Marketing Leadership Institute

Happy Last Day of Classes, MBA kiddos!

Your dedication, engagement and energy have made this year a strong one, and we’re so proud of everything you've achieved!

Enjoy a well-deserved summer break — we’ll see you in the fall.

This is your last chance to earn points towards our MLI Insider Program!

Curious about how research and strategy shape big businesses? You won’t want to miss this session. We’re excited to welcome Joseph Robele, Manager – Cross Vehicle Research at Ford Motor Company! Joseph brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to insights—grounded in the belief that good strategy starts with understanding real human needs.

Over the last decade, Joseph has worked across industries including automotive, healthcare, and consulting. A proud UW–Madison alum and MSU MSMR Advisory Board Member, be sure to stop by and hear from Joseph at our last MLLive of the year!

The event will take place on April 21st from 11:30AM-12:30PM in the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Networking Lounge (3430/3350 Grainger Hall). Lunch is provided.

Grateful for an incredible night this past Tuesday at the Twin Cities Marketing Mixer!
Huge thank‑you to our outstanding panelists — Dale Nitschke, Steve Quirk, Brandon Cederholm, Stacey Shaleen, and Alan Stoffer — and to Lisa Gudding for joining us and aand helping to organize the event. Your insights and energy made the night unforgettable.

And to everyone who joined us: thank you for showing up with curiosity, energy, and great conversation. Events like this thrive because of a community like you.

We are so excited for what’s next!

Curious how teams go from raw data to confident decisions? We’re excited to welcome Sarah Tarraf to our MLLive lineup! Sarah is the Senior Vice President of Knowledge & Insights at Rocket Mortgage, where she leads the work of bringing customer and market insight directly into Rocket’s strategy.

Sarah is known for combining deep analytics with strong storytelling. Across her career, she’s led data science, consumer intelligence, and growth strategy teams. She’ll share how insights drive real change inside a fast-moving business, and what it looks like to lead with both data and clarity.

Reminder: This is one of the last chances to earn points towards our MLI Insider Program for the 2025-2026 year! Don’t miss out on a chance to earn special dinners, events, and gifts from us at the MLI! For more information, visit Suitable or contact us at [email protected].

The event will take place on April 7th from 11:30AM-12:30PM in the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Networking Lounge (3430/3350 Grainger Hall). Lunch is provided.

Calling our beauty and retail enthusiasts!

We’re so excited to welcome Molly (Tyza) Radu for our next MLLive! Molly is a Consumer Insights Manager at Ulta Beauty, where she helps uncover what shoppers need, want, and respond to, and turns that into insights that guide real business and marketing decisions. With nearly seven years at Ulta, she brings a grounded, inside view of how consumer understanding drives strategy in beauty retail.

Molly also has a strong mix of retail and research experience, with prior roles at Nordstrom and earlier market research work that shaped her analytical toolkit. She holds an MS in Market Research from Michigan State University and has spent her career connecting data to clear, useful stories. If you’re interested in consumer behavior, retail strategy, you can’t miss this.

The event will take place on March 17th from 11:30AM-12:30PM in the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Networking Lounge (3430/3350 Grainger Hall). Lunch is provided.

Attention Seattle-area alumni and friends of the MLI! We’re hosting a Networking Reception at Local Public Eatery and would love to see you there. Come mingle with our talented MBAs and reconnect with fellow members of the MLI community.

Enjoy great bites, drinks, and easy conversation while reconnecting with the MLI community.

📍 404 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA
🕔 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Thank you for your continued support of the Marketing Leadership Institute. No RSVP necessary — feel free to drop in and join us. We look forward to connecting with you!

This past January, a group of our MBA students traveled to Ghana, where they experienced the country’s vibrant culture and rich history firsthand. Throughout the trip, students deepened their understanding of international business by engaging with local business leaders and learning about Ghana’s dynamic marketing landscape.

To hear more about the experience, check out this blog post from David Hadar (MBA ’26), who shares insights from his time immersed in Ghana’s culture, community, and business environment.

Read more here!: https://business.wisc.edu/centers/marketing-leadership/blog/from-madison-wi-to-accra-inside-an-mba-immersion-in-ghana/

From Madison, WI, to Accra: Inside an MBA Immersion in Ghana Global business is easy to talk about in a classroom. It’s much harder, and far more meaningful, to experience it. During an eight-day immersion in Ghana,

This past Friday, our MBA students had the incredible opportunity to attend a Milwaukee Bucks game, hosted by GMN and the MLI!

During the visit, students heard directly from the Bucks’ marketing leadership team about their approach to sports marketing and how they drive strategy, growth, and fan engagement at the highest level.

A special thank you to Ben Conrad (VP of Digital Marketing & Automation), Mallory Steinberg (VP of Marketing), Lindsey Budzinski (VP of Business Development & Strategy), and Brock Naidi (Business Intelligence Analyst) for sharing your expertise and insights.

We’re also grateful to our alumni Zach Schaeffer, David Curly, and Elliot Nardi for joining us - your continued support means so much to the MLI.

On Wisconsin!

We’re very pleased to welcome Emily Pesses DuBois for our next MLLive!

You won't want to miss this! Emily is Director of Go-to-Market Solutions at Reddit.

Emily brings more than a decade of experience from Google, where she most recently served as Global Product Lead Manager for Product Development Partnerships and previously led Insights & Analytics for Retail. Her background spans analytics, measurement, and product development. This is a very strong opportunity to hear how retail media is evolving and where it’s headed next!

The event will take place on March 3rd from 11:30AM -12:30PM in the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Networking Lounge (3430/3350 Grainger Hall). Lunch is provided.

Calling all toy, gaming, and franchise fans — this one’s for you.

We’re excited to welcome Patrick Schneider, Global Marketing Director at Hasbro - and Nerf Brand Lead! If Nerf was part of your childhood, this is a chance to hear from one of the people leading these iconic brands.

Patrick is a seasoned general manager and marketing leader with 15+ years of experience driving growth for many major and well-known consumer brands.

At Hasbro, Patrick oversees marketing and innovation for the $230MM Nerf portfolio, with work spanning retail, digital, social, influencers, and live experiences. He’s also led major licensed brands including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Fortnite, and Minecraft, and brings past experience from General Mills and Apple. Patrick offers a practical perspective on how brands grow at scale and what a career in marketing management can look like! This is an incredible opportunity – don’t miss it!

The event will take place on February 18th from 12:30-1:30PM in the Marketing Leadership Institute’s Networking Lounge (3430/3350 Grainger Hall). Lunch is provided.