Introducing Tepper’s 2019 MBA Student Leadership!
Tepper’s MBA program held elections for the new President and Vice President of the Graduate Business Association (GBA) last month. The GBA, Tepper’s student government body, has the mission to enhance the student experience at Tepper while fostering the program’s unique culture.
As the outgoing GBA VP, it was my final duty to run the elections. I am pleased to introduce Neil Gunn (2019 GBA President) and Natalie Gerber (2019 GBA VP). I interviewed our new leadership on their Tepper experience and vision for the role. Check it out below!
Congrats and thanks for joining me today! For the blog, can you state your name and new GBA role?
- Neil: Neil Gunn. I am the 2019 GBA President
- Natalie: Natalie Gerber, GBA VP.
Where did you grow up?
- Neil: Centreville, Virginia
- Natalie: Indiana, PA – the hometown of Jimmy Stewart and Christmas Tree Capital of the World.
What were you doing prior to Tepper?
- Neil: I was working at Deloitte Consulting, LLP.
- Natalie: I was an Investment Analyst at GE Energy Financial Services.
What are you recruiting for this year?
- Neil: A role in the tech industry
- Natalie: A position in Business Development hopefully with a social impact and/or sustainability focus
What do you hope to improve as a member of the GBA leadership?
- Neil: Cross-class collaboration and a more seamless learning experience alongside recruiting, diversity, and cross-cultural learning activities.
- Natalie: I would love to remove the stereotype that just because Tepper is so quantitatively heavy we can’t offer top-notch candidates in Finance, Marketing, Consulting, etc. We can still maintain our reputation for being strong in academics, but also have a diverse student body.
What is a fun fact about yourself that you’d like the Tepper Blog to know?
- Neil: I was once on Fear Factor Live! [Kelly’s note: we will find this video]
- Natalie: I’ve been in North Korea.
As you know, there is always free food somewhere at Tepper. What is your favorite of the free food options?
- Neil: When someone caters Honeygrow. 🙂
- Natalie: Chipotle makes me a happy camper.
What has been your favorite class so far at Tepper?
- Neil: Corporate Strategy
- Natalie: Finance I
You are the first class in the new Tepper Quad. What is your favorite space in the building?
- Neil: The Master’s Commons. [Kelly’s note: this is where the MBA students study, eat free food, and socialize]
- Natalie: The 5th Floor. [Kelly’s note: this is the quietest space in the building and has great views of the Pittsburgh area – it is all windows!]
One last question, what do you love about the Tepper School?
- Neil: I really love the diverse and welcoming community. Also plaid. [Kelly’s note: the plaid is amazing]
- Natalie: I love how supportive our classmates are – I’ve never been in a setting where everybody is so fully supportive of your achievements!
Congratulations again to Neil and Natalie. I know that you will both be extremely successful in your new roles! The 2018 GBA and I cannot wait to see all you accomplish!
Redwoods Summer Associate at DaVita
Before Tepper, I spent eight years exploring the bakery and fro-yo scene in Boston while working as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, a government agency with the mission to improve the quality of and access to health care while reducing the associated costs. At Tepper, I serve as the Vice President of the Graduate Business Association. I am pursing the Business Analytics Track to gain a better understanding of data and analyses. After class, you can generally find me at Millie's grabbing ice cream or working on a group project with friends somewhere on Walnut Street. Noting how much I love my experience, my partner is joining Tepper as a member of the class of 2020!
Latest posts by Kelly Mercer | MBA 2019 (see all)
- Starting a New Tepper MBA Tradition – 100 Night Party! - February 9, 2019
- Introducing Tepper’s 2019 MBA Student Leadership! - December 5, 2018
- Fall Break: Business Lessons from Paris! - November 1, 2018
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