Chloe do Rosario is Business Development and Creative Marketing Manager at Amazon Australia and an MBA (’26) graduate from the University of Sydney Business School.
When she began the MBA in 2023, she was working as an Experiential Marketing Manager at Canva. Rather than viewing the MBA as a pathway to an immediate promotion or salary increase, Chloe made a deliberate investment in the capabilities she believed would shape the next stage of her career.
I always saw an MBA as an investment in my long-term potential.
Chloe do Rosario
MBA ('26) alumnus
Investing in long-term career growth
A decade into her career, Chloe felt professionally settled but recognised she needed broader business capability to reach senior leadership. While she was leading complex experiential marketing projects at Canva, she had limited exposure to long-term strategy and wanted stronger foundations in finance, leadership and decision-making. She also believed many senior leaders possessed one advantage she lacked.
“I felt that an MBA might help bolster my resume, in that respect: when I didn't have the international experience.”
Like many prospective MBA candidates, Chloe briefly questioned whether she belonged in the program. The biggest barrier wasn't cost, workload or timing; it was confidence.
“Am I good enough?”
As she progressed through the application process, that doubt quickly faded, reinforcing that she was ready to take the next step.
What is the return on investment of an MBA?
For Chloe, the MBA's return on investment has been measured in both career outcomes and long-term capability. Although she expected the value to emerge later in her career, opportunities arrived sooner than anticipated.
Shortly after commencing the MBA, Chloe moved into a role with a global remit. The international experience she once saw as a gap in her resume was to become part of her working life, with exposure to markets across Asia, the United States and Europe.
“Interestingly, the international experience I thought I didn't have all came to fruition in the first two years of me completing my studies because I did take on that new role.”
Alongside broader career opportunities, the MBA equipped Chloe with practical business frameworks that strengthened her strategic thinking, financial literacy and decision-making. Learning alongside professionals from diverse industries challenged her assumptions, while structured discussions and assignments sharpened her ability to communicate with greater clarity, evidence and confidence.
The program also redefined leadership for Chloe. Rather than seeing leadership as something that comes with a title, she developed the confidence to influence, question assumptions and contribute more strategically to complex business decisions.
“A leader is influential, someone respected, someone informed – and that doesn’t necessarily come with a job title.”
Looking back, Chloe believes the MBA has delivered exactly the kind of return she hoped for. Career progression and increased earning potential are tangible outcomes, but the greatest return has been developing the strategic mindset, confidence and leadership capability that continue to compound throughout her career.