Maree Smith

Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

“Adventurous leader driven to connect globally, inspire change, and build bridges.”

Hometown: Monticello, MN

Fun fact about yourself: I lived and worked in Spain for three years after undergrad and speak Spanish fluently.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Butler University Marketing and Spanish

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Genomics Global Marketing Manager at Neogen Corporation

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? Nissan Americas in Franklin, TN

Where will you be working after graduation? Nissan in their Nissan Graduate Program

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Recruiting Experience Ambassador for prospective students; board member for Special Olympics Tennessee; Host for Owen’s official podcast (1,000 Ways to Lead); peer coach mentor for first year students; President for the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? One of the things I am most proud of during business school is being a podcast host for 1,000 Ways to Lead. Through this podcast, I have interviewed several highly accomplished Owen alumni across different industries, functions, and geographies. Our conversations have covered everything from their biggest career accomplishments and failures, to how business school shaped their paths, to how they think about balancing career and family life. The interviewees have started their own business, risen through the corporate ranks, or built international abroad. One of the highlights for me was doing a live podcast recording with an Owen alum in front of more than 50 people. It was a meaningful moment that brought the podcast to life in a new way and reinforced how powerful these stories can be when shared with the community.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? My biggest career accomplishment so far has been moving to Spain to teach for three years. With no formal teaching experience and knowing no one in the country, I took a leap that shaped my personal and professional growth. This experience not only elevated my Spanish fluency, but also ignited a passion for leveraging cross-cultural competencies in my career. Upon returning to the U.S., I worked on Latin American and Global teams at two different companies, collaborating in Spanish and with individuals worldwide. That move to Spain laid the foundation for my globally minded approach to work and life.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Owen because I knew it was an environment where I would thrive. The smaller class size, around 175 students, creates a close-knit community that you can feel right away. What stood out to me most is the balance in the culture. Everyone is driven and wants to succeed, whether that is in the classroom or in landing great post-MBA roles, but there is also a genuine willingness to support one another. I have experienced that firsthand whether it is helping classmates with homework or preparing for interviews and knowing they would do the same for me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite MBA professor is Dr. Brian McCann. I had the opportunity to take three of his classes during my time at Owen, but I especially enjoyed his Corporate Strategy course. What stands out most about him is how engaging he makes the material while still striking a great balance between lectures and case discussions. He has a way of putting students and himself on the same level and really meeting us where we are. Combined with his realistic expectations and clear desire for us to actually learn, it naturally made students want to put in the effort, which in turn made the learning even more meaningful. He is also incredibly intentional in how he designs the course. Every class session, assignment, and discussion feel thoughtfully structured around clear learning outcomes.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? One of the classes that had the biggest impact on me was Impact Investing taught by Dr. Eric Johnson and Sallie Bailey. We worked directly with an entrepreneur in Nashville from an underserved community and supported them through the process of getting a loan from the Vanderbilt Impact Fund. We stepped into the role of investors by building profit-and-loss statements, looking at market opportunities and developing recommended loan terms. We presented our recommendations to an investment committee, which pushed us to back up our thinking with both financial analysis and a clear understanding of the business. This class made me realize the barriers many small business owners face when it comes to accessing capital, especially in underserved communities. I came out of the class with a better understanding of how small investments can impact a business and a community.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Without a doubt, Vanderbilt football games were my favorite tradition. We had an incredible season my second year, and I made it to almost every home game. I made sure to get the full experience by starting with the Owen tailgates and then heading into the game to cheer on the Dores with my classmates. It was such a fun way to bring everyone together outside of the classroom. Even though we were in grad school, those Saturdays brought back that classic college feeling.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I could do one thing differently, I would have taken advantage of the opportunity to explore classes outside of the business school especially in areas I am personally passionate about, like Spanish. During the MBA, it is easy to stay focused on recruiting, academics, and maximizing the core experience. Looking back, I think there is value in stepping outside of that and investing time in personal interests as well.

