“I am a passionate person and always seek growth through challenge and exposure to the unknown.”
home town: san juan, puerto rico
Interesting facts about yourself: When Snapchat launched in 2011, I opened an account with the following username: Party snap. As the app became more popular, we received multiple offers to purchase usernames. I didn’t accept (out of pride).
Faculty and degree: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Where was the last place you worked before attending business school? Data Science Supervisor, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Where did you intern in the summer of 2023? MEET – Tomorrow’s Middle East Entrepreneurs, Jerusalem, Israel
Where do you plan to work after graduation? decided
Community activities and leadership roles in business schools:
Class Committee
Fulbright Scholar
What academic or extracurricular accomplishment are you most proud of during your time in business school? The thing I am most proud of is serving as class president for the second semester of my MBA. We worked with other classroom teachers and IMBA program administrators to implement multiple initiatives to incorporate student feedback into the learning environment. We are proud of the environment we create together, where every idea is considered. Additionally, we continued to improve IE’s (already excellent) International MBA program in a number of ways. For example, we implemented a proposal to allow students to choose their own workgroups during an intensive period to facilitate learning from the process and its results. My leadership role in all of this has given me the opportunity to influence others by acting on change.
What is your proudest accomplishment in your professional career? After completing my bachelor’s degree at MIT, I made the unconventional decision to return to Puerto Rico despite financial hardship. I wanted to contribute to the development of the island. I started working in the technology department of Banco Popular, the main financial institution on the island. The mission was to demonstrate the impact that data science and AI technologies can have within a company. Just two years later, I was promoted to supervisor of the newly created AI unit. This is not common for someone my age. In fact, I was one of the youngest leaders in the organization. I am especially proud of this because it not only reflected in my performance, but also opened the door for other young talents working in the technology industry to return to Puerto Rico. It also meant bridging the gap between female leaders in both technology and banking.
Why did you choose this business school? I chose to attend IE Business School because of the diversity of the students. Coming from an engineering-focused faculty in the United States with primarily domestic students, I was inspired by IE’s diversity of cultural and professional backgrounds. Because my career path requires self-awareness, empathy, and humility when working with others, such diversity is essential to my growth journey as a transformational business leader. I know there is.
Who was your favorite MBA professor? Business strategy professor Jorge Fernández Vidal was my favorite. He not only has a rich academic background, but is also highly regarded as an expert. He has an active teaching style that encourages students to think critically during case discussions. As the course progresses, we will ask questions that will help us approach the case in a holistic way. By the end of the course, you will have a complete framework that you can use to approach any business strategy situation.
But it was in our conversations outside of class that I came to respect Professor Jorge Fernández Vidal. He says that when looking for professional work opportunities, above all other factors, it is most important to look for a team of people who are not only good at what they do, but also good people. I did. I used to think of highly successful people, especially men, as primarily performance-oriented. Through this conversation and his advice, I identified with his humanity and our shared values. Now I look at the big picture and similarly model my own idea of who I want to be professionally.
What is your favorite course as an MBA? Business, Government, and Sustainability was my favorite course in the program because it forced me to question my own values and principles. This course focuses on the analysis of corporate market and non-market strategies considering political and social pressures. Professor Benjamin Barber challenged every position we took during class and forced us to analyze and evaluate our own beliefs and concepts. Importantly, these ultimately influence our decisions as business leaders. This course also motivated me to focus on my sustainability degree and further develop my skills in managing non-market business environments through successful integrated corporate strategies.
Looking back on your MBA experience, what is one thing you did differently and why? What should I change? I invited all my professors to a coffee chat. At IE, most of our professors are leaders in their respective industries, have extensive experience, and actively support students’ professional discovery. This is a unique opportunity to gain insight into the market and feedback on the pathways we are designing ourselves.
What surprised you most about business school? What surprised me the most was how sociable and approachable people at business school were, despite their accomplishments and qualifications. At IE, no one takes themselves too seriously. We tried to be friends and have lots of fun.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I’m going to ignore the premise of the question and answer like a typical MBA student. To single out her as only one classmate does not do justice to the pivotal role that people have played in my girlfriend’s MBA experience. One of my core teammate girlfriends, Marcela Mesa, is a really empathetic and thoughtful person. While we worked together, she was always kind and helpful in helping me develop my empathy through positive feedback and coaching. Fernando Pelaez is also one of my main teammates, and he is an analytical and critical thinker who pushes everyone to think beyond the obvious and natural conclusions. Moreover, he will do it in a graceful manner and inspire those around him to pursue excellence. Finally, my class representative, Cristóbal Arendsen, is a purposeful and energetic leader who welcomes challenges with a positive attitude and is always looking for ways to step out of his comfort zone. While I was class representative, his example inspired me to get things done, to see even the most difficult situations through a positive lens, and to always focus on opportunities for learning and growth. became. I am lucky to share this experience with them and many other colleagues and friends.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? First, I want to take the plunge and build something that is my own, intentional and purposeful. Second, I would like to return to Puerto Rico and contribute to expanding and strengthening the technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
What makes Erica such a valuable addition to the Class of 2024?
“Erica is one of the most intelligent students I have taught over the past 10 years.Her kind and gentle exterior hides an amazing analytical ability. She adds a lot of value to class discussions by getting to the heart of the matter. She handles complexity with grace and is able to convey complex ideas in a reasoned and effective manner.
Outside of class, she is very thoughtful about her career, the impact she wants to have, and the environment she wants to be a part of. I think any company would be lucky to have her. Additionally, she has extensive experience with AI, even before her AI existed. ”
Jorge Fernandez Vidal
Adjunct Professor of Strategic Studies
IE Business School
