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Tessa Garcia-Collart '07
Honduras
“The Thunderbird GMBA was a perfect fit; it combined the focus of international business I sought, with a solid ranking as the No. 1 school in international management.”


Tessa Garcia-Collart '07

The two Stanley measuring tapes that rest in a wooden box on Tessa Garcia-Collart’s desk have special meaning.

They weren’t products she developed – something she’s done many times as a product line manager for Stanley Tools. Rather, they were her grandfather’s, a Honduran construction worker – a gift given to her by her own father when she was hired by The Stanley Works in 2005.

“They give the job a lot more sense,” explains Garcia-Collart who just can’t get enough of her fast-paced Miami, Fla.-based job.

“I oversee all marketing aspects of the Automotive, Clamping and Storage business units for Latin America. While I have someone in Latin America on the company’s chat asking me questions about a product, I have one of our agencies on the phone, a vendor in China on the other line, several e-mails on the screen, work in progress, Excel files and a pop-up screen that says in five minutes I have a meeting.”

For some, the schedule might be too hectic, but Garcia-Collart considers it great fun. The 25-year-old, however, is no stranger to multi-tasking. At the age of 18, she was the youngest – and only – woman employed in the operations department of Shell Oil Honduras, working as a product supply and distribution analyst while earning her bachelor’s degree.

“I was fortunate to work with such outstanding people,” says Garcia-Collart. “The organizational culture and opportunities granted to me confirmed my interest in a business-oriented career.” She says the experience also allowed her to focus her studies specifically in marketing and international business at Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana in Honduras.

After graduation, Garcia-Collart took another step toward her career goals when she moved away from her close-knit family with husband, Daniel, and accepted a position with the Florida Foreign Trade Association.

There she was responsible for coordinating events that nurtured business relationships between Latin American companies and U.S. firms. “It was here that my global interests started to grow, as I was exposed to the international trade arena on a first-hand basis,” explains Garcia-Collart. “I quickly became passionate about the global mindset and endless potential of international trade.”

Today she remains just as passionate. At Stanley, Garcia-Collart has launched more than 400 products and has helped develop almost 200, among them mechanic tools, air tools, multi-tools, screwdrivers, illumination tools, clamping tools and tool boxes. Some of them are available only in Latin America.

“I felt that my next step to furthering my career was an MBA,” explains Garcia-Collart. “The Thunderbird GMBA was a perfect fit; it combined the focus of international business I sought, with a solid ranking as the No. 1 school in international management.” The flexibility of being able to continue at Stanley while earning her degree, Garcia-Collart says, was another draw.

As she continues to grow professionally, the young businesswoman wants to take on more responsibility within the brand marketing management field. “I would like to increase my experience in other cultures and be able to lead cross-functional teams by working in all areas of the business, eventually reaching general management capacities.”

She says she also doesn’t want to lose sight of her cultural roots. “I would like to give back to my country. Coming from a third world country, I feel strongly about dedicating time to a cause that aids in the social well-being of Hondurans.”

If her leadership skills as class vice president for her Global MBA class at Thunderbird are any indication, the sky is the limit. Garcia-Collart is quick, however, to share her current successes with her parents, siblings and husband and her strong spiritual commitment.

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