By Miriam Rixon
Ten years ago, Stephanie Verheyen stood at a professional crossroads that would eventually take her from a clinical setting in the U.S. to the high-stakes world of global brand experiences in Dubai.
Having graduated from Wake Forest University as a pre-med psychology student, she initially followed a traditional trajectory into a family medical practice. However, within a year of working in the clinical environment, she realized her professional interests were shifting away from medicine and toward the complex psychology of consumer engagement.
Stephanie Verheyen ’17
“What am I doing?” she recalled thinking at the time. “This isn’t what I’m interested in.”
This realization coincided with a pivotal moment for the Owen Graduate School of Management. In 2015, Vanderbilt was preparing to launch its inaugural Master of Marketing (MMark) class.For Stephanie, the discovery of the program was a case of perfect timing. “It honestly was an amazing coincidence that just a few days later I got this email from Vanderbilt about this new Master of Marketing program,” she said.
The first MMark class was intentionally small, consisting of just 17 students. This intimate environment provided the high-touch support and personalized curriculum necessary for a career changer transitioning from a science-heavy background into the marketing sector. This allowed Stephanie to build a bridge between her understanding of human behavior and the strategic needs of the business world.
“There was really a chance to shape the program into whatever I needed it to be,” Stephanie explained. “For someone with no marketing background, that was really important.”
Today, Stephanie operates at the intersection of strategy and execution as a global senior event producer at George P. Johnson (GPJ) in Dubai. In this role, she coordinates complex, high-fidelity experiences that bridge the gap between global brands and their target audiences. The Dubai market demands a sophisticated approach to experiential marketing, particularly when representing some of the world’s largest technology firms.
“Our agency has a lot of tech clients. So you know, some of the big names: IBM, Google, Cisco, Salesforce,” Stephanie noted. Her work involves translating high-level brand identities into physical touchpoints that resonate across the globe.
Despite the scale of her current projects, Stephanie remains grounded in the core marketing principles she developed during her time at Owen. Specifically, she cites Professor Steve Posavac’s “Creating a Marketing Plan” class as a cornerstone of her current professional methodology.
In the world of global event production, maintaining brand equity and messaging consistency across borders is a constant challenge.
“We have client accounts on a global level and we have to constantly make sure that what they’re doing in the Middle East and Africa region is consistent with what they are doing in Europe,” she said. “It’s been really helpful to have the perspective that I got from those foundational marketing techniques at Owen.”