Olivia Ahearn

Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

“Strategic leader and Pitbull rescue advocate who believes strength and kindness can coexist.”

Hometown: Plymouth, MI

Fun fact about yourself: A game of Euchre is the best way to get me to stay out past 9 pm.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Grand Valley State University, Bachelor of Business Administration

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Deloitte Consulting, Senior Consultant.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Molson Coors Beverage Company, Marketing Strategy Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? Deloitte Consulting, Senior Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: MBA Class of 2026 Vice President; Tepper School of Business Admissions Marketing Office Fellow; Golub Capital – Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Board Member (non-voting)

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of serving as a non-voting member on the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s Board of Directors. The experience stretched me in a busy season of business school and was especially meaningful because I care deeply about the organization’s mission and impact on conservation and the Pittsburgh community.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? One achievement I am particularly proud of is successfully pivoting into consulting prior to business school. At the time, it felt like a natural next step in my career rather than a major accomplishment. However, during my MBA, I watched many of my classmates work extremely hard to break into consulting through highly competitive recruiting processes. Seeing the level of preparation, networking, and persistence required made me realize how meaningful that transition had actually been.

Making that pivot required me to quickly build credibility in a new environment, learn unfamiliar industries, and develop the structured problem-solving skills that consulting demands. It ultimately shaped how I approach complex problems and collaboration today. Reflecting on that experience during business school gave me a new appreciation for the risk I took and the growth that came from stepping into a completely different career path.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Tepper because of the Accelerate Leadership Center. In a world where technical skills are becoming increasingly accessible through AI and other tools, I believe the real differentiator will be strong leadership and interpersonal skills. The Center’s focus on developing self-awareness, communication, and influence made the program stand out to me. Throughout my time here, it has been an incredibly valuable resource that has pushed me to reflect on how I lead, how I work with others, and how I show up in professional environments. That emphasis on human skills has been one of the most impactful parts of my MBA experience.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor was Brandy Aven. Her classes consistently pushed me to reconsider my perspectives and think more critically about the systems and structures that shape our decisions. What stood out most to me was her ability to keep humans at the center of her research and analysis. In a business environment that often prioritizes metrics and outcomes, she emphasized the importance of relationships, networks, and human behavior. That perspective challenged me in a meaningful way and continues to influence how I think about leadership and decision making.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course was The Entrepreneur’s Playbook, co-taught by Dick’s Sporting Goods Executive Chairman and former CEO Ed Stack, who helped scale the company into a national retailer. The course challenged me to think about every role in business through an entrepreneurial lens, even within large organizations. Hearing directly from a leader who built and scaled such a successful company made the lessons especially tangible. It pushed me to think more creatively about opportunities, ownership, and the impact I want to have in my career, and it made me reflect on what an entrepreneurial future for myself could look like.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite business school tradition is the annual Military Ball. It is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and recognize the service and traditions of the U.S. military. I especially appreciate how it creates space for students, particularly our international classmates, to learn about a part of our nation’s history and culture they may not have previously been exposed. It is both meaningful and uniquely unifying for the Tepper community.

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 impactful case studies for me was the Roller Coaster Ride case from my Organizational Power and Influence class. The case highlighted how quickly power dynamics and perceptions can shift within organizations, especially when leaders are navigating moments of uncertainty. What stood out most to me was how much influence can come from relationships, credibility, and timing rather than formal authority alone. It challenged me to think more carefully about how leaders build trust, communicate during periods of change, and manage the invisible dynamics that shape decision-making. The case reinforced that leadership is not just about having the right strategy, but also about understanding and navigating the human dynamics around it.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? What I love most about Pittsburgh is the people. The city is full of fiercely intelligent, hardworking individuals who are deeply rooted in some of America’s most vibrant and delicious cultural traditions. There is a strong sense of pride in the community, and people genuinely care about the city and each other. That combination of grit, warmth, and culture makes Pittsburgh a uniquely special place to live and learn.

What business leader do you admire most? The business leader I admire most is Jeff Brashear, whom I stumbled upon during my MBA almost completely by accident. What stood out to me immediately was his passion for creating meaningful business connections that benefit both organizations and individuals. Through working with him, I learned a great deal about the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships and how powerful those networks can be when they are rooted in genuine interest and trust. He also showed me that it is possible to pursue work that aligns with your personal interests while still lifting others up along the way, which is a perspective that has had a lasting impact on how I think about leadership.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Carnegie Mellon, widely considered the birthplace of AI, integrates it throughout the MBA experience. Across my coursework, AI has been embedded in both technical and creative contexts—from learning to code and analyze data in Statistics to pushing the limits of ideation and prototyping in Design Thinking during my second year. One of the most valuable insights I gained was understanding when AI is most useful: as a tool to pressure test ideas, generate new perspectives, and refine thinking. At the same time, our coursework emphasized the importance of critically evaluating AI’s outputs to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or unintentionally spreading harmful messages. Learning to balance the power of AI with thoughtful human judgment has been one of the most important skills I’ve developed during my MBA.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The MBA student I most admire is Benjamin Goldblatt. A veteran and member of the Jewish community, he challenged me to think differently about what it means to pivot authentically. Benjamin approaches every person and every business challenge with curiosity and an open mind, constantly pushing the boundaries of what a solution could look like. His thoughtfulness, integrity, and willingness to question assumptions have had a meaningful impact on those around him. I am proud to call him both a mentor and a friend.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I’d like to start a non-profit related to Pitbull rescue and make PMD at Deloitte Consulting!

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

“Olivia Ahearn was an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026 because of her intellectual curiosity, thoughtful leadership, and genuine care for the people around her. In the classroom, she consistently elevated discussions by pushing conversations beyond surface level analysis and encouraging her peers to think more critically and expansively about strategic decision making. She brought relevant business experience into conversations in a way that helped bridge theory and practice, inviting others into deeper engagement and raising the bar for the entire class. Olivia was also willing to respectfully challenge conventional thinking, questioning assumptions and exploring the broader implications of business decisions. Beyond the classroom, she contributed meaningfully to the Tepper community through her role as Vice President of the MBA class. In that role, she served as a principled advocate for the student body, carefully listening to competing perspectives and communicating student concerns thoughtfully while maintaining strong relationships with faculty and administrators. Just as importantly, Olivia consistently demonstrated empathy and care for her peers, taking time to support classmates, ensure voices were heard, and help create an environment where others felt valued and included. Her ability to combine intellectual rigor, integrity, and compassion made her a trusted voice within the Class of 2026 and a meaningful contributor to the broader Tepper community.”

Oliver Hahl
Associate Dean, Masters Programs

 

 

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