On Friday, October 20, 2017 Suffolk University graduate students had the unique opportunity to chat intimately with Maria DiPietro, Vice President of Global Operations for General Electric. Maria offered students stories of her personal experiences in business, how she became a global leader at GE (and other global companies such as American Express), and blunt yet honest advice she believes is the key to success in the industry. From working at a credit card company to managing global operations at a multibillion-dollar company, Maria DiPietro is surely a role model. After giving a quick summary of her professional background, Maria opened the floor to students, allowing them the opportunity to ask questions that she promised to answer as “straight-forward” and honest as possible. Suffolk graduate students took advantage of this occasion to ask about the habits of a successful individual, the risks and rewards of working internationally, and the challenges of being one of the few women executives at General Electric.
One of the most significant takeaways from Maria DiPietro was how she overcame the gender biases in the business world. At GE, there is a team approximately 120 executives, and only 20 are women. Maria reminded graduate students that it is not always easy to be a woman in this industry, but it is worth taking on roles that will prove your strength and abilities. She encouraged all students to seize every opportunity that could further advance their careers and build experience. Maria shared a personal story of her own opportunity to travel to London and work abroad. Although she had to relocate herself and her family, she encouraged students to be fearless when it comes to relocating for a global business because there will always be a flight back to Boston.
The room was full, the conversation was lively, and the afternoon was one to remember. Maria was honest, straight-forward, and true to herself which contributed to an authentic discussion and takeaways applicable to life post-graduation. Maria’s simple, yet powerful advice could be summarized as, “work hard, do your research, take risks, stay humble, and build connections wherever you can”.
I would strongly encourage students to take advantage of any opportunity to have face time with a global executive. I left with much-needed mid-semester motivation to focus on my studies and became inspired thinking about my future.
-Morgan Williams, MBA ’18