An Advocate for Diversity

Andrew Eggum (MBA ’19) believes in the power of a diverse community. A student in the Wisconsin School of Business’s Center for Brand and Product Management, Eggum grew up in a biracial household in the Twin Cities. His upbringing taught him to value diversity from a young age, something he tries to apply to all areas of his life.

“The most effective teams I’ve been on have had people who weren’t all from the same place or the same background or the same upbringing,” says Eggum, who came to WSB after earning a fellowship and full ride through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management.

The Consortium, a partnership of business schools and corporations, aims to enhance diversity in business education and corporate leadership by providing postgraduate opportunities for underrepresented minorities.

In summer 2017, he and 12 other WSB Consortium students attended an orientation program in Atlanta. There, Consortium fellows from all 19 partner schools participated in early recruitment with some of the biggest companies in the country. It was a chance to make connections and get his name out and in front of companies early.

“Most of my peers are recruited in December and January,” he says. “It was really nice to come in with an internship offer before school so I could focus on class and getting involved in things like student organizations.”

Eggum says being a part of The Consortium enables him to be an advocate for diversity initiatives at WSB.

“We’ve really all taken it upon ourselves to try to get involved promoting diversity across the Wisconsin School of Business,” he says of his Consortium peers.

Eggum was previously involved in the diverse leadership network at Nielsen Holdings PLC, where he worked as a data analyst for five years. When he knew it was time to expand his business acumen, Eggum came to WSB to pursue his MBA. He values the support he has received and feels a sense of duty to make the most of it.

“I feel an obligation to fill my time here with involvement and giving back,” he says. “To me it’s an attempt to use my privilege and the benefits I’ve been given to help other people follow in those same steps.”

In summer 2018, Eggum will intern at Ecolab, where he looks forward to gaining new and different experience from his previous roles, as well as the opportunity to travel for international assignments.

That fits well with Eggum’s curiosity about new cultures.

“My background makes me passionate about traveling to other places and learning about other people,” he says. “If there’s some way that I can share the bits and pieces of cultures I’ve picked up from my upbringing, it’s almost my responsibility to do that for people who haven’t experienced those types of exposures.”