Raquel Baez
OneMBA Class of 2006, UNC
Fruit of the Loom, USA
Director of Corporate Social Responsibility
Why earn an MBA?
“I decided to pursue an MBA after reaching a point in my career where I felt the need to conduct business with a higher degree of sophistication. In an extremely competitive global environment, it is no longer acceptable to just do a good job—you need to strive for the best.”
Why OneMBA?
“I looked for a global MBA program from a top-tier school. Since I paid for the education myself, I needed a good value and a format that would allow me to continue my career and keep up with my demanding travel schedule. OneMBA met all my criteria. I believe that pursuing this MBA has been one of the best decisions of my adult life.”
Career Impact
- Global teamwork: “Although I had extensive experience working in cross-cultural teams before OneMBA, I was usually in the position of power. My OneMBA teammates were my peers—professionals in similar or higher stages in their careers. I learned to more effectively manage a team representing different cultures and drive results in an increasingly challenging global environment.”
- Real world application: “During the OneMBA Asia residency, we explored how the Chinese culture influences the purchasing behavior of China’s emerging middleclass consumers. I used these insights to identify opportunities to improve our approach for entering this important market.”
- Leadership: ““The greatest learning I gained from OneMBA was how to be a more effective leader. While learning business theory, we also worked on building the skills necessary to create actionable strategies, communicate ideas, and motivate others.””
- Entrepreneurship: “OneMBA gave me the resources — the business tools and the soft skills — to do my job in a more relevant, more efficient way. After I graduated, I started a small consulting company, The Riverstone Group LLC, in addition to my corporate job. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit – but the MBA experience gave me the confidence and tools to dream bigger.”