2022 Best and Brightest MBAs – Winfield and Parlier

Anthony C Winfield Jr. Among Poets&Quants’ Best and Brightest MBAs

Anthony Winfield

Anthony Winfield Jr. (MBA ’22) from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh is among the Top 100 Best and Brightest MBAs across the globe by Poets&Quants.

The Top 100 list celebrates MBA students from the Class of 2022 who embody the excellence and voices of their schools. Students named as the “Best and Brightest” are considered to be “the leaders in their class who rally, the mentors who champion, and the volunteers who carry the heaviest burdens.”

“Anthony Winfield utilizes his outgoing personality and endless positive energy to unite people and build relationships, ensuring inclusivity and belonging to everyone lucky enough to know him,” said Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Administration Tom Davis. Davis, who supervised Winfield’s Management Capstone Seminar course, noted Winfield’s “authentic presence, desire to succeed, and willingness to take on new challenges. He established his presence early and leveraged his natural penchant for leadership to bring his team together successfully.”

Winfield’s natural leadership led him to various positions within both Katz and the University as a whole. He was President of the Katz Student Executive Board, an MBA Student Ambassador, and a student representative on multiple graduate-level committees.

Before starting at Katz, Winfield earned his Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration (BSCBA) from the University of Alabama.

Winfield, who is from Chicago, Illinois, said applied to Katz because “it’s one of the few schools leading the way with experience-based learning in its curriculum. In my experience, learning under this curriculum provides M.B.A. students with a first-hand framework for approaching issues in today’s fast-paced technology industries.”

The Class of 2022 has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways. For many, their definition of a successful career pivoted. Winfield credits Career Management and Corporate Engagement (CMCE) advisor Katie Bennett with helping him navigate a tumultuous time. When the pandemic forced most of us to shelter in our homes, Winfield sought out new ways to connect with friends and family. Winfield says, “I see my career as a future brand marketer limitless with virtual platforms allowing me to connect with colleagues anywhere in the world.”

In the future, Winfield would like to “develop and participate in a mentorship program focused on people of color entering the working world.” After graduation, he will be joining the marketing leadership development program at Nationwide

The Top 100 list for 2022 also includes Amelia Parlier (MBA ’22). Click here for their Katz feature story and the Poets&Quants’ interview can be found here.

Amelia Parlier Honored as One of Poets&Quants’ Best and Brightest MBAs

Amelia Parlier

Amelia Parlier (MBA ’22 ) from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh is among the Top 100 Best and Brightest MBAs across the globe by Poets&Quants.

The Top 100 list celebrates MBAs from the Class of 2022 who embody the excellence and voices of their schools. Students named as the “Best and Brightest” are considered to be “the leaders in their class who rally, the mentors who champion, and the volunteers who carry the heaviest burdens.”

Amelia Parlier’s time at Katz is summed up best in this statement from Simone Jurinko: “It is their dedication to “creating space” that I think I will remember about Amelia the most. They are continually in the pursuit of community and equity among the Katz student body. Amelia is not content with merely bringing themselves a chair to the table, but making sure that everyone else has one, too.” Jurinko, the Associate Director of MBA Programs at Katz also noted that “the lasting effects of [Parlier’s leadership] will be felt for generations of Katz MBA students to come.”

Before starting at Katz, Parlier earned their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They also own and operate their own art business.

Parlier was very involved in leadership activities at Katz including:  Alliance Club president, Corporate Sustainability Club vice president, Student Executive Board vice president, and Inclusive Leadership Series student advisor

Parlier’s proudest accomplishment was the revival of the Katz Alliance Club. When they started at Katz, the club was nonexistent. Through hard work, collaboration, and outreach, Parlier resurrected the club and focused on making institutional change. “We have created a close-knit community of queer students and alumni at Katz and set our school up to be a beacon of empowerment and inclusion,” Parlier said. The club has formally affiliated with Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) for the first time in Katz’s history. This partnership now allows all LGBT+ identifying Katz students to participate in ROMBA’s annual career conference and expo.

In their search for the right graduate program for them, Parlier was concerned about having a non-traditional background. They credit an informational interview with Assistant Director of Admissions Erin Vuono with clarifying who an MBA student could be. Parlier wanted to find a school where students of different backgrounds are encouraged to build on each other’s successes and work collaboratively. “Katz promotes a culture of collaboration among its students. This was so important to me.”

The idea of remote work has always interested Parlier and the ability to work and travel simultaneously. Parlier spent their formative years in different places around the country: San Francisco, California; Boulder, Colorado; and Carrboro, North Carolina. The COVID-19 pandemic forced most organizations to pivot to a hybrid or fully remote schedule for their employees. “I think it is completely within grasp now for someone to have a full career while working from anywhere in the world, not just the lucky few.”

Parlier, an entrepreneur before Katz, has big plans for their future. After graduation, they will be pursuing start-up funding for a sustainable potting soil business and incorporating and expanding their art business. In the long run, Parlier would like to use their degree to create “institutional and systemic change in the workplace in regard to minority and racial discrimination, sexism, unsustainable business practices, and the culture of exploitation.”

The Top 100 list for 2022 also includes Anthony Winfield Jr. (MBA ’22). Click here for his Katz feature story and the Poets&Quants’ interview can be found here.