Nikki Beittenmiller, Rice Business MBA Class of 2024
Age: 29
Hometown: Houston, TX
Undergraduate Institution and Major: The University of Texas at Austin, Majors: International Relations, History, Arabic
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 5 years (1 year legal services, 4 years executive search/leadership advisory)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
Through my time in executive search, I was able to see firsthand the qualities of some of the world’s top business leaders. On the industry side, I partnered with energy and cleantech companies of all shapes and sizes who are pioneering the transition towards a more sustainable future, and I wanted to be a part of that journey. To do so, however, I knew I needed to build a more quantitative and well-rounded business skillset to be better equipped to join the next generation of energy transition business leadership. I recognized that many of the top executives we placed across the industry had a deep and multifaceted understanding of the industry, and that an MBA would be a great opportunity for me to continue on that same path. The energy industry is also at an interesting inflection point, and it felt like the right time to get more directly involved in shaping its future.
Why did you choose Rice Business? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
As a native Houstonian, not only do I deeply love this city and all its quirks, but I’ve also grown up seeing the deep impact of the energy industry that emanates outward from here. I’ve been directly involved in helping Houston’s energy companies think differently about how they leverage their resources, namely their people, to better address the growing demand for sustainable and cleaner energy. Through these experiences I’ve come to see that the energy capital of the world has all the makings to be the energy transition capital of the world. And Rice is a huge part of that. As a top tier educational institution, it is a phenomenal source of talent to many industries across this city, not just energy. Well before I submitted my application, I attended the Rice Business Energy Finance Summit and saw firsthand how Rice business students were actively shaping the conversation around the “transformative new era of energy.” I knew that by joining the Rice Business family, I would have access to a strong energy network as well as a rigorous business curriculum that included an energy concentration. And with such resources, I too would be able to help shape that conversation.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2024?
I’m fun! Not that everyone else is boring, but I am exceptionally good at not taking myself too seriously. I also deeply love to make others laugh. So hopefully I can add a little bit of pizzazz to business student life.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I’ve been tandem skydiving 15 times! I’m enough of a risk taker to love skydiving, but also risk averse enough to only do it with an expert strapped to my back 😊
Post-MBA career interests:
I’m interested in strategic and commercial leadership roles in the renewables and broader clean energy sectors.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Meet as many Rice people as possible! Every new person I met, whether they were a current or former student, a staff member, or faculty, gave me a better understanding of the culture of JGSB and made me even more excited to join the Rice Business family. I might be in the minority on this one, but I also had an absolute blast making my video essay (entirely devoted to Houston’s food scene).
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
As a former recruiter, I think I erroneously assumed my resume was already in tip top shape and didn’t do much to really tailor it to my application. I wish I had put a bit more time into doing that on the front end, as it would have put me in a better starting position for optimizing my resume for recruiting season.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The GMAT/GRE – I forced my husband to take it with me to try and incentivize me to study more for it (spoiler alert: didn’t work). But also I firmly believe that standardized tests are an imperfect representation of intelligence and overall ability, so I feel justified.
What is your initial impression of the Rice Business students/culture/community?
What an insanely smart, diverse and fun group of people! My usual vibe check is “Would I go get a beer with this person?” and the answer to that question has been a resounding yes to everyone I’ve met so far. It’s been really great to see how quickly our class has become a tight-knit community.
What is one thing you have learned about Rice Business that has surprised you?
The faculty and staff are genuinely a ton of fun to hang out with, and they are a lot more involved with outside the classroom activities than I thought. During admit weekend, a couple members of the recruiting team took us to Valhalla, and I spent at least an hour chatting about life, love and the pursuit of happiness with them. It was awesome!
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Figuring out how to balance academics, recruiting, clubs, events, sleep and my personal life is definitely taking up a lot of my headspace right now.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Learning! I love being a student and I’m excited to be back in an academic environment. I feel like every second I spend in class my understanding of business expands tenfold. It will be really cool to look back at the end of the year and see just how far I’ve come.
