A one-year bet that paid off
Meghan Peterson ’24 MBA has dedicated her career to connecting individuals with technology that can advance their lives and businesses. She began that journey at Intel, as a marketer for their data center and AI products, and later earned her MBA through the school’s One-Year MBA Program. Currently, Peterson is a senior product marketing manager at Microsoft, focusing on industry go-to-market strategy and planning.
We chatted with her about why the One‑Year MBA was the right move at this stage of her career, how the Kellogg network has shown up for her and what ambitious professionals should know about the accelerated MBA path.
Take us back to the moment you decided on the One-Year MBA Program at Kellogg. What was happening in your career at that point, and why did the accelerated path feel like the right strategic bet for where you wanted to go next?
Before Kellogg, I was fortunate to have been in a role that I truly loved, working on product launches at Intel and building toward a career path I was excited about. At the same time, I had always been interested in earning an MBA as part of my long-term growth but struggled with the idea of stepping away from work. The Kellogg One-Year Program felt like the right strategic bet because it allowed me to invest in my development, future aspirations and network while limiting time away from my career.
Can you share a concrete moment during or shortly after the program when you realized how quickly the program was paying off?
As a student, I prioritized finding experiential learning opportunities that would allow me to explore different industries and company sizes through hands-on work. Growth Strategy Practicum was one of my favorite courses that paired me with a growth-stage company in the luxury consumer experiences space to solve a challenge alongside their founding team.
This project marked a turning point for me where I could see how my approach to decision making, influencing and driving alignment had evolved, especially in a situation without an established playbook. These were exactly the kinds of capabilities I hoped to refine by returning to school.
How has the Kellogg community — fellow classmates, professors, alumni or career coaches — actively shaped your career or opened doors for you?
The Kellogg community started opening doors for me before I even set foot on campus. Shortly after committing, I began reaching out to alumni for coffee chats to learn more about their career paths, and the response from those willing to share their experiences was overwhelming (thank you to all those who took the time to connect!).
I learned so much from these conversations, but what stuck with me the most was how eager the Kellogg community is to support and advocate for one another. It was through the incredible alumni community that I got my foot in the door at Microsoft!
In what ways has the One-Year Program expanded your definition of career direction and your confidence in pursuing it?
Kellogg was a clarifying experience, helping me better define my long-term career goals and uncover deeper interests including FemTech, ElderTech, consumer packaged goods and partnerships. My Kellogg classmates also set an incredibly high bar and gave me the confidence to dream bigger about what’s possible. I ultimately left the program with a stronger sense of purpose and the tools to successfully navigate both my next chapter and longer-range career aspirations.
Looking back, how did going through the program shape the kind of leader you are today?
While I’m grateful for the technical skills I built, what shaped my leadership style most was the school's emphasis on empathetic and collaborative leadership. Throughout the program I experienced hands-on coaching, near-constant group work, mentorship opportunities and programs like the Women’s Leadership Seminar to help me reflect on my strengths.
These experiences really helped me be more intentional about how I show up as a leader and teammate while allowing me to refine how I advocate for my ideas, navigate different perspectives and gain buy-in.
What would you say to ambitious professionals who worry that a faster MBA path might limit them?
I initially worried that one year of business school wouldn’t be long enough to accomplish everything I wanted from the MBA experience. I can confidently say I was wrong.
The one-year format allowed me to fully immerse myself academically, strengthen my network and still enjoy the social experience. I traveled to four countries with classmates and was involved in the Kellogg Golf Club, SuperBowl Ad Review and more. Because one-year students are fully integrated with other MBA programs, I had access to the same opportunities, allowing me to fully take advantage while minimizing the time I put my career on pause. For me, it was a no-brainer!
How would you describe the kind of work you’re doing now — in terms of scope, responsibility, and influence — compared to your pre-MBA role?
At Microsoft, I work with an amazing team helping land our unique point of view on AI across industries. This entails crafting go-to-market strategies, driving enablement content and equipping our global sales teams with resources they need to move the needle in customer conversations. While this role is broader in scope and more strategy-focused than what I was doing pre-MBA, the biggest shift has actually been my confidence leading cross-functional teams and managing high-priority work.
Read next: Debunking four myths of the One-Year Program
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Kellogg School of Management or Northwestern University.