiment with them. At the same time, faculty have incorporated AI into coursework, creating space for students and professors to explore its applications together. Electives such as AI for Managers and Predictive Analytics with AI invite active iteration on how AI should be used in business decision-making.

My favorite experience has been a course on AI-driven analytics and society, where students rotate presenting theoretical and empirical research on the unintended societal consequences of AI. One of my biggest insights has been how persuasive AI can sound even when it is wrong. The confidence in its tone can obscure the need for scrutiny. This reinforced for me the importance of keeping humans in the loop. We should continue to practice critical thinking and exercise independent judgment.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? One MBA classmate I most admire is one of my close friend, Matthew Sindelar. To me, he embodies what makes Tuck special in how he shows up for others: encouraging, thoughtful, empathic, creative, and fun. As class president, he has led numerous initiatives with the only goal of bringing the community closer together. His love for the community is unassuming and quiet. Much of his work happens behind the scenes, making sure events run smoothly and removing obstacles before most of us even notice them. His leadership is not performative; it is steady and intentional. I especially admire his ability to connect across different groups on campus. He makes people feel genuinely seen and included.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first item on my professional bucket list is to combine my long-standing interest in fitness and health with my consulting career. With the rapid growth of the global health and wellness industry, I am excited by the opportunity to develop expertise in this space and advise organizations on how to differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded market. More importantly, I am drawn to helping companies design strategies that genuinely improve people’s quality of life, rather than simply capitalizing on trends.

The second is to serve on a nonprofit board. Through Tuck’s Nonprofit Board Fellowship, I had the opportunity to work alongside the board of a local nonprofit for a year. That experience showed me how much thoughtful governance and long-term partnership matter to mission-driven organizations. It made me want to continue contributing at that level, ideally working with an organization focus on combating food waste and increase food access to the underserved communities.

What made Alex such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Since arriving at Tuck, Alex has distinguished herself as a principled leader who pairs intellectual rigor with meaningful action. As both a Business, Government & Society Fellow and a Nonprofit Board Fellow, she has demonstrated a rare ability to translate ethical inquiry into tangible community impact.

Through her board service with Willing Hands, a regional nonprofit addressing food insecurity, Alex played a central role in developing a sustainable food recovery partnership between Dartmouth College and the organization. This initiative required cross-institutional collaboration, strategic coordination, and careful attention to stakeholder needs. This work strengthened community relationships while advancing food access in the Upper Valley—a concrete example of values-driven leadership in action.

Alex stands out not only for what she accomplishes, but for how she leads others. As co-chair of Tuck Volunteers, she successfully led Tuck Serves, a school-wide day of service, and helped strengthen the organization’s long-term volunteer engagement strategy. Her thoughtful approach to leadership has resulted in sustained improvements in how our community approaches service.

In every setting, Alex exemplifies the kind of MBA leader who understands that business is inseparable from its social and ethical context. She is both reflective and action-oriented and she makes the institutions around her better.

Alex Xue represents the very best of the next generation of business leaders.”

Hannah Payson
Executive Director, Tuck Center for Business, Government & Society

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