Posted on November 25, 2020 by Wendy Frost
After transitioning from a technical to a business role at work, Stephanie Thornton enrolled in the UTSA College of Business MBA program to expand her career potential. In her new marketing role at Finlays, an independent business to business coffee and tea manufacturer and supplier, she has launched national coffee programs with established brands and has seen double digit sales growth.
This year she developed her company’s coffee three-year strategy plan and also was published in the Journal of Pure and Applied Geophysic s for her previous work in forensic entomology and microbiology.
Favorite class
Organizational Behavior
Favorite professor
Jennifer Yin, professor of accounting
How has COVID affected your studies or you personally this semester?
COVID has made group assignments particularly challenging, however that has allowed me to build a new skill set in effective communication in the virtual world.
What have you learned most from your program of study thus far?
I have learned to look more critically and objectively at business situations based on my learnings from the classroom. I have also learned how to adapt to a wide range of personalities with the breadth of group assignments that have come out of the COB’s MBA program.
Any organizations or activities that you’ve been involved with in the COB or at UTSA?
No, however one of my most memorable moments thus far at UTSA was in faculty member Bruce Stanfill’s Organizational Behavior course in which my group raised over $2,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas during the pandemic!
What are you watching, reading or listening to right now?
My mentor recommended the book, “Discipline of Market Leaders , ” by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Great read for those looking to differentiate their business effectively.
Professional work experience or internships that you’ve participated in
I am a trained microbiologist and product developer that has recently transitioned to a marketing role for a flourishing global coffee and tea manufacturer.
What are your future career plans?
I plan to continue soaking up knowledge from my great mentors to eventually lead my own food/beverage/packaging firm.
— Wendy Frost
