Victoria Leigh Peace

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“Future banker, driven professional, devoted daughter, lousy golfer – and diehard Tar Heel fan.”

Hometown: Alexandria, Virginia

Fun fact about yourself: I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in June 2026.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Georgetown University, BA in French and art history

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Senior Associate, RosettiStarr

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Morgan Stanley Investment Banking Summer Associate, New York, New York

Where will you be working after graduation? Morgan Stanley Investment Banking Associate, Consumer Retail Group, New York

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• UNC Investment Banking Club, Executive Vice President
• Business Communication Center, Consultant
• Carolina Women in Business, Member

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Over the course of my time at UNC Kenan-Flagler, I am most proud of my role as executive vice president of the Investment Banking Club. One of the main reasons I chose to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler was the “pay it forward” culture that students genuinely embrace. When I arrived on campus, I was intimidated by the investment banking recruiting process, especially coming from a non-finance background. However, the second-year students who had already gone through the process were there every step of the way, offering their time, guidance, and mentorship to help me succeed.

After completing my summer internship, I knew I wanted to help carry on that legacy. In partnership with the rest of the leadership team (my co-executive vice president and president), we helped run the investment banking recruiting cycle last fall. This included coordinating employer event logistics, organizing two career treks and developing internal resources to help first-year students prepare for technical and behavioral interviews.

Working with the first-year class was one of the highlights of my experience. They were an incredibly talented and motivated group and seeing them achieve such strong recruiting outcomes was the most rewarding part of the fall. More recently, we selected the next generation of Investment Banking Club leadership, and I was excited to hear their ideas for how they plan to further improve the recruiting process for incoming students.

In an industry that is often perceived as intensely competitive, I am proud to be part of a club and community that is committed to paying it forward and helping the next generation achieve their goals.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I reflect on the pivotal moments of my professional career, I am most proud of my decision to leave my job and pursue a full-time graduate program. I remember the many nights I came home late from the office and a boxing class, only to sit down and start studying for the GMAT. In those moments, I sometimes felt a little crazy — it’s a big decision to put both your life and your salary on hold for two years. In my case, it also meant moving away from my family and close group of friends.

While I was happy in my previous role, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a different career path I was meant to pursue. Taking the leap of faith to uproot my life in the city where I had grown up and move to Chapel Hill has been the best decision I have ever made. I’m proud that I believed in myself — and in my future as a professional — enough to take that risk and make the transition.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose to attend UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School because of the Carolina community. I’m a sixth-generation Tar Heel — my parents actually met at UNC — so I always knew that if I returned to school for my MBA, I wanted Carolina to be part of my journey.

It may sound cliché, but what makes Carolina special is truly the culture. People here work hard and strive to achieve, but they also genuinely enjoy supporting one another and making the most of the experience. That balance was exactly what I was looking for in an MBA program.

While academics and career outcomes matter, I always encourage prospective students to think about the alumni community they want to belong to long after graduation. In many ways, that network is the most lasting investment you make in business school. I saw the power of the Tar Heel community firsthand during recruiting — alumni were incredibly generous with their time and eager to help current students succeed. That’s the kind of community I wanted to join, and one I’m proud to carry forward as a Tar Heel.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor was Marcus Saba, professor of the practice of marketing and executive in residence for the Center for the Business of Health. I traveled with Marcus on a two-week Global Immersion Experience (GIE) during the spring break of my first year that focused on the business of healthcare in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I had very limited prior experience in the sector, but Marcus made the material approachable and engaging. Through his extensive experience as a healthcare executive, he shared stories that brought the themes we were learning about to life and made them feel tangible.

Marcus’s energy is also infectious. Throughout the trip, he encouraged our group to make the most of our time in the UAE and fully embrace opportunities for cultural immersion. One of my favorite memories was when Marcus joined a few classmates and me on a horseback riding excursion we had booked. We got to gallop our horses through the desert, which was such a unique experience to share with a professor.

Marcus created an incredible learning experience for our group — through the meetings he arranged with UAE-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, the projects he designed for us, and the cultural experiences that created lasting memories for everyone on the trip.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My favorite MBA tradition is Blue Cup — an annual competition between UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and Duke Fuqua School of Business that spans a wide range of sports, games and hobbies, from basketball and kickball to chess, e-sports, baking and more. The Carolina-Duke rivalry is often described as one of the greatest rivalries in sports, and that same energy carries over into Blue Cup.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to get to know people in your program outside of the classroom, as well as connect with students from “the school down the road.” UNC took the title in 2025, and we’re hoping to continue the streak next year.

Blue Cup reflects how dedicated UNC Kenan-Flagler students are to showing up not just as professionals and students, but as people. Our community embraces each others’ interests and genuinely enjoys spending time together outside of academic or career-focused activities. We’re a close-knit group with a strong sense of school spirit.

That spirit also becomes a professional asset over time. The Tar Heel alumni network is incredibly engaged and passionate about helping fellow graduates succeed. I’ve lost count of how many times alumni brought up their own Blue Cup memories during coffee chats. As a future alum, I’m excited to keep up with the latest results. Go Heels!

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? One of my favorite cases in business school was the Physician Sales and Service, Inc. (HBS Case Study) case. I enjoyed it because it explored the strategic and financial pressures facing a company that had grown quickly through acquisitions and leverage and forced us to think carefully about capital structure and risk.

