After earning her undergraduate degree in business at Wake Forest University, Francesca Winkler joined the international business and IT consulting firm CGI. Her work took her to 5 states before she returned to her hometown in 2021. “Like many people during the pandemic, I assessed my life and thought about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be,” she recalls. “I chose to move back to Nashville, and I knew I wanted to earn an MBA.”

Vanderbilt became her top choice because of its Global Immersion program. “I didn’t get to study abroad as an undergraduate, but in my IT career, I regularly work with global teams,” she says. “At Vanderbilt, I had the opportunity to work and study with classmates from across the Americas.”

Francesca also appreciated Vanderbilt traditions that let classmates connect, starting with the program kickoff in New Harmony, Indiana. “Your first week of business school is in a town that failed at being a socialist utopia—not once, but twice!” she laughs. “I loved karaoke night and being able to walk the streets while getting to know my C-team.”

She continued to form strong bonds with her classmates and international MBA students at cohort dinners in Vancouver, São Paulo, and Mexico City. “I learned a lot from our international capstone project, helping a Mexican retailer with their private-label strategy,” she says. “The need to rely on our Mexican teammates for their client relationships and knowledge of Spanish helped me understand how to use my leadership skills in situations where I can’t do or be it all.”

Francesca’s class in organizational behavior also changed her perspectives on leadership and management. “I was able to think about team behavior and leadership in ways I could immediately apply to my project team at CGI,” she says. “And my strategy classes taught me to step back and think about how things fit into the bigger picture at work.”

Francesca found that working with her C-team improved her teamwork and communication skills. “I learned to trust my team when I needed to,” she says. “There were times when I was busy and needed to rely on others to carry more of an assignment, and times when other members were busy, and I carried more of the load. Communication was a huge key.”

The program’s flexible schedule made juggling her full-time job and classwork manageable. “The balance of Saturday classes during my first year and international residencies during my second year gave me the confidence and ability to tackle this program,” she says. “Outside of the residencies and the first week in New Harmony, I did not have to take time off from work—I could do my classwork in the early mornings, nights, and weekends as needed. Each semester, I found a different need and a new way to balance my work and classwork.”

The Nashville Technology Council named her Project Manager of the Year for 2023 in recognition of a volunteer project she led while preparing for her international residency in Vancouver. “I was proud of that award as a testament to the strength of balancing work and school,” she said. “My time at Vanderbilt also improved my persuasive writing skills, so I could make my answers shine for the judging panel!”

Fun Fact: Francesca took classes in stand-up comedy improv at Third Coast Comedy in Nashville to improve her presentation and leadership skills.

I have gained confidence in my ability to lead and new skills and ways of thinking I can apply wherever my professional life takes me.