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Learn More About Thunderbird

Learn More About Thunderbird

Karla Meza '10, Mexico
“An economic crisis like the one we have been experiencing since 2008 is proof that we are living in an integrated world. As executives, we have to be conscious and prepared to live in this new arrangement and contribute to make it better.”


Karla Meza '10

It’s not a coincidence that the words “strategic” and “planning” are part of Karla Meza’s current title with PepsiCo.

The 30-year-old Mexican native, who began her career with PepsiCo in its Mexican snacks division as a financial analyst over five years ago, is already strategically planning her next career move within the company. And Thunderbird’s Distance Learning Global MBA for Latin American Managers program (offered jointly with Tecnológico de Monterrey) is part of the plan.

“I have already been in PepsiCo’s finance area and now am in the sales area,” says Meza. In her current role as a strategic sales planning manager, she is responsible for sales analysis, annual budget development, quarterly forecasts, and trend and performance analysis of the company’s portfolio.

“My next goal is to move on to operations to round out my understanding of the business,” she says. “Ultimately, I want to return to financial planning with comprehensive knowledge of the company, allowing me to make strategic and value-added decisions.”

Her Thunderbird education, Meza notes, is already paving the way. In a current project, she is developing discount programs and promotional activities for the supermarkets segment. “I apply Thunderbird knowledge almost every day,” explains Meza, indicating that her expanded global mindset helps her with everything – from writing memos to negotiating daily with her boss, peers and internal customers. “Classes like accounting have also been helpful to better understand the function of the company and better manage my work relationships.”

Meza says her interim trip to Japan, a one-week, on-site study opportunity offered through the program, has been one of the most memorable experiences to date. “It was wonderful learning about one of the most powerful economies of the world,” explains Meza. “Seeing a country as small as Japan, with no natural resources, that has based its growth on its people and knowledge was fascinating. It changes the perspective that wealth is beyond physical resources.”

Overall, Meza says Thunderbird has changed the way she thinks about the world. “When I thought about it before, most of the time, I thought about the global world in terms of trade or economics. But now I know that it’s also about people and cultures and how they impact the interaction in this global world.”