Kelly Leo isn't only a World Shaper. She's a world connector.

Growing up between the varied worlds of New York and Denver, Kelly became a city girl who loves hiking, running and skiing. In her career, she connected her engineering education to sales and marketing as a product manager. "I am enthusiastic about balancing technical/analytical skills with people/creative skills," she says, "because it enables me to link customers, engineers and sales/marketing forces effectively."

Having worked for two large corporations, Staples and Equifax, Kelly aspires to be an executive at a top organization. She chose Owen as the ideal place to build a solid foundation in finance and strategy while extending her career in marketing. She's even balancing business school and marriage. Her husband, Keith Whitman — they met as Vanderbilt undergrads — is also part of the MBA Class of 2011.

Adjusting to different surroundings as a child made her open to new places and challenges. With Owen colleagues, she studied business in Brazil and was one of the primary organizers for a student trip to Japan. She also took a leadership role in Owen Bridges, which strengthens bonds between U.S. and international students and, Kelly says, "expanded my education beyond the classroom." It's just one example, she adds, of how "connections here have provided opportunities that I never would have imagined."

As president of the Vanderbilt Marketing Association, Kelly also connected prospective and current students to each other and to alumni. "At Owen, we are empowered to pave the way for future generations of students," she says. "It is a rare and welcomed opportunity."