Smith Profiles
Alumni Profile
Inspired to Shine: An Entrepreneurial Journey
Laura Benkowski, Undergraduate ’11, MBA ’14
Over the years, Laura Benkowski’s entrepreneurial spirit has taken her all over the world, even to the site of a closed gem mine in Arizona.
Alumni Profile
Advocating for Others from a Global Perspective
Ansa Edim, MBA '16
Intercultural empathy is the ability to perceive the world as it is perceived by a culture different from your own. For Ansa Edim, MBA '16, vice president and staff board chair at Change.org, a global mindset is just that.
Alumni Profile
Changing Perceptions in the Global Economy
Ja’Nel Edens, MBA '18
Perception is how we view, understand, and interpret the things around us. For international trade specialist, Ja’Nel Edens, a global mindset starts with changing your perception and thinking of yourself not just as a citizen of your nation, but as a global citizen.
Student Profile
Saying ‘Oui!’ To Amazon in Paris
Blanka Thibaud , Flex MBA
Blanka Thibaud was ready for a change.
She’d been working as an economist, but had an eye on a career in commercial real estate development.
Alumni Profile
Developing a Cultural Consciousness is Not a Choice
Zeynep Kantur Ozenci, MS Finance
Business is now more global than ever, challenging us to expand our understanding of other cultures and develop deeper cultural knowledge.
Alumni Profile
Connecting Across Continents and Finding Solutions
Ed Novak divides much of his time between Boston and the Washington, D.C., area, but his professional reach is global.
As managing director and partner at Vistra, an international business services provider, he’s in constant contact with clients and colleagues worldwide.
Alumni Profile
A Global Journey That Opens Doors
Iris Lan, MBA ’20
Sometimes, it’s a journey halfway around the world that opens doors all the way back home.
Iris Lan, MBA ’20, says that’s what happened for her when she left China to pursue an MBA at Maryland Smith.
Faculty Profile
Meet Neta Moye, Executive Director of Maryland Smith’s Office of Career Services
Maryland Smith’s Neta Moye says her career path hasn’t exactly been linear, but it has had what she calls her “red thread” running through it, connecting her experiences together, like the ancient Chinese legend of an invisible thread intertwining fate.
Alumni Profile
Leading with Self-Awareness and An Open Mind
Chris Steadley, MBA ’12
Chris Steadley, MBA ’12, has consistently used his global mindset in his eight-plus years at advisory and research services firm Gartner. His current role as a senior partner in consulting includes managing business in the Midwest region of the U.S.
Alumni Profile
Reading Minds: Part Magic, Part Business Acumen
Max Major '05 can read your mind. It's a passion he parlayed into the only career he ever really considered. While at Maryland Smith, he honed his entrepreneurial skills to build a business as a renowned mentalist.