Giselle Garcia Palma

Why did you choose to study this degree?

Choosing my MSc in Global Strategy and Innovation Management at Leeds was the result of a dream and a very deliberate search. Studying at a renowned university in the United Kingdom had always been one of my life goals but I didn’t want a degree for the sake of a certificate. For almost three years, I researched programmes across the UK looking for something more demanding: a university that would truly stretch my existing skills, expose me to diverse perspectives from around the world, and equip me with forward-thinking knowledge I could bring back to my professional life.

Two factors made Leeds the clear choice. The first was academic excellence: Leeds consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world, and I wanted my master's degree to carry that level of international recognition. The second was just as important: making it financially possible. The student loan institution supporting my studies had an agreement with the University of Leeds, which opened better conditions to finance my tuition. That combination, a highly regarded university that was also genuinely within my reach was where my dream and my search finally met.

If I could say one thing to anyone hesitating today, it would be this: studying abroad at a top university is not reserved for a privileged few. With research and planning, there is a path, and Leeds was mine.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

Without a doubt, my greatest highlight was the people. The cultural diversity of my classmates and professors transformed every discussion: analysing a business case alongside peers from all over the world meant constantly discovering perspectives I would never have encountered at home. It changed the way I think about strategy to this day.

I also valued how well the University worked around real life. The facilities were outstanding, and the flexibility and availability of resources and staff fit perfectly with my personal schedule, something I deeply appreciated as an international student balancing many priorities.

What did you enjoy most about student life at Leeds?

One of my most treasured memories is volunteering as a Spanish class assistant. It was an incredible experience, not only because it allowed me to bring my mother tongue thousands of miles from home, but because of how emotional it was to meet people genuinely curious about my culture and about Latin America. Sharing who I was, while learning who they were, made Leeds feel like home.

Beyond volunteering, student life itself became one of my greatest teachers. Working alongside people with completely different points of view and cultural ways of working challenged me to open my mind and become more flexible.

And that lesson stayed with me. Today, in my professional role, I work with teams from around the world, and I can trace my ability to navigate those conversations with flexibility and empathy directly back to my time at Leeds. What I gained outside the classroom turned out to be just as valuable as what I earned inside it.

How did you find adjusting to living and studying in the UK?

I didn't make this journey alone, I moved to the UK with my husband, and one of the things I most appreciated was how the University made that possible. We lived in the family accommodation offered by Leeds, and it was wonderful: financially reasonable, welcoming, and close to everything you need when you are far from home. Knowing that we had a stable, affordable place to build our life in a new country removed one of the biggest worries of moving abroad, and made the whole adjustment so much smoother.

What professional skills and experience did you gain?

Leeds gave me two kinds of skills, and both transformed my career. The first were strategic: my MSc in Global Strategy and Innovation Management taught me to look beyond the numbers, to understand how strategy, innovation and global market dynamics connect. Coming from a finance background, this widened my lens completely: I stopped thinking only like a financial specialist and started thinking like a business leader.

The second, and perhaps the most valuable, were human: working on projects with classmates from all over the world taught me to build consensus across cultures, to defend my ideas in a second language, and to listen for perspectives very different from my own.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School?

The proof is where this journey led. Today I serve as Chief Financial Officer of a multinational company in Colombia, working with teams and markets across the region. I use what Leeds taught me every single day,  in every strategic decision, every cross-cultural conversation, and every moment I am asked to see the bigger picture.

What are your ambitions for the future?

My time at Leeds taught me that learning never truly ends and my ambitions reflect that. In the medium term, I would like to return to the academic path and pursue a PhD, ideally in a field where I can bring together two decades of professional experience with academic research. Having spent my career applying strategy and finance in the real-world, I now dream of contributing knowledge back, studying the questions I have lived first-hand.

Professionally, my ambition is to keep expanding my impact beyond a single company: I want to grow as an advisor, bringing my passion for strategy and finance to organisations across different industries, and helping other businesses and other leaders make better decisions.

What was your biggest highlight of studying at Leeds?

My biggest highlight was not a single event,  it was a transformation: gaining the confidence to face the unknown and take risks. Before Leeds, uncertainty used to freeze me. There were moments when I doubted the whole experience: a new country, a new language, a demanding programme, a life rebuilt from zero thousands of miles from home. But I went through it and I came out stronger. Today, whenever I face a situation I have never faced before, I remember Leeds, and I remind myself that the unknown is not something to fear.

And then there are the friendships. Years later, I still share time with the people I met at Leeds. Recently, I met another alumna and listening to her story,  as emotional as mine, reminded me that this experience marks everyone who lives it. There is a phrase our community uses: 'Leedsforever'. Now I know exactly what it means.

Would you recommend Leeds University Business School?

Absolutely. Leeds is everything you could ask for and the Business School is the place where ambitions turn into careers. Take the leap. Say yes to the group project with people from cultures you know nothing about. Volunteer. Ask questions. Get lost in the city and find yourself in it. Leeds changed my life, and it can