Louisa Brody
Gabelli School of Business, Fordham University
Age: 37
“Strategic, trustworthy, creative book publishing professional who loves a challenge and new adventures.”
Hometown: New York City, NY
Family Members: Arlene Brody (mother), Francesca Brody and Gabby Brody (sisters), Brett Shields and Will Flohr (brothers-in-law), Ruby (niece), and an incredibly supportive extended family.
Fun fact about yourself: I’m a two-time winner of my office’s holiday cookie bake-off.
Undergraduate School and Degree: B.A. in Leadership Studies and History, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond (2009)
Where are you currently working? Senior Manager, Client Relations at Two Rivers Distribution, Ingram Content Group
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:
* Academic Area Award, Statistics and Strategy
* Gabelli Executive Leadership, Founding Member: Along with three of my classmates, I co-founded the Gabelli School’s Executive Leadership club, which seeks to represent the needs and interests of students in the Executive MBA program as well as other students already established in their careers. We wanted to ensure that EMBA students’ presence is felt on campus and our voices are heard, even if we’re only on campus one weekend per month. We also recognize that EMBA students have a lot to offer students in other programs and wanted to create an avenue for more senior students to give back to the Gabelli School community.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of my cohort’s work in our Capstone project. We traveled to Seoul, South Korea to work with a chemical manufacturing and green energy company. Our cohort was divided into four groups, each of which consulted for a different department within the company. Throughout the semester, we worked closely with our mentors at the company, conducted exhaustive research, and became experts in a topic and industry that was previously unknown to most of us. Once in Seoul, we spent an afternoon at the company’s headquarters and presented our research and recommendations to the company’s Board of Directors. This project stretched me to approach a problem from multiple angles, thoroughly research a foreign topic, and think critically about complex issues, giving me the confidence to approach complicated challenges in the future. I was so proud of how well my group, and our whole cohort, came together for this project and how well we represented the Gabelli School.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Over the last several years, I’ve had the privilege to work directly with several start-up publishers, each with unique visions for their programs, paths to market, strengths, and value propositions. In my role, I’ve worked with each client to integrate them into my company’s portfolio, advocate for them across my organization, and ensure a smooth transition that makes all parties comfortable and prepared for success. To do so, I’ve had to earn and maintain my clients’ trust, work with internal stakeholders, and oversee complex issues. This work has pulled from several of the skills and strengths that I’ve honed in business school: communicating clearly and effectively, building coalitions and consensus, and thinking strategically.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? Both my mom and sister attended Fordham Law School, so Fordham had always appealed to me. I also knew that I wanted to attend business school in New York City.
Beyond that, I was immediately drawn to the Gabelli School’s focus on leadership and management. I knew that honing these skills would benefit me no matter where I choose to take my career. The Gabelli School, and all of Fordham, also prides itself on a commitment to ethics and social responsibility. I appreciate that the School seeks to develop leaders who will not only do well, but also do good. Most of all, the program’s cohort-based approach appealed to me. When I visited campus as a prospective student, I observed how much the students worked together and learned from one another, and knew instantly that I’d feel at home in the Gabelli School’s classrooms.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? My MBA curriculum made me a more critical, strategic thinker and gave me a background in business that will benefit me at every stage of my career. However, some of the greatest lessons I learned during my coursework were those that I learned about myself and my leadership style.
One of our courses, Personal Leadership Development” taught by Robert Hurley, Ph.D., presented us with the opportunity to take the Hogan Personality Inventory and to learn how to interpret our results. I learned so much about myself as a leader, a teammate, and a person as a result of the work we did in this course. It helped me to recognize my strengths and appreciate how they’ve led to my successes and encouraged me to reckon with personality traits that I need to be mindful of in order to be most productive and happiest at work.
One of the best parts of an EMBA program is that the lessons learned in class over the weekend can be applied at work during the week, and this couldn’t have been truer in this case. The Monday after this course weekend, I began to implement new practices that have helped me be a better contributor and leader.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? Finding balance and managing work and education was the hardest part of my MBA journey. Staying organized, avoiding procrastination, and relying on my calendar was critical to my ability to balance competing demands.
Working together with my classmates also was critical to my ability to get everything done. As many of our assignments were group projects, I’d coordinate with team members to divide up work in a way that fit each other’s schedules. Because we were all in the same position, I always found that my teammates were willing to step up when I was overextended, just as I would do the same for them when the tables were reversed.
Study groups were also critical to helping me manage my time. Studying as a group forced me to calendarize my schoolwork. Because each member of the class came from different educational and professional backgrounds, we had different strengths and were able to support one another.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Whatever you’re doing, be present in that moment. When juggling the demands of a career, school, and personal obligations, it is easy to multitask and get distracted. You’ll bring your best self to each aspect of your life if you are able to focus on one thing at a time, and you’ll take the most from every experience if you aren’t dividing your attention. Ultimately, I found I worked most effectively and efficiently when I avoided being pulled in multiple directions at once. Brody, Fordham
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Without a doubt, the best part of my MBA experience was the caliber of my classmates. I admire every person in our cohort and greatly appreciate the unique backgrounds, industries, and experiences that each student brought to the classroom. I learned something from each person in my cohort, and respect each person tremendously.
One classmate who stands out is Bruno Bignozzi. Bruno brings tremendous passion to everything he does, and I’ve known few people who so fully commit themselves to personal growth and continuous improvement. Bruno also moved to the United States from Brazil after University, and I’m blown away by anyone who can complete a rigorous business school curriculum in a second language.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I knew an in-person program would offer the best opportunity to connect with my classmates and professors. An executive program also provided the ability to learn alongside other seasoned professionals, and the weekend structure offered both the flexibility I needed as well as an immersive experience.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Ultimately, I want to continue growing and learning at every stage of my career. I don’t know exactly where I want that to take me yet, but if I’m continually challenged and positively impact on each team I’m a part of and every client I work with, I’ll be proud of my career. I know that my Gabelli School education has given me the tools to do that.
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