Ana María Aldana
Ana Maria is a passionate Marketer and Researcher. Her curiosity for better understanding human behavior took her to IE. By the time she joined the program, she had 10 years of work experience at CPGS (Colgate and Beiersdorf) and didn’t realize how much more she had left to learn. She has worked with more than 31 different nationalities, not only through the MRCB program, but also in her professional career after completing the master. She joined Nielsen and moved to France, where she is leading the Marketing Mix Modelling Programs for Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. She also collaborates with research projects for one of the biggest seeds producers in Thailand and has lead projects in India, Myanmar, Germany, France, and the United States.
In her free time, she enjoys reading and giving back to her community in Latin America through a digital platform she founded to raise awareness in women empowerment and mental health.
"Be prepared to a new version of yourself. The uniqueness of IE’s diversity and professional network will take you places."
Q&A WITH ANA MARIA
Define your experience in MRCB in one word.
Life-changing
In what ways do you think the program has changed your life professionally and personally?
Undoubtedly, I became a new version of myself after going to IE. Having had the opportunity to work with so many nationalities, it was an eye-opener and I learned endless ways to approach things in life, professionally and personally. It accelerated my interest to continue learning.
What was your favorite memory from your experience?
The friends I made at IE are of the greatest memories and gifts I got. I had the chance to work with some of them, to meet in other countries, and continue sharing experiences with them.
Why did you choose to study this program at IE?
I couldn’t find any other program like the MRCB, where you could learn about human and consumer psychology at such a deep level. It was well designed with the right mix of elements that you can later put it into real business practice. I was able to combine my previous experience in Marketing with Research and Psychology.
What were some of the main challenges that you encountered on your way? How did your master program and IE help you through these challenges?
My main challenge was to make a change to my professional career and move from being a marketer into the research and psychology side. I was able to do seamlessly transition, largely in part thanks to pursuing the MRCB: first, by the program itself and the value it added to my professional curriculum; and second, through the network I could access. During the program, I was able to join ESOMAR (a global organization for market, social, and opinion researchers) as a student volunteer where I attended an annual congress in New York, and was able to connect with industry leaders and started building my professional network.
What is networking like in MRCB?
Opportunities in building a strong network are some of the greatest wins to come to IE. Starting from your own classmates to the speakers that come to IE events. This network has opened me to many opportunities for collaboration and advice. There are plenty of opportunities to connect and get to know people around the world.