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 I worked on was a live case in Strategy Execution with Cracker Barrel. Many of us had not been to a Cracker Barrel in years, so part of the assignment involved going to the restaurant, experiencing it firsthand, and then reading a case about how the company’s market share had been declining. From there, we developed recommendations on what we would execute to help turn things around. On the day our write-up was due, Cracker Barrel executives came to class and shared the initiatives they were already working on and then listened to our ideas. The biggest lesson I learned was how important it is to combine data and analysis with real customer experience when making these types of recommendations. It is easy to rely only on the case material, but actually seeing and experiencing the brand firsthand changed how I thought about the problem and led to more grounded recommendations.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Nashville is a city you can really grow into during and after your MBA. It is a major hub for both entertainment and business, so there is always something going on beyond campus. At the same time, it never feels overwhelming, so you can take advantage of what the city has to offer while still staying focused on school. Over time, it has also felt like a place where you can genuinely see yourself building a life and career, not just spending two years in school.

What business leader do you admire most? One business leader I admire is Mignon Francois, the founder of The Cupcake Collection in Nashville. She built the business from humble beginnings, starting with just $5 and no formal baking or business background, and turned it into a nationally-recognized brand. Even as the business has grown, she has been incredibly involved in the community and uses her platform to give back, mentor others, and create opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. To me, she represents what it looks like to build something meaningful without waiting for perfect conditions and someone who has a lot of resilience.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? AI was integrated in every course I took at Owen but one course that stood out was in Predictive Analytics taught by Dr. Sina Moghadas Khorasani. Instead of just talking about it conceptually, we used data to build models and think through how they could be applied to business solutions. One of my biggest takeaways was how AI fits into all of this. AI can help you build models but it is up to humans to know when to use them and how to interpret them.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is one of my closest friends from business school, Abby Profancik. I know she is someone who will be a lifelong friend. Abby stands out by balancing everything at once. She is incredibly strong academically and is also working on building her own business on the side. On top of that, she took the initiative to start an Owen case competition to help create more case opportunities for our program, which says a lot about her drive and leadership.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I really value international experience. I have worked abroad before, and it was one of the most formative parts of my career. I would love to do that again in a more senior role and continue building a global perspective.

The other is starting my own business. I am drawn to the idea of building something I am passionate about from the ground up. It is something I do not necessarily have all the answers for yet, but it is a long-term goal for me.

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

“I, Laura Wright (Leadership Development Manager), am thrilled to nominate Maree Smith for the Poets and Quants Best and Brightest Class of 2026. Maree walked into Owen with intention. The intention to engage in the community and develop personally and professionally. It has been fun to see her stay true to that throughout her two years in ways authentic to her and provided huge value to Owen and beyond!

Maree is a Special Olympics TN Board Fellow through Owen’s Board Fellow program. She serves as a Recruiting Experience Ambassador where her welcoming, caring, and genuine demeanor helps the students get a sense of Owen and a true feel of the MBA experience. She is a Student Government Senator and an Owen Marketing Association Board Member.

There are two ways in which Maree’s professionalism and ability to build relationships shines. The first being, strategizing and executing our Distinguished Speakers Series. When a Nashville CEO most recently came to Owen for the series they continually looked to Maree in the audience while presenting, which demonstrated to me her ability to quickly build rapport and a relationship with c-suite individuals. She is also one of the One Thousand Ways to Lead podcast hosts. In this role she works with alumni guests to make them feel comfortable and highlight their leadership stories. Here’s the link to the live podcast the hosts did in October. The success of it was largely due to Maree and her leadership!

Regarding her employment, Maree did an internship with Nissan over the summer and will be joining them full-time after graduation as a Nissan Graduate Program Manager in their accelerated rotational program. This program is very selective and a fast track to management.

She is always professional, strategic, thoughtful, and communicative. It is an honor to nominate her and to have watched her shine and grow over the last two years as a student and community member!”

Laura Wright
Manager, Leadership Development Programs
Vanderbilt University, Owen Graduate School of Management

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

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