Next Generation of Business Leaders
Simone Blint-Bruni
bba '23 | Management and HR, Marketing
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Embarking on a People-Centered Tech Career
Simone Blint-Bruni has always had a passion for people.
She’s naturally curious about what makes them tick. She even considered studying psychology for this reason, but ultimately found her fit at the Wisconsin School of Business with a double major in marketing, and management and human resources.
“With marketing, you get the ability to explore why people do what they do, why people like what they like, and how to influence their behavior,” Simone says, “while with management, you get to learn how to work with people in a way that brings their strengths out.”
“I want to find spaces within my workplace that I can make a difference for the people that I work with, really keeping that focus on those around me and helping them grow.”
As a member of the Student Leadership Program, Simone has been able to learn more about people, particularly how they work in relation to one another. In addition to taking on a variety of roles with the organization—from helping implement diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices to running a campus-wide leadership conference—Simone has gained new insights on what it means to be a leader.
“Leadership a lot of times is associated with the title—being a manager, having a committee, whatever it is,” Simone says. “But what I’ve learned throughout college is that you can be a leader without necessarily having that title associated with it. Part of that is knowing how to work with people, knowing how to bring out people’s strengths. And part of that is learning that sometimes it’s okay to sit back and let someone else take charge too, and doing what’s best for the group that you’re a part of.”
For Simone, leadership isn’t about having a specific title but rather bringing out others’ strengths and doing what’s best for the group.
Simone interned at Deloitte in tech consulting in 2022 and will return to the company full time after graduation.
In the summer of 2022, Simone had the opportunity to exercise some of her leadership skills as a tech consulting intern at Deloitte in Chicago. She has already accepted an offer to return there in a full-time position after graduation. Admitting she isn’t “100% sure what I want to be when I grow up yet,” Simone is looking forward to being able to explore industries, companies, and technologies in her new role, as well as continue learning.
“You can be a leader without necessarily having that title associated with it.”
“I know a lot of what I’m going to be working on will be new to me,” she says. “When I’m starting out, it’ll be about being open and being willing to take feedback and learn new things—and then when the time comes, being also confident enough to take on the responsibilities that are handed to me.”
While Simone isn’t quite sure what the long-term future holds, one thing is certain: People will remain in the center of everything she does.
“I want to find spaces within my workplace that I can make a difference for the people that I work with, really keeping that focus on those around me and helping them grow.”
“My mom really drilled into me when I was growing up that if you want something, you also have to make it happen,” Simone says.
What are some of your hobbies?
Running and being active, spending time with friends and family, and reading.
What are your biggest values?
Dedication and determination. A lot of things in life are challenging, and so taking those on head up and chin up and being ready to take on whatever comes.
Who inspires you?
My mom. She earned a painting degree and worked her way up as a graphic designer, and now she works as a creative director at a major company. She did all of that as a single parent. She never stopped pushing for more, and that's what instilled that sense of determination in me.