Ligia Fonseca

University of Rochester, Simon Business School

“Curious, driven, and passionate about strategy, marketing, and solving problems that create real impact.”

Hometown: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a marathon runner and triathlete.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil – Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Syngenta – Marketing Strategy Coordinator

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? I worked as an MBA Marketing Intern at CVS Health in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Where will you be working after graduation? Marketing Manager – CVS Health

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Benet Career Peer
• President, Simon Life Sciences Club
• VP of Marketing & Communications, Simon Consulting Club
• MBA Event Ambassador
• Honor: Dean’s List Fall Semester 2025
• Merit Scholarship Recipient: Forté Foundation, Simon Women’s Alliance, Prospanica

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of helping organize an event through the Simon Life Sciences Club in partnership with UnCorked, LASOS (Latin American Students of Simon), and the Simon Black Student Alliance. It was one of the first times a professional club collaborated so closely with community and social clubs. The event featured a panel of Latino and Black alumni working in the healthcare industry who shared their career paths, followed by a networking mixer. As with all club events, it was open to the entire school, and I was especially proud because the event brought together different communities across Simon, creating a space for collaboration, diverse perspectives, and meaningful connections.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? At Syngenta, as a marketing strategy coordinator, I am most proud of leading a team of six colleagues responsible for customer relationship programs in the customer intelligence department. Our mission was to build stronger data-driven decision- making by developing new KPIs and dashboards to track program performance and customer engagement. Through this work, I led the development of a new go-to-market strategy and redesigned how the program operated, making it more transparent for customers and improving the timing of rebate payments. As a result, the company enhanced customer experience while also increasing sales revenue. What makes this achievement especially meaningful to me is that it was my first experience leading and mentoring a team. It taught me how powerful leadership can be when you combine analytical thinking with empathy and collaboration to deliver both business results and stronger relationships with customers.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Simon Business School because of its strong analytical approach to business and its collaborative community. Coming from an engineering background and working in strategy and marketing, I wanted a program that would strengthen my data-driven decision making while helping me grow as a leader. What stood out to me during the application process was the people. Every faculty member and student I spoke with was incredibly welcoming and supportive. That sense of community made me feel that Simon was a place where I could grow, thrive, and contribute, and that has continued throughout my MBA experience.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Thomas Shaw, who teaches Elements of Leadership and facilitates the monthly Leadership Accelerator for club presidents. I chose him because his ability to translate leadership concepts into meaningful personal reflection had a lasting impact on me. In his class, we explored frameworks such as Immunity to Change, which challenged us to reflect deeply on our leadership behaviors and assumptions. Through these exercises, I gained a better understanding of my own leadership style and realized how important it is to create space for others to lead. Professor Shaw also fostered an environment of honest dialogue and self-awareness. I left the course not only with leadership frameworks, but with a deeper understanding of myself and the kind of leader I aspire to be.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course during my MBA was Brand Strategy Workshop, taught by Professor Christopher Huels. The class combined hands-on workshops with real-world exercises designed to build practical brand strategy skills. The course brought strategy to life through case discussions, guest lectures from experienced marketing professionals, and a group project where we developed a new brand from scratch. It was especially meaningful to me because it closely aligns with my future in marketing, helping me translate strategic thinking into concrete brand decisions.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? One of my favorite MBA traditions at Simon is the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Simon values diversity, and this event reflects how the community comes together to celebrate different cultures. The celebration is organized by LASOS (Latin American Students of Simon) and all are welcome to attend, bringing together students, staff, and families to enjoy Latin American food, music, and cultural traditions in a vibrant and welcoming environment.

In my first year, I attended as a participant and had the chance to experience the energy of the event and the sense of community it creates. In my second year, I had the opportunity to be more involved by helping to cook and serve food alongside other classmates. It was a special moment because it allowed me not only to celebrate Latin culture but also to share it with the Simon community.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? Looking back over my MBA experience, one thing I would do differently is become more involved with the Simon School Venture Fund, the student-run venture fund backed by Simon alumni that invests in real companies. It would have been a great opportunity to learn more about startups, investing, portfolio management, and how to evaluate business pitches. Although my specialization is in brand management, strategy, and pricing, gaining deeper exposure to the finance and investment side and scaling companies would have broadened my perspective as a future business leader.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What I love most about Rochester is the nature and the campus environment. I love running, and going for runs on campus during the fall was one of the most beautiful experiences, with the trees changing colors around the river. Rochester is also full of amazing parks. Highland Park is especially beautiful in the spring during the Lilac Festival. Close to campus, Genesee Valley Park is perfect for running, walking, or enjoying nature along the river. And if you want a beach atmosphere, Ontario Beach Park offers beautiful views of Lake Ontario.

