Favorite Companies Of Top Business Majors

Rohil Chada, University of Pittsburgh

Amazon is a company I continue to view as the most interesting and admirable in the world today. The company that began as an online marketplace for all things books has—within 20 years—become the largest retailer and cloud infrastructure provider in the world, the latter of which is the most impressive business feat in recent history. The ability for the company to continuously set trends in retail and technology shows Amazon’s forward-thinking nature that is integral for companies to adopt in today’s rapidly-changing business technology environment. Although Amazon has been consistently in the watchful eye of legal and federal regulations, having a benevolent and proactive CEO in Jeff Bezos allows them to properly navigate through any issue that arises to return the company back to their infallible quarterly performances.”
Rohil Chada, University of Pittsburgh (Katz)

“I admire the company Ten Thousand Villages because it increases sustainability for our planet and provides work opportunities for people in third world countries. The company recruits people with unique talents in countries where work is hard to find. They use the natural resources around them to make different arts and craft pieces. After they are made, the artisans send the items to Ten Thousand Villages who sell them to patrons and send a portion of the profits back to the artisans who made them. Not only does this allow for customers to have unique art pieces (I have a “Sing” sign made from recycled oil drums from Haiti!), but it also creates opportunities for people to use their natural talents to bring joy to the world. I admire both the business model and mission from Ten Thousand Villages and urge more companies to take note to implement these practices for the future.”
Brianna Jordan, University of Illinois (Gies)

Olivia Dubi, University of Miami (Herbert)

“The company I most admire is Walt Disney World. My family and I went to Disney World several times during my childhood, and Disney’s ability to put the customer first is truly unparalleled. From the parks to the resorts to the movies, they make the world a simpler, happier place. When I enter the park, I can feel the sense of magic and wonder that surrounds me and I am reminded of the joyous memories from my childhood that transpired there. Every employee cares about the mission of the company and their attention to detail is what makes the customer experience so unique. When problems do arise, their customer service agents are so helpful and kind in the way they handle the situation. Going to Walt Disney World many times and experiencing the outstanding customer service and overall experience is one of the reasons why I am so interested in and excited about starting my career with West Monroe Partners; I look forward to working with other companies to help improve their relationships with customers.”
Maddie Krueger, Miami University (Farmer)

“A company I greatly admire is Athleta. Athleta has grown into a nationally-recognized brand earning over $1 billion in annual revenue without compromising its social initiatives. A Certified B Corporation, Athleta focuses on empowering women and producing its clothing in sustainable ways. Athleta has empowered over 16,555 women through Gap’s Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) and Fair-Trade program, a program focused on giving women the technical skills and support needed to advance in the workplace. Athleta currently produces 76% of their clothing using sustainable materials, and 4% using water-saving technologies. Additionally, they are investing in an “innovative renewable energy partnership” to offset the power consumption of Athleta stores and operations. As a customer of athleisure wear, I am proud to buy from Athleta.”
Olivia Dubi, University of Miami

“One company I admire is Toyota. I got the chance to learn a little bit about Toyota and their strategies of manufacturing and employee relations in a recent business course, and their methods of efficient production while creating a culture of mutual respect and importance in the workplace is something I greatly appreciate. We learned how they have maximized efficiency in producing cars not by straining workers, but in fact because they do the opposite. They prioritize teamwork and have created a strong support system from the top down. This allows for both a competitive advantage as well as a desirable workplace, and I admire their ability and devotion to do so.”
Matthew Iaconis. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Foisie)

REI is a company that leads with their values in mind and is committed to promoting a lifelong love of the outdoors for its members and employees.  REI gives a majority of their profits back to the outdoor community and is committed to minimizing their environmental impact by pledging to go carbon neutral and advocating for systematic policy changes to combat climate change. REI is continually working to improve their practices because they care about the community they are a part of.”
Jessica Anton, University of Wisconsin

Leah Wren Hardgrove, Washington University (Olin)

“Regardless of them employing me, the company I admire the most is Google. I’m most passionate about making the world a more accessible place for people with disabilities, and it’s obvious that Google feels the same. Google has an entire Accessibility Department to ensure their products, services, and the internet as a whole can be used by as many people as possible, regardless of physical or cognitive ability. They even have an Accessible Marketing Team dedicated to making sure all promotional content the company produces is inclusive and accessible. They also make an active effort to employ staff with disabilities, because who better to build and create for the disability communities than the members themselves.

