By Arial Starks
Despite the challenges stemming from the ongoing pandemic, 100% of students in the Vanderbilt MBA Class of 2022 seeking internships earned and participated in them this summer.
Brittnie Cannon
Below, 4 students from the Class of 2022 reflect on their internships and what they learned from their experiences.
Brittnie Cannon, Commercial Rotation Development Summer Associate, Genentech
“I accepted my summer internship at Genentech only knowing a little about marketing and a lot about clinical research. Over the 12 weeks, I developed 3 short videos on the importance of comprehensive biomarker testing for lung cancer patients. The opportunities for learning and collaborating with brilliant minds speaks to the company’s rich culture and work environment. I also had the opportunity to participate in Genentech’s Gives Back program and see firsthand their commitment to patients and the greater community.
I had a phenomenal summer embracing new opportunities, building relationships with a variety of professionals, and becoming a healthcare marketing expert! I’m grateful for the support of Owen alumni throughout the summer and all they had to offer.”
Kristen Westerbeck, Global Operations Intern, Nike
Kristen Westerbeck
“At Vanderbilt, I’m concentrating in Operations with an emphasis in Sustainability & Social Impact. Prior to Owen, I worked as Marketing Director at Jackalope Brewing Company and helped implement a zero-waste program within the brewery and taproom spaces. Through this experience, I learned that I loved operations, sustainability, and the impact that intersection had on customers.
This summer, I worked as a Global Operations Intern for Nike, specifically on the Distribution Center (DC) Operations for Asia Pacific/Latin America team. It was an absolutely incredible experience. My project helped create an efficiency within the supply chain that will save thousands of kilograms of waste, which strategically ties to Nike’s 2025 Impact Goals. In addition to the work, I was backed by a supportive DC Ops team, well-organized internship program leaders, and inspirational speakers. Nike’s culture of winning as a team and celebrating the wins made this the best summer internship. Post-graduation, I’ll be rejoining Nike as a Global Operations Senior Professional, and I can’t wait to join the Nike team full-time in Oregon!”
Vedanti Shah, Investment Banking Summer Associate, Jefferies
Vedanti Shah
“As a generalist investment banking intern at Jefferies this summer, I worked on 6 different live deals and projects throughout my internship. The best part about these opportunities was the dynamic nature of the role I got to experience by being on client meetings from Day 1. I was tasked with various elements of an investment banking associate role across my projects, which included industry research, due diligence on companies, working with various financial models, writing and reviewing regulatory documents, and a lot more. I could see all of my work culminating into actual results for the clients and their companies throughout the deal life. Moreover, working on such a wide range of deals allowed me to understand every stage of the deal process from the beginning till the close.
As someone who came into business school with no financial academic knowledge, I was able to utilize the skill sets I got from my accounting and finance classes at Owen to understand the technical aspects of my role. I utilized my LDP coaching experience to engage with senior leadership at the bank and identify the cultural fit with the teams. It was through this coaching that I was able to identify that Jefferies was culturally the right fit for my career in banking. Jefferies created an environment for me to thrive as an intern and take leadership roles in the teams I worked for. My major learning from the internship was to be okay with making mistakes as long as you are learning from them and constantly be willing to learn. I am grateful for the collaboration, management, technical, and leadership skills that I have learned at both Vanderbilt and Jefferies. They make me feel well-equipped to return to the Industrials Group at Jefferies next year.
Jack Cogan, MBA Global Brand Marketing Intern, Hot Wheels & Matchbox, Mattel
Jack Cogan
“I came to Vanderbilt with 7 years of corporate finance experience working with Goldman Sachs and Viacom in NYC. Outside the office in NYC,
I also took nearly 3 years of improv comedy and sketch comedy writing classes and ultimately realized that my analytical background combined with my creative interests would be a great fit for a career in marketing. I decided to go back to get my MBA at Vanderbilt to gain leadership experiences and skills to make the career shift to brand management working within CPG.
I had 3 projects I worked on throughout my global brand internship with Mattel. The first project I worked on was with the Matchbox product marketing team, where I had to come up with a new product line for the brand to go into and develop a go-to-market plan for the new toy. After researching more about the Matchbox consumer, the industry, and the Matchbox brand DNA, I recommended building a new Ocean Cleanup Ship bath toy concept that would generate $4 million in sales in Year 1 of the launch.
My second project was with the Hot Wheels team, where I had to find a way to make their new remote control product more financially sustainable. I ultimately proposed a new bundle option that included a track set that would achieve higher margins. Finally, the third project was with 5 other MBA interns, where we put together a recommendation for UNO to go into a new consumer product category.”
