Amaia Asiain Zelaia comes from the mountains of Navarra, in the north of Spain, from a village populated by 120 residents. She graduated from Spain’s prestigious Universidad de Cantabria and Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea with a master’s degree in science and new materials.
But she was motivated to return to school and earn an MBA. She chose William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business.
“I chose William & Mary primarily based on the strong recommendation from Fulbright” Amaia said in an interview with the Gazette. “I wanted to study in the United States, known for its world-class higher education. When I received the Fulbright Scholarship, the committee highlighted the prestige of William & Mary.”
She continued: “I’m passionate about making a positive impact, especially by enhancing athlete performance through sustainable innovation. My goal is to connect groundbreaking research with real-world applications. I have seen that while engineers create amazing innovations, the culture of risk-taking, curiosity and collaboration to bring these ideas to life is missing. I aspire to be a leader who champions sustainable and innovative discoveries and ensures they truly benefit society and our planet.”
I asked Amaia what aspects of the Mason School of Business MBA program stood out to her.
“Two key aspects that stood out to me were the executive partner program and sprint weeks,” she said. “The executive partner program is remarkable, providing students with access to accomplished leaders who volunteer their time to mentor us. Reading the bios, I was impressed by their diverse and successful careers. Additionally, the concept of sprint weeks, where students immerse themselves in solving real business problems with their teams, was incredible appealing to me.”
Amaia noted that her high expectations have been surpassed.
“The executive partners are not only outstanding professionals but also generous and warm individuals,” she said. “I am especially grateful to Maria de los Angeles Cinta and Nancy Turner, who have been instrumental in my personal and professional development.”
Amaia pointed out that the MBA at William & Mary has significantly boosted her confidence in leading teams and tackling more ambitious roles.
“I now have a deep understanding of business models and team dynamics, which I believe will enable me to lead teams effectively and drive successful outcomes,” she said.
By all indications, Amaia is passionate about sports. She runs half-marathons and practices yoga. In addition, she plays pickleball and likes trekking and surfing.
To apply what she has learned at William & Mary, during the summer, Amaia interned at the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News. The museum is designated by Congress as America’s National Maritime Museum.
“As a strategy and marketing intern, I have two main projects,” she said. “I’m working with the management team implementing a new planning computer system.
“Second, I am creating a multimedia video on our research to make scientific material treatments exciting and educational. The communication skills from my MBA have been crucial here. Overall, the MBA has helped me lead those projects successfully and made me a more confident professional, aware of my strengths and how to leverage them.”
All this will come in handy to Amaia while pursuing her goal of becoming a manager in the field of innovation and sustainability in the sports arena.
The dream began to take shape when she studied in the industrial design and product development engineering degree program in Catalonia’s Polytechnic University in Spain. After some detours into management jobs in manufacturing, spanning four continents, Amaia’s enthusiasm for sports and interest in athletic products inspired her to redirect her career.
Amaia, who fluently speaks five languages, earned a master’s degree in new materials and focused on sustainability and innovation applied into sports product materials. She also created a new material from recycled sports clothing.
The William & Mary MBA program is preparing her to become a decision maker in the sport industry. It will provide her with analytical and managerial skills and open the door to a bright future in the business world.
Frank Shatz is a Williamsburg resident. He is the author of “Reports from a Distant Place,” the compilation of his selected columns. The book is available at the Bruton Parish Shop and Amazon.com.