What business leader do you admire most? I really admire Cristina Junqueira, co-founder of Nubank. What inspires me most about her is how she helped transform the financial industry in Brazil by making banking more accessible, transparent, and customer-centric. She has openly shared her experiences about entrepreneurship, resilience, and balancing leadership with motherhood, which makes her a powerful role model.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? One way my business school integrated AI into the curriculum was through the Digital Marketing class, where we explored how AI is transforming marketing strategy, personalization, and analytics. We discussed how companies use AI to improve customer segmentation, automate campaign optimization, and generate insights from large datasets.

Beyond the classroom, Simon also brought industry perspectives through guest lectures from leaders across different sectors who shared how their organizations are leveraging AI in real business decisions. We also had seminars and panels discussing the opportunities and challenges of AI in healthcare. As president of the Life Sciences Club, I helped organize an alumni panel where one of the speakers was an AI Strategy Leader at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Hearing how AI is being applied in areas like healthcare operations and patient care made the topic much more tangible.

These experiences helped me understand that AI is not just a technological tool but a strategic capability. The key insight for me was that the real value of AI comes from combining strong data, human judgment, and clear business objectives.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I really admire my classmate, Karla Camarillo. She is an incredible person, a thoughtful leader, and a very supportive friend, and I feel lucky and grateful to have built this friendship during my MBA. Karla is also highly collaborative. I had the opportunity to work with her in Advanced Marketing Strategy class during a business simulation. Her leadership stood out because she naturally created space for everyone on the team to contribute and share ideas. She leads in a way that brings out the best in others, which is something I deeply admire.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? First, I would love to lead the launch of a product or initiative that meaningfully improves people’s health and well-being at scale. Second, I hope to mentor and develop future leaders, particularly women pursuing careers in business and healthcare.

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

“It is my pleasure to nominate Ligia Forenca, who will graduate in May 2026 with an MBA with concentrations in Brand Management and Strategy & Pricing from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, for Poets&Quants’ Best & Brightest MBAs: Class of 2026. Ligia represents the very best of what we hope to see in our MBA graduates—purpose-driven leadership, intellectual rigor, and a deep commitment to improving the communities she serves.

Ligia’s professional purpose is rooted in a personal conviction that healthcare access and wellbeing should not be privileges. Growing up in Brazil in a family of physicians, she witnessed the consequences when individuals lacked access to affordable care. That experience shaped both her career path and her personal discipline. At age eighteen, she made what she describes as a personal “crossroad” decision to prioritize health and resilience, ultimately becoming both a triathlete and marathon runner—an embodiment of the discipline and determination that characterize her leadership style.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in Brazil, Ligia built a career across major healthcare and life sciences organizations including Nestlé, Hypera Pharma, and Syngenta. In these roles, she focused on delivering measurable growth through data-driven strategy, CRM transformation, digital innovation, and targeted go-to-market execution. She continued that trajectory during her MBA through a summer internship with CVS Health, where she made such a strong impression that she will return following graduation as a marketing manager.

Within the Simon community, Ligia has distinguished herself as a connector and leader who elevates those around her. She currently serves as vice president of marketing for the Simon Consulting Club, a Benet Career Peer, and president of the Simon Life Sciences Club. Her leadership is marked by collaboration and initiative; most recently, she coordinated four student organizations to organize a joint career trek to Boston, expanding networking and recruiting opportunities for dozens of MBA students.

Ligia is widely respected for her thoughtful leadership and commitment to growth. As she often says, “I listen to others and reflect on their feedback to make myself better.” Faculty and advisors consistently note that she approaches leadership with humility, discipline, and a genuine commitment to supporting her peers.

Ligia Fonseca exemplifies the leadership, drive, and sense of purpose that define Poets&Quants’ Best & Brightest MBA honorees. Our community is stronger because of her contributions, and I am confident the organizations and communities she serves throughout her career will benefit just as profoundly. I recommend Ligia without reservation for this recognition.”

Dennis Proulx
Assistant Dean of Students

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.