Maria Lewis

I started my career in the higher education space, spending 6 years in undergraduate and MBA admissions roles at New York University, including at the Stern School of Business. Sitting on admissions committees, I evaluated, interviewed, and rendered admissions decisions for thousands of candidates from diverse walks of life and represented NYU throughout the continental US, China, India, the UAE, and the UK. I also helped launch, position, market, and recruit for various new programs, including 1-year MBAs in Tech and Fashion & Luxury, degree-granting campuses in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, and undergraduate programs in Global Public Health and Real Estate. My corporate experience includes HR, marketing, and strategy roles at startups and major companies, such as Nova Credit (VC-backed fintech), American Express, Hilton, William Morris Endeavor (WME), and Westfield. As head of the People function at Nova Credit, I served as HR lead for a distributed workforce, partnering with executives, managers, and individual contributors, structuring performance cycles and compensation, and facilitating performance management, leadership development, and employee relations. At Westfield and WME, I built and managed talent and career development programs, launching and leading Westfield’s US International Graduate Program (IGP) and overseeing career progression for WME’s Assistant through Agent population. I am a double alum of NYU, where I received a BS in Media, Culture, and Communication and an MBA with Strategy and Marketing specializations from the Stern School of Business. I am also an ICF-certified coach (ACC), Certified Executive Coach (CEC), certified Hogan Assessments practitioner, and hold an SPHR certification from HRCI. A New Jersey native and New Yorker of 12 years, I moved to Los Angeles in 2018, where I’m currently based.