Kirsten Tenney Bush
University of Florida, Warrington College of Business
Age: 32
“Adaptable optimist who takes initiative to own challenges that others ignore.”
Hometown: Native to Indianapolis, Indiana. New to the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Family Members: Wife to Weston. Daughter to Kathy & Scott. Sister to four siblings (middle of five). Aunt to 4 nieces and nephews.
Fun fact about yourself: I’ve lived in 8 states: Texas, Colorado, California, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Utah, Indiana, and Florida.
Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Brigham Young University (BYU)
Where are you currently working? While pursuing my MBA, I served as Director of Marketing Operations at Cause Inspired, a leading digital marketing agency. During that time, I restructured my department, standardized processes, and implemented data practices that empowered data-driven decision making. This increased my department’s revenue by 76% and profit margin by 200%.
Recently, I relocated to Southern California to support my partner’s exciting career opportunity. I’m eager to leverage my experience and the knowledge gained from the UF MBA program to pursue new marketing and brand management challenges in this dynamic market.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:
- Cohort Representative—elected by 39 peers to liaise between students and program administration.
- BYU President’s Leadership Council Scholarship Recipient
- The Out Foundation Volunteer Marketing Director
- Women’s Giving Alliance Member
- Hobbies: DIY Home Renovations, Cooking, Eating, Reading, Movies, Dog Parks, Beach, Travel
- Nerdy Joys: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons, Fantasy Series, Disney, Zelda
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of earning a reputation for my ability to efficiently create beautiful, impactful presentations. During business school, I honed my skill of organizing complex information into clear, visually appealing formats. This skill proved invaluable for my team, as our presentations won extra credit through peer voting, multiple times throughout the program.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am extremely proud of my legacy as a leader at Cause Inspired. I couldn’t pick one, so here are the two achievements I’m most proud of:
- I led by example to build a culture that celebrated learning and feedback. This helped increase employee engagement by 8% and retention by 15%.
- I established data practices to track sales and cancellations by product, department, and team member. This revolutionized how the leadership team made decisions on hiring, professional development, and innovation.
I am honored to have laid a strong foundation for future growth, and I cannot wait to see them continue to grow and thrive from afar.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? That prize has to go to Dr. David Ross, who taught Global Strategic Management. I was challenged and learned the most from his case projects and discussions. I put more into preparing for his cases than any other class. Yet every time, he brought new perspectives and strategies to data-driven competitive analyses.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? When I started exploring MBA programs, I knew I wanted a top-ranked program with a great reputation and an extensive alumni network. I chose University of Florida because it hits those marks, was competitively priced, and was conveniently located just a couple hours away.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? The boundaries became dynamic between work, family, and school. I took MBA team calls from islands and ski resorts. On campus, I stepped out of class to watch my brother-in-law’s Air Force Enlistment Ceremony. In such a balancing act, everything has to win and lose sometimes. I was fortunate to have an understanding and supportive family, work team, and MBA team along the way.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Be prepared for intense commitment. This program will push you professionally and personally. However, in the long-term, the rewards will outweigh the sacrifices–in terms of knowledge, network, and career advancement. Ensure strong support from your family and employer. Their understanding will be essential for your success.
What was your biggest regret in business school? There are plenty of things I would do differently if I had a time machine. Because my prototypes have yet to work, I’ll say that overall I’m very pleased with and proud of my MBA experience.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I love and admire many classmates, so this is a hard one. I’ll highlight my teammate, Jillianne West. Her incredible work ethic and disciplined approach to learning were truly inspiring. Jillianne consistently reminded me of our ultimate goal: to become better business leaders. On top of that, her humor and positivity made even the toughest times more manageable.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I chose the Executive MBA format to prioritize in-person learning and build relationships with seasoned leaders as peers.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? In the next chapter of my career, I aspire to become a marketing leader at a Fortune 500 company. I’m thrilled by the idea of working with a well-established brand, learning from their best practices, and having an impact on their growth.
Looking even further ahead, my ultimate dream is to start and grow a business of my own.
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