From Latin America to Rotterdam: Your Global MBA Journey at RSM

María Paula Moreno is an MBA alumna from Rotterdam School of Management, with a concentration in sustainability and a background in consumer behavior and market research. Before RSM, she spent over six years working in quantitative consumer research and innovation projects across Latin America, supporting companies mainly in consumer goods with data-driven decisions on products, communication and brand design. During her MBA, she served as President of the Student Association Board, representing her cohort, coordinating 10 clubs, and supporting communication with the MBA Office, which strengthened her multicultural leadership and stakeholder management skills.

She also took part in consulting projects with KLM Health Services and Triodos during the Living Management Project and an advanced course respectively, combining research, analysis and consulting in business contexts related to sustainability and ESG. She feels energized by understanding how, from her role at work, she can help different businesses and teams implement strategies that take social and environmental impact into account, and she is currently in that exploration and learning process. She is excited to share her RSM experience – the highlights, the challenges, and what she wishes she had known at the beginning – to support new students as they start their own journey.

José Miguel Polanco (class of 2024) is a business development professional in the renewable energy sector. With more than eight years of international experience in sales and market development, he currently works in Mars Renewable as Sales Manager offering energy storage solutions, focusing on commercial and industrial battery projects with EPCs across the Benelux market. Previously, he was a Business Developer at Solarplaza in Rotterdam, where he built relationships with stakeholders from the global solar industry while commercializing renewable energy conferences and networking events around the world.

Before transitioning into energy and moving to Europe, Jose worked in sales leadership roles in cosmetics in Colombia and Peru and began his career in multimedia journalism in the United States. Having lived in eight countries and being trilingual, the Netherlands has become a true expat haven where José feels at home.

Thania Villena is an MBA graduate from RSM 2026 and a business professional from Peru with experience in strategy, sourcing, business development, and technology-driven solutions.

Currently working in ING Bank in a Delivery Management- Payments for the Wholesale Banking.

Before pursuing her MBA in the Netherlands, she built her career in Latin America working on strategic sourcing (payments landscape) for Financial Institutions and loyalty programs partnerships in BCP and Credicorp Companies.

At RSM, Thania focused and lead the strategic and consulting MBA Club, collaborating on projects addressing real challenges in the Dutch ecosystem.

Thania enjoys open-water swimming and exploring nature.