2018 Best & Brightest: Madeline DeVlieger, Northeastern University

Madeline (Maddie) DeVlieger

Northeastern University (D’Amore McKim)

“Hardworking, passionate storyteller determined to get a laugh; sometimes called a piece of work.”

Fun fact about yourself: I’ve had 11 addresses in 7 zip codes during my college years (thanks to Northeastern’s awesome co-op and study abroad programs!).

Hometown: Paoli, PA

High School: Conestoga High School

Major: Business Administration (Concentrations: Marketing and Entrepreneurship)

Minor: Film Production

Favorite Business Course: Consumer Behavior with Professor Jennifer Yule

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

• Study Abroad in Seville, Spain (ESIC Business and Marketing School)
• Dean’s List (all semesters)
• Catholic Center at Northeastern University (retreat producer, lector, videographer)
• Pi Sigma Epsilon Marketing Fraternity
• Social Enterprise Institute – Citizen Schools “Biz Kids” Teacher
• Co-op Peer Mentor
• Women in Business Club
• Net Impact Club
• Northeastern Sports Production
• Alternative Spring Break Trips (3)
• Intramural Sports (broomball, soccer)

Where have you interned during your college career?

• Mastercard: Credit New Product Development Co-op – Purchase, NY – July-December 2017
  • Managed and tracked Mastercard Installments global release development schedule, marketing material production, and future roadmap to support on-time and effective go-to-market strategy and delivery.
  • Developed solution to integrate Installments and Masterpass offerings and received approval from regions.
  • Analyzed credit industry trends, including fin-techs and installments competitors, to identify actionable opportunities.
  • Contributed to whiteboarding and user journey mapping in early stage product development.
  • Supported Financial Inclusion Prepaid team by developing School Feeding solution proposal.
• VMware: Portfolio Marketing Co-op – Palo Alto, CA – July-December 2016
  • Managed creation and publication of approximately 50 blogs, 8 webcasts, and hundreds of organic social posts quarterly.
  • Collaborated on overall content strategy and led integration of self-developed content tracking system, enabling additional visibility and collaboration across business unit.
  • Developed and implemented a cross-functional, bi-continental planning process for the vCloud Air presence at VMworld conferences, which streamlined efforts, maximized available resources, and contributed to nearly 3x onsite customer engagement year to year.
  • Analyzed existing email campaign data and oversaw refinement and roll out of updated campaign.
  • Oversaw media asset repository and assisted in delivery of up-to-date sales enablement and marketing materials, including facilitating seamless asset transition during the OVH acquisition of vCloud Air.
  • Continued supporting team part-time remotely January-June 2016.
• NBCUniversal – Universal Kids (formerly Sprout) Production Management Co-op – New York, NY – July-December 2015
  • Assisted in day-to-day asset and media management, the acquisition of thousands of assets for network programming, and the reorganization of the shared storage area network drive.
  • Supported production of Emmy-nominated show Sunny Side Up and corresponding field shoots.
  • Developed a workflow for segment footage organization and edited 12 pieces for air on network.
  • Managed pitch logs and programming development documentation.
  • Fulfilled approximately 10 media requests per week for Social Media, Ad Sales, and Brand Creative marketing teams.

Where will you be working after graduation?
I will be working as a Marketing Analyst at VMware in Palo Alto, CA.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Daniele Mathras has been my favorite professor because she is incredibly passionate about the field and truly cares about her students. She made our Marketing Research class approachable and enjoyable and helped us apply the concepts to the real world. Our semester-long group projects were in service to actual non-profit organizations, which added additional meaning and relevance to the work we were doing.

What did you enjoy most about your business school? I really enjoyed taking advantage of Northeastern’s co-op program. By working full-time at 3 different companies in three different industries, each for 6 months at a time, I was able to apply what I had learned in a variety of applications. In between co-ops, when I was back in classes, I could share my work experiences and listen to my classmates’, all of which facilitated more informed and engaging classroom conversations.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field?
Group projects will likely be the bane of your existence, but you learn a lot about yourself and other people through them.

If I didn’t major in business, I would be majoring in or studying…documentary filmmaking, because I love learning about different subjects and sharing stories.”

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? I was surprised to learn just how much business intersects with other fields of study, from psychology to political science to communications.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? From a young age, I was always curious about why and how things worked. My mom and dad fed this curiosity by teaching me about their respective careers in law and marketing/entrepreneurship and how each of them operated within the world of business. When it came to choosing a major, business seemed like a logical path to not only continue to learn how the world worked, but also to hopefully one day be able to influence it.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am proud of the ways in which I have grown as a person over the past few years. I embraced new opportunities by moving around the country; explored the world by traveling to as many countries and continents much as possible; and allowed my views to be challenged by engaging in conversations with friends, classmates, professors and coworkers from all different backgrounds and geographies. I learned a lot about the type of person I strive to be – adventurous, empathetic, adaptable, and strong in my convictions. While, of course, I have plenty more room for improvement, I am proud of the person I have become and am grateful for the relationships I have formed that will help me continue to grow.

If you were a dean for a day, what one thing would you change about the business school? While many students currently elect to take a Business Ethics and Social Responsibility class, I would require all business students to take one. Also, I’d put more women’s restrooms in Dodge Hall because it’s ridiculous how long the lines are between classes.

Which classmate do you most admire? I admire my many classmates across concentrations and fields who intend to use their degrees for the betterment of the lives of others and of society as a whole. In a world so often focused on personal gain, it is inspiring to see thought leaders in our generation looking beyond themselves.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? First and foremost, I would thank my mom and dad – for loving me, supporting me, teasing me (when deserved), and teaching me what matters most. Also, I am especially grateful for all the incredible women in my life – family members, teachers, coworkers, mentors, and friends – who inspire me and encourage me to believe that anything is possible. Finally, Philippians 4:13.

What would your theme song be? “Gonna Fly Now” (Theme from Rocky), because I am a proud Philadelphian and love a good underdog story.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

Visit all 7 continents by 30.
Spend my birthday (July 14, French National Day) in Paris and watch the fireworks at the Eiffel Tower.

Favorite book: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Favorite movie: Forrest Gump

Favorite vacation spot: Being with my family in Avalon, NJ, where the sunrises and sunsets are the most important appointments to keep.

What are your hobbies? Travel, videography/photography, reading, sports, scrapbooking

What made Madeline such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2018?

“Anyone who has met Madeline DeVlieger knows that she is thoughtful, hard-working, determined and kind. She has a passion for learning and trying new things, and I have always been impressed at how she consistently sought out opportunities to grow personally and professionally throughout her Northeastern journey. Her love of adventure and desire to build relationships and understand people and business allowed her to have great success in and outside of the classroom. Her commitment to academic excellence is impressive as she enters her last semester with a 3.94 GPA. She left Boston and completed three outstanding co-ops in New York and California, where she quickly adapted to new environments and constantly challenged herself. She is wise beyond her years, showing empathy and a commitment to service and building communities where people can share their stories. Maddie’s curiosity and drive cannot be matched, and I look forward to following her adventures after Northeastern. I know wherever she goes she will continue to make a huge impact.”

Brooke Johnson
Associate Cooperative Education Faculty

DON’T MISS: THE BEST & BRIGHTEST BUSINESS MAJORS OF 2018 — THE COMPLETE LIST