The biggest reason I admire Google’s accessibility efforts, though, is their focus on getting feedback from the disability communities they serve. The company has a program called the Accessibility Trusted Testers where they let people with disabilities beta test Google products and provide feedback as to how the product can be improved to become more accessible. Google is asking their audience what they want so the company can better serve them instead of just assuming what might be needed. This shows a clear dedication to making the tech industry more accessible, and that’s something I’m really inspired by.”
Leah Wren Hardgrove, Washington University (Olin)

“I admire Google because the company has amassed great success since its inception and continues to grow each year. Google is ranked by Fortune magazine as the number one best place to work six years in a row. The company puts employees at the highest priority and offers them unmatched benefits. Google employees are provided luxe perks including gourmet food, haircuts, and laundry service on-site. Intentional corporate policies and practices have created a safe and inclusive workplace for working mothers and under-represented minorities. I respect the way that they treat their employees and admire the fact that they provide the number of resources that they do.”
Devika Dutt, Georgia Tech (Scheller)

“I admire PricewaterhouseCoopers the most because of their honest and genuine passion and dedication to their employees, to the greater community, and to their clients and work. PwC continues to stand above other companies through their “be well, work well” initiatives, various volunteering opportunities with the firm, community dialogues called “Candid Conversations”, and the general sense of being a safe and welcoming team. With the pleasure of interning during a busy time for deals, I was able to see first-hand how much the teams and colleagues care about each other beyond their daily work, and in particular with how they have adapted to being remote. Working from home, though challenging for everyone, has been something they figured out with ease and grace, and made the transition for interns smooth. The PwC professionals have proved to be worthy of admiration with daily touch point calls for teams, plenty of video meetings throughout the day, and concerted efforts to meet new interns and build networks via online meets.”
Anabel Cordano, Wake Forest University

“I admire Citigroup the most because of their approach and focus on social progress and community impact. Citi has taken the important step of nominating Jane Fraser as the successor to Michael Corbat, making Ms. Fraser the first female CEO to lead a major Wall Street bank. In addition to Citi’s internal efforts to drive social progress, in January 2021, Citi launched new Impact Fund investments in companies that are woman-owned, black-owned, and veteran-owned businesses founded to create more equitable and sustainable communities. The Citi Impact Fund puts capital behind the challenges facing the world today and I truly admire the action.”
James Sorrentino, Binghamton University

Sekai Kaminski, Fordham University (Gabelli)

“I may be biased, but IBM is undoubtedly the company I admire most. When I accepted a summer internship with IBM, I was so excited to learn and grow from them, as they’re a massive company with over a hundred years of experience and business innovation. Once I finally began working for them, I learned all the incredible, innovative work they have accomplished throughout 109 years in the rapidly-evolving technology industry. Additionally, throughout the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, IBM founded their Emb(race) movement. Emb(race) took actionable steps to ensure IBM’s support of racial equality. This included letters to Congress, restrictions on selling their facial recognition technology and expanding their p-tech career readiness program. Getting an inside look at how Big Blue thinks, treats its employees, and focuses on constant innovation earned them my regard as the most admirable company.”
Sekai Kaminski, Fordham University (Gabelli)

Chick-fil-A. The company heavily invests in building a culture that is centered around people and community — factors I believe are vital to any company’s success. The fast food industry is often criticized for valuing optimization and efficiency at the cost of sacrificing human centric operations. Chick-fil-A is an industry leader that proves people, purpose and profits do not have to be mutually exclusive.”
Mary Laci Motley, University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

“I admire Chobani, one of the fastest-growing food companies, because the CEO Hamdi Ulukaya exemplifies the best of honest leadership. Mr. Ulukaya has implemented an incredible profit-sharing program for Chobani’s employees, launched a mentorship program for young entrepreneurs, and founded the TENT Partnership for Refugees to improve the lives and livelihoods of the 65 million people who have been forcibly displaced around the globe. His vision to make a positive difference in today’s world and investing in people truly inspires me.”
Aysegul Ates, Southern Methodist University (Cox)

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