Meet Rose Martinelli, An Original Forté Board Member

From opera singer to dean of admissions at top business schools to higher ed consulting, Rose Martinelli has built a career on the belief that every woman has a right to leadership – she just has to do the work.  

Early Forté Support: Do Something, Don’t Sit Back and Watch

Tell me how and when you first got involved with Forté. 

I was one of the original founding members before we knew we were Forté. When I was an associate dean at the Wharton School in 2000, I became part of a team, along with other leaders of top business schools [including Elyssa Sangster, Forté’s current CEO], who were talking about the Catalyst report. It highlighted the lack of women in business school and in the corporate world, and the problem we wanted to solve was, “What do we do about women comprising just 25% of enrollees at business school?”

What was it about Forté’s mission to get more women leading that interested you?

Somebody has to do something – you can’t just sit back and watch. I wanted to engage with women, demystify what an MBA was, and help them succeed in the application process. Early on, I raised awareness among corporate leaders that women have every right to play a role in leadership – and not just corporate leadership, but leadership period. While some schools have achieved gender enrollment parity, we still haven’t achieved parity in the C-suite, but the pipeline is filling up and the future is bright.

Are there other ways, besides Forté, that you have supported equity for women in business? 

Although women are not at the highest levels of leadership equitably, there has been a huge shift since the days when we were at 5%. People have to become aware that they are doing things that are not inclusive for women, and my job is to speak up and call out patterns of patriarchy and of gender bias. I also actively mentor women at all career stages – you have to reach back and carry people along with you.

Career Path: Temp Job Led to New Career

What are your current professional activities? 

I am at Huron Consulting, a firm with expertise in higher education and health care. As part of the student and academic strategy practice, I focus on enrollment, career student success, academic structure, and growth strategy of institutions, for example.

I see that you studied music at Northwestern as an undergrad. How did you become interested in higher ed and business, and which came first?

After graduating with undergraduate and master’s degrees in music, I was an opera singer for over a decade. Then I landed a temp job at the University of Pennsylvania in the office of the president, the first female president of an Ivy League institution. I was a temp for three months then an executive assistant then an associate director and, over that time, I got to know the deans of all the Schools. One day, the associate dean of Wharton called and offered me a position as associate director of admissions, and eventually I was promoted to director.

You can’t be at the table unless people invite you there, so relationships are important for women to get invited to different tables.”

What is it about business, and higher ed/MBA programs, that attracted you?

I like problem solving, and business is about looking at problems using different lenses. An MBA gives women opportunities that they wouldn’t get otherwise because there is a level of respect in having the credential. You can’t be at the table unless people invite you there, so relationships are important to ensure that women get invited to different tables. Through my MBA, I gained a credential and a network that are universally recognized.

Is there anything you would do differently on your career journey?

One of the things I have underestimated is the importance and power of networking. I am an introvert and used to believe that my talent and capabilities should speak for themselves. They don’t. Everyone else defines you, so if you don’t define yourself, success doesn’t happen as quickly. I would’ve benefitted more from networking sooner in my career. In business, and even as an opera singer, relationships come first, and talent is second.

Early Years: Her Mom Invested in Her Differences

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up in Aurora, Illinois, an hour outside of Chicago. I was one of six kids, and I am a first- generation American and the first to go to college in my family.

Was there anyone particularly (parents, teachers, bosses, etc.) who helped to shape your professional path? 

Both of my parents were role models in different ways. My dad was a role model for hard work and effort. He came over from Italy with nothing and eventually started his own concrete construction company while raising six kids. My mom’s belief in me nurtured my intellectual side. I was more introverted and academically minded than a lot of other kids, and she took me to voice, piano, and French horn lessons. I went to my first opera with her, and when I looked at colleges, she encouraged me to apply for scholarships. My mom allowed me to be fully myself, and she invested in my differences.

Did you ever dream about a different career at a young age?

I wanted to be a professional singer, but I landed where I could never have imagined. After getting into higher ed and becoming the dean of admissions at Wharton, I traveled the world, and it completely changed me. India is one of the most transformative places I have been. I was in awe of the extraordinary character of the people, the food, and the cultural diversity, in addition to enormous poverty.

Advice: Be the Glue

What advice do you have for a woman thinking about applying to business school?

Do your homework, know your talents, learn what schools are competitive for you, and understand why you want to go. Don’t be anonymous, and be sure to engage with schools you are interested in.

What advice do you have for a woman who is about to start her MBA?

Apply yourself, grades matter, but don’t miss participating in networking. Engage with your peers and your colleagues because they will be important throughout your entire career. They will help open doors for you, so invest your time in developing relationships. I have never applied for a job. They just happened because getting jobs is relationship-based.

You need to be the glue that connects individual people to teams. When you create a thriving team rather than just focus on yourself, the results are always better.”

What advice do you have for a woman just starting out in her career in business?

Build relationships with people at all career levels – above, next to, and below you. You need to be the glue that connects individual people to teams. When you create a thriving team rather than just focus on yourself, the results are always better.

Personal Pursuits: Be Present

Is there anything on your “bucket list” you’d be willing to share? 

I am getting ready to retire in the next couple of years, and I want to travel back to some of the places I visited early in my career. I also want to be more involved with my local community, my church, and support my love of animals.

How do you spend your time when you are not working?
I love to walk, bike, hike, garden, visit local restaurants and listen to music.

Anything else you’d like to share?
I think there are different ways to give. We can give personal resources to help others, and our presence is also a gift. We are often so busy that we are only marginally present, but being present is one of the best gifts we can give each other.