Residence: Burr Ridge, Ill.
Education: BS in accounting, alumnus of the Strobel Honors Program
Occupation: Finance director in immunology forecasting at AbbVie, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Chicago.
Why I chose DePaul: I absolutely loved my experience at DePaul. As a student, I was actively involved in the DePaul chapter of the honor society Beta Alpha Psi, which gave me the opportunity to network with professionals in the field. I chose DePaul because it’s in the heart of the city. I remember visiting the Loop Campus as a high school student and seeing the names of the companies and organizations on the wall in the DePaul Center. DePaul’s connections to corporate partners and the fact that they offered me a substantial scholarship is what led me to choose DePaul over other universities I was considering at the time.
Career path: In my role at AbbVie, I am responsible for leading the forecasting efforts for the company’s immunology franchise, which has more than $60 billion in sales. I’ve held various positions at AbbVie since I began working there, including director of internal audit and director of enterprise strategies in which I worked on the acquisition of a billion-dollar company called Allergan, a maker of Botox. Prior to working at AbbVie, I was recruited by Abbott Laboratories, where I worked for several years. At Abbott, I had the opportunity to travel to more than 30 countries to learn about the company’s international affiliates as part of a two-year rotation in the audit practice.
What I like best about my job: Working with people all across the globe from different cultures and different backgrounds to ultimately deliver products that impact patients’ lives. Prior to my current role, I worked in market research for AbbVie. I sat behind the glass watching doctors talk about their patients who have diseases such as Crohn’s. A lot of the folks who have worked at AbbVie have worked here for 20 to 25 years, which is rare. I’ve been here for 18 years. The reason people stay is because you’re making a difference in people’s health, and it’s just a good place to work.
How and why I stay connected to DePaul’s business college: I joined the board of Ledger & Quill about three years ago, and served as a judge for the Goglin Data Analytics Case Competition in 2022 and 2021. Data analytics skills can be a big differentiator for students who pursue careers in accounting. More importantly, what I like to focus on in those competitions is not only the technical side of data analytics but then being able to take that information and tell a story.
The reason I wanted to get more involved with DePaul was because I remember the impact that working professionals had on me as a student. I very distinctly remember how motivated I was when someone from Deloitte or Abbott at the time came in and had conversations with me about their career journey. The insights from those professionals really shaped the way I wanted to pursue my career. I’m a first-generation student, so everything I learned about the corporate world was through DePaul, through internships and the people I met.
My advice for new graduates: Always continue to learn, even after you leave school, and find ways to continue developing. Network as much as you can, meet people and get comfortable at taking risks.
By Jaclyn Lansbery