Alumni spotlight: Gretchen Guest-Alessi

Gretchen Guest-Alessi, an alumna from the Mike Ilitch School of Business, is the purchasing manager for Global Wheels and Tires at Ford Motor Company.

She is also currently the lead recruiter for Ford Purchasing at Wayne State, as well as a mentor for the Ilitch School’s Corporate Mentor Program.

Guest-Alessi received her MBA from WSU with a concentration in international business.

“The team building skills that I developed from working on the group projects and the knowledge that I gained about working in the Global Market are used daily in my current job,” she said. “Most of the WSU professors had real world experiences that they shared with the class, which allowed us to employ those strategies immediately in our work environment.”

The Corporate Mentor program is a formal mentoring program that focuses on one-on-one relationships to help participating business students develop a professional identity and a clearer vision for their career path.

Guest-Alessi said it is very rewarding for her to be a mentor and she enjoys participating in the program.

“Since we started the program in September, I have met with my mentee, Zara, on a regular basis and have been able to discover her goals for finishing school and finding employment, as well as offer her my insights on interviewing and share my career experiences.”

“It has been very rewarding for me to have a sense of “paying it forward” and contributing to Zara’s long term success.”

For students who are interested in a purchasing career, Guest-Alessi had some words of advice.

“Interpersonal skills are critical in the purchasing environment,” she said. “To be able to work as part of a team and communicate clearly and effectively in a high pressure situation is necessary in order to deliver results.”

The Mike Ilitch School of Business is now accepting student applications for the Corporate Mentor Program. To apply, please click here.

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