After climbing the ranks at Intel for seven years, Tania Wilson MBA’24 found herself at a career crossroads. Despite her impressive trajectory from technician to process engineer and product manager, Wilson noticed a common thread among those advancing to leadership positions.
“I noticed that everyone I was networking with had an MBA,” she says. “They all had the ability to articulate complex ideas and command a room during presentations, skills they had honed during their in-person MBA programs.”
On her manager’s recommendation, Wilson discovered Willamette’s MBA for Professionals program. The part-time program was a perfect match for her demanding schedule. The program’s evening classes in downtown Portland coupled with the conveniences like provided meals, allowed Wilson to continue her full-time role at Intel while advancing her education.
The investment paid dividends almost immediately. Shortly after completing her degree last August, Wilson secured a promotion that placed her at the helm of one of Intel’s artificial intelligence initiatives.
“As the Gaudi Product Manager, I lead development on a new product called AI accelerator cards, which speed up machine learning systems,” Wilson explains. This new role positions Wilson on the front lines of new technology that will make AI more accessible, efficient, and cost-effective across industries.
“My Willamette MBA was instrumental in landing that promotion,” said Wilson. “They wanted somebody who could bring in new perspectives on effective presentations, marketing ideas, and the latest tools for data management.”
Wilson credits Kawika Pierson’s courses transforming her approach to corporate finance to be more strategic. Marketing courses with Jane Machin pushed her to think critically about product positioning and communication. “I can connect the dots between our usual practices at Intel and the information from my courses,” she says.
Perhaps most valuable for Wilson was the diverse cohort of professionals from varied sectors which challenged Wilson’s tech-centric viewpoint. “I didn't realize how immersed I’d become in tech industry jargon of the tech sector, so seeing challenges through different lenses was always eye-opening,” she says.
Now equipped with both technical expertise and business and management acumen, Wilson stands positioned to continue to drive innovation and maintain competitive advantage in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace.
