Catherine Rivard

Howdy! My Name is Catherine! My favorite part of every job I've ever worked is the opportunity to create positive experiences for others. After I graduated with my degree in history, I spent 3 years educating young people. During the summer, I worked at Lake Anne Camp, where I experienced how meaningful business can be. I loved helping my students understand the world around them, however, my most impactful leadership lessons came from learning how to shape an environment that drives engagement and results for all stakeholders. After three years in the classroom, I wanted to broaden my impact and began my MBA.

My motivation for pursuing an MBA originated from my time at Lake Ann Camp. I managed operations, where I had the opportunity to make decisions that improved both efficiency and customer experience. I monitored sales reports and optimized service offerings, which led to a 23% increase in sales YOY. Beyond revenue growth, I focused on streamlining processes. I did research on creating new experiences and ensured cost efficiency while implementing these new experiences for all stakeholders. This experience deepened my interest in building systems that deliver operational excellence while fostering positive, people-centered outcomes.

While operational excellence is essential, it’s the connections I’ve cultivated within my teams that sets my work apart. I’ve prioritized building a sense of community, using small but consistent touchpoints to create trust and buy-in. This intentional approach to relationship management allowed me to deliver constructive feedback more effectively and ensure alignment on shared goals. The positive culture I fostered was recognized with the Intentional Instruction Award at the end of my first-year teaching, affirming my ability to strengthen brand perception through authentic connection and clear communication.

With my MBA and prior work experiences in hand, I’m looking forward to bringing continuous process improvement and a strong sense of community building to my future teams.