Melanie Sharpe Nseir’s (MBA 2011) journey has been anything but linear. It has stretched from AmeriCorps to financial services to business development. Today, she is based in Singapore with Microsoft Asia, serving as Partner Solutions Sales Lead for Small Medium Enterprises & Channel in Asia. But at the core of every professional chapter has been a consistent theme: a deep-rooted service orientation and a desire to give back.
“I thought I had come to the Foster School of Business to become a better salesperson and improve my financial services skills,” says Melanie Sharpe Nseir. “But I left with a career, industry change, and a job at Microsoft, as well as a real clarity of purpose.”
Sharpe Nseir was working in financial services in Seattle when she chose the University of Washington Foster School of Business to pursue an Evening MBA. She thought she knew where the path would lead. But through her time in the program, she discovered new possibilities, a robust network, and the courage to pivot her life and career globally.
“I didn’t go to business school thinking I would make a career change. But the diversity of thought at Foster catapulted my life in a different direction.”— Melanie Sharpe Nseir (MBA 2011)
Earning an MBA to Close the Knowledge Gap
Before pursuing her Evening MBA, Sharpe Nseir had transitioned from a career in education to the business world, where she worked in the financial services startup sector. Although her liberal arts background helped her excel in relationship-building, she quickly realized the importance of developing stronger business acumen.
“I wasn’t as effective as I wanted to be in those discussions,” Sharpe Nseir says. “That’s when I decided to go to business school and pursue an MBA.”
Why the Evening MBA Was the Right Fit
Looking at MBA programs across the country, Sharpe Nseir was drawn to the Foster School for its reputation, caliber of faculty, and highly ranked Evening MBA program. The program’s flexibility, which offers the ability to continue working while earning a world-class education, was just as necessary.
“The biggest draw of the Foster Evening MBA was being able to immediately apply what I was learning in class to my job in financial services,” she shares. “Using the ‘learn today, apply tomorrow’ approach, my classmates and I could implement real-time change in our workplaces. The payoff was immediate.”
Sharpe Nseir entered the program thinking it would help her climb further in the financial services world. Instead, it sparked a career pivot.
“I didn’t go to business school thinking I would make a career change,” she recalls. “But I was exposed to so much diversity of thought that it catapulted my life in a different direction. The MBA program gave me space to say, ‘Maybe this isn’t what I want.’ It gave me the confidence to discover and pursue what I did want.”
MBA Tour Sparks a Global Mindset
Midway through the program, Sharpe Nseir joined a Foster MBA study tour to India. It was an experience that proved pivotal.
“Visiting companies across India and hearing directly from global leaders changed my perspective,” she says. “It was the moment I knew I wanted to take my career international.”
She pursued the Foster School of Business Global Business Certificate, which recognizes students who demonstrate a commitment to international business. The certificate played a key role in positioning her for global opportunities.
“This certificate differentiated me when I joined Microsoft after earning my Evening MBA, and it opened many doors for me from a global perspective,” she says. “Within 18 months of starting my full-time role, I landed an opportunity to work for Microsoft in China.”
Foster Career Services Make All the Difference
Behind the scenes of Sharpe Nseir’s transition was a powerful support system: the Foster MBA Career Management team.
“I left with a career, industry change, and a job at Microsoft, as well as a real clarity of purpose.”—Melanie Sharpe Nseir (MBA 2011)
“The MBA career management team was pivotal in coaching me through the transition of switching roles and industries,” she shares. “I am where I am today because of Foster.”
She credits Senior Associate Director Jean Gekler with helping her connect the dots and elevate her networking. “Jean introduced me to an alum who helped me land an internship at Microsoft. After that, I secured a full-time role, and I’ve thrived here for 15 years.”
Evening MBA Program Highlights
Sharpe Nseir took full advantage of the many benefits of the Evening MBA program. Here are a few that shaped her experience:
- Business Competitions: Sharpe Nseir was part of the winning team at the Venture Capital Investment Competition. “This experience sharpened my strategic thinking: Today, I’m working in the digital startup space, and the lessons from the VC competition still inform how I operate.”
- Cohort-Based Learning: Evening MBA students progress through the curriculum as part of a tight-knit cohort, forming smaller pods for deeper collaboration. “The relationships we formed in our pod are still strong. Collaboration is built right into the social fabric of the Foster School.”
- Structured Networking Opportunities: With busy working professionals in every cohort, networking is intentionally part of the Evening MBA. “Everyone was balancing work and life, so the networking opportunities were meaningful and structured.”
- A Global Alumni Network: Foster’s 60,000-strong alumni network (and UW’s 550,000+ alums) spans the world. “In every city I’ve lived in since graduating, there’s been a network of Foster and UW alums,” she said. Now based in Singapore, she participates in alumni events and hosts study tours, treating visiting Huskies to her favorite Singaporean dishes.
“The MBA program gave me the confidence to discover and pursue what I did want.”— Melanie Sharpe Nseir (MBA 2011)
Advice for Future MBA Students
When asked what advice she has for future MBA students, Sharpe Nseir offers this insight: “I think you can go into the program with a plan but be ready for that plan to shift. Stay open to the learnings and exposures you’ll have, because it may set your life on a new and unexpected path.”
Learn more about the Evening MBA Program.