What made the discussion especially interesting was the question of IPO timing. The case highlighted that going public isn’t just a financing decision — it’s also about whether the company, the market, and the long-term strategy are truly aligned. As someone pursuing a career in investment banking, it felt like a realistic look at the kinds of tradeoffs bankers help management teams think through when they are deciding how and when to access the public markets.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Chapel Hill is truly the Southern Part of Heaven – I have had the most incredible two years here. Small-town living is such a fun and unique experience. I am constantly running into friends in the grocery store, on walks or during a night out on Franklin Street. We have a fantastic main street which caters to students, with fun bars, unique coffee shops – and the best chicken and waffles ever (shoutout Carolina Coffee Shop!). The weather is beautiful year-round, leaving lots of time to explore local golf courses, hike or to take a weekend road trip to the Carolina shore.

If you have one day in Chapel Hill, start your morning with brunch at Carolina Coffee Shop, pick up some Tar Heel merch on Franklin Street, take a stroll to the Old Well and the Bell Tower, kickoff happy hour with an Elderflower Sour at The Crunkleton, and end the night with pasta at Tesoro.

What business leader do you admire most? The business leader I admire most is Sara Blakely. As someone going into consumer retail investment banking, I find her story especially compelling. Blakely built Spanx from the ground up, turning a simple idea into a global brand in one of the most crowded and competitive areas of consumer products. What makes her success so remarkable is that the product itself was genuinely exceptional — it solved a real problem for customers and stood out in a category where differentiation is difficult.

I also admire how she has used her platform since building the company. Blakely has been intentional about supporting other entrepreneurs and giving back, showing that success in business can also create opportunities for others. Her story is a powerful example of how persistence, creativity, and a deep understanding of the customer can lead to lasting impact.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In the fall of my second year, I took Heidi Schultz’s Storytelling course, where we practiced sharing our authentic stories as business leaders with different audiences. The stories we developed were deeply personal, and Heidi showed us how we could thoughtfully use AI to refine them without losing our individual voices, including through the creation of custom editing GPTs.

Storytelling is such an individual-centric process, so it was fascinating to explore how AI can serve as a supportive tool—helping sharpen ideas and structure—while still preserving the authenticity that makes each story meaningful.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The MBA classmate I most admire is Christian Sivel. We were colleagues at Morgan Stanley over the summer, where we will both be returning, and we also served together as co-EVPs of the Investment Banking Club. Beyond these professional connections, Christian has become one of my closest friends and mentors at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Christian gives 110% to his own academic and professional pursuits, but what stands out most is how committed he is to helping others succeed. He has spent countless hours mentoring first-year MBAs and undergraduates at UNC Kenan-Flagler through both the Investment Banking Club and the UNC Private Equity Fund.

Christian is also someone who naturally builds community. He is always connecting people who could benefit from knowing each other, and he is the kind of friend you can call out of the blue to talk through a challenge.

Christian is a dedicated student, asking thoughtful questions in the classroom. He pursues excellence in his professional career, always looking for opportunities to improve his industry knowledge. And finally, he is extremely devoted to his family and friends. I’m grateful to have met him through the program and to have him in my corner.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first item on my professional bucket list is to help take a company public. As a future banker, I am incredibly excited about the prospect of helping an executive team navigate that pivotal of a moment in their company’s history.

The second item on my professional bucket list is to serve as a board member for company I am passionate about. I’ve seen firsthand how strong, thoughtful stewardship can shape an organization’s strategy and culture for the better. Being able to help guide long-term decisions and support a mission I believe in is something I hope to do in the future.

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

“Having had the privilege of working closely with Victoria this year in her role as executive vice president of the MBA Investment Banking Club, I can confidently say that UNC Kenan-Flagler is a stronger community because of Victoria.

While she successfully achieved her personal MBA goal of becoming an investment banker, including earning the first offer within her recruiting year, what truly sets her apart is the way she also elevates those around her. She approached her MBA journey not as a personal journey, but as a collective experience – working tirelessly to ensure her classmates had the preparation, support, and encouragement they needed.

Investment banking recruiting is a highly structured and demanding process for students. As a key leader within the Investment Banking Club, Victoria played a critical role in designing and delivering its programming and resources. Even during the busiest periods of classes and recruiting, she remained dependable and organized, ensuring that information was delivered to her peers on time.

In addition to her operational leadership, Victoria was instrumental in fostering a positive culture within the club. Recruiting for investment banking is an intense and competitive process, but she helped create a motivating and positive environment. She celebrated the small wins of her classmates in every meeting, offering thoughtful encouragement when interview invites started being offered, and constantly reminding the group that they had a supportive community behind them. Her positive energy and steady presence helped our first-year students navigate the recruiting journey with greater confidence. As a result, the class of 2026 landed more IB internships, including doubling the number of females receiving offers.

Victoria’s commitment to supporting others extended well beyond the Investment Banking Club. Through her work as a student consultant in the Business Communications Center, she provided interview preparation and communication coaching to students across the UNC Kenan-Flagler community, extending her impact beyond MBA students to also include undergraduate and specialty master’s students. She was widely recognized for delivering candid, actionable feedback that helped students refine their stories and present themselves effectively in interviews. Within the Investment Banking Club and the MBA program, I consistently heard students praising her help as a key to their success.

Given these achievements, it’s clear to see why Victoria was an asset to our program. However, what distinguishes Victoria most is her genuineness. Not only did she succeed academically and in her career journey, her love of UNC Athletics (Go Heels!) and her knack for planning memorable social gatherings also left a positive mark on the community. In all aspects of MBA life, she raised the bar and brought her classmates along with her.

Fortunately for us, she leaves behind a legacy of achievement, mentorship, and positivity that will continue to shape the Investment Banking Club and future classes of UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA students.

She’s one of a kind, and I’m blessed to have been a part of her journey. Be sure to follow her career – I’m certain the best is yet to come!”

Lisa Thomson
Director of MBA Coaching, MBA Programs

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

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