Paying It Forward
Wisconsin helped Ann Schwister launch a career in global business, and now she’s helping others BY ROBERT KELLY | PHOTO BY PAUL L. NEWBY II
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s a student at the Wisconsin School of Business, Ann Schwister (BBA ’89) dreamed of an international career, and she found the perfect fit with Procter & Gamble. After meeting with company recruiters at the School, she began her career at P&G after graduation, working in the U.S., China, and Puerto Rico. “When you work in a company like P&G, you work with people from many different countries and cultures, and having an understanding of different cultures and environments is very important to getting results,” she says. Schwister now serves as the finance and accounting vice president for the North American region. No matter where she has lived, she has always maintained strong ties to the WSB. “My education at the Wisconsin School of Business is foundational to who I’ve become,” Schwister says. “My coursework built technical skills, and I built leadership skills through involvement in campus organizations and internships. This has opened up many
“I’m passionate about ensuring students have a diverse environment in which to learn. The School has made tremendous progress in this area.” —ANN SCHWISTER (BBA ’89) FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING VICE PRESIDENT, P&G
wonderful opportunities, and I want to give fellow Business Badgers similar experiences.” Schwister leads P&G’s recruiting efforts at the School, which bring her to campus two or three times a year. She looks for candidates who can “lead change and sort through vast quantities of data, draw conclusions, and figure out the way forward,” and stresses the importance of cultural competency at a global company like P&G. She volunteers her time on several boards at the School, including the
20 | UW–Madison Wisconsin School of Business
Diversity Advisory Board and the Dean’s Advisory Board. “I’m passionate about ensuring students have a diverse environment in which to learn,” she says. “The School has made tremendous progress in this area. Under the dean’s leadership, a comprehensive diversity plan was developed that is now woven into the fabric of the School.” She says her connection to the School gives her something very important—access to the latest business trends and exciting