Agatha “Aggie” Howland
University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin School of Business
MBA Graduation Year: 2019
Specialization: Brand and Product Management
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Internship: Marketing Management Intern; Intuit, Inc.; Mountain View, California
Position: Marketing Manager; Intuit, Inc.; Mountain View, California
To really dive into marketing, I wanted a specialized program to get targeted coursework and experience. My MBA, with a marketing specialization, tells employers I am serious about, and well prepared for, strategic marketing positions. Plus, I can market myself with or without the specialization. If I want to move out of marketing later in my career, I still have a general MBA for optimum flexibility.
Wisconsin offers incredible alumni support. I sent out several emails to alumni of the Center for Brand and Project Management for guidance when I was considering what industry I wanted to work in—and got responses from each one. All were very willing to help me navigate the program to be sure I was getting the most from my MBA experience. In the program, I had an alumni buddy who always made our time a priority and provided essential advice—whether it was class choices, interview strategy for a specific company, or how to succeed at my internship. The advice certainly helped, since I got the internship I wanted at Intuit and was hired to start there as an in-house marketing manager after graduation.
Small class sizes with outstanding professors at Wisconsin provide an ideal learning environment. I particularly learned a lot in Marketing Management with Jan Heide, Strategy with Hart Posen, Negotiations with Charlie Trevor, and Supply Chain Management with Greg DeCroix. These faculty members are brilliant in their fields. They know how to manage a classroom and strike a balance between lecture and experiential learning. I am already applying lessons from these classes in my dream job at Intuit.
In addition to experiential learning with professors, the Center for Brand and Product Management brings in board members, alumni, and recruiting partners to teach classes. Scott Cook, founder of Intuit, presents an experiential learning session for the brand center every fall. The opportunity to learn from and engage with a leader of his caliber is unparalleled. I will use the principles from Scott’s experiential learning throughout my career, especially what I learned about the lean startup method, falling in love with customer problems, and testing and iterating new ideas.
I can market myself with or without the specialization. If I want to move out of marketing later in my career, I still have a general MBA for optimum flexibility.
—Aggie Howland
I have built friendships and professional connections that I will keep forever, which is a reflection of the people here. This culture embodies the kind of workplace I aspire to be part of—one that fosters learning and is full of smart, authentic people who support each other to win together. I am so grateful to Wisconsin not only for my education, but for allowing me the opportunity to build professional and personal relationships that will last a lifetime.