Meet the dream team of MBA admissions experts
Insider expertise. Tailored strategy. Proven results.
Our team’s collective insight gives you a decisive edge.
We are a dream team of former admissions directors and senior professionals from the world’s top business schools, and are the most experienced MBA admissions team in the business. We are consistently one of the two top admissions consulting firms in the world, according to Poets&Quants.
When you partner with Fortuna, thanks to our collaborative approach, you don’t just get a dedicated coach – you get the collective intelligence of our entire team.
Fortuna Founders
Judith Silverman Hodara
Former Head of MBA Admissions at Wharton
Matt Symonds
Global Education Expert | Columnist for Forbes & The Economist
Caroline Diarte Edwards
Former Director of Admissions at INSEAD
Fortuna Coaches
Heidi Hillis
Director
Stanford GSB Alum & Former MBA Admissions Interviewer
Karla Cohen
Director
MBA admissions experience from Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, and INSEAD
Patty Keegan
Director
Former Associate Dean at Chicago Booth and Stanford GSB Admissions Committee member
Michel Belden
Director
Former Associate Director of Admissions at Wharton
Emma Bond
Director
Former Admissions Senior Manager at LBS & #1 Ranked Admissions Coach by Poets&Quants
DéJeune Antoine
Expert Coach
Harvard Law School & Harvard Business School Alum
Silpa Sarma
Senior Expert Coach
Former Stanford GSB Admissions Reader & Cornell Johnson MBA
Malvina Miller Complainville
Senior Expert Coach
Former Assistant Director of Career Services at HBS
Bill Kooser
Director
Former Associate Dean at Chicago Booth
Maren Savage
Senior Expert Coach
Former Admissions Reader at Stanford GSB & UC Berkeley Haas & Stanford GSB Alum
Taniel Chan
Expert Coach
Former HBS Admissions & Financial Aid Advisory Board Member
Melissa Jones
Senior Expert Coach
Former INSEAD Admissions Assistant Director & #1 Ranked Admissions Coach by Poets&Quants
Tatiana Nemo
Senior Expert Coach
Stanford GSB Alum & Former MBA Admissions Interviewer
Alterrell Mills
Expert Coach
Harvard Business School Alum
Catherine Tuttle
Expert Coach
Former Associate Director at Duke Fuqua
Rachel Erickson Hee
Senior Expert Coach
Stanford GSB Alum & Former MBA Admissions Interviewer
Cassandra Pittman
Senior Expert Coach
Former INSEAD & LBS Admissions & CBS MBA Alum
Bob Alig
Director
Former Director of MBA Admissions & Financial Aid at Wharton
Melissa Kate Joelson
Expert Coach
Former Director of Communications at INSEAD
Maya Howe
Expert Coach
Harvard Grad School Coach
Jonathan Masland
Director
Former Executive Director of Career Services at Tuck; Wharton-Lauder Alum
Peter Johnson
Director
Former Assistant Dean of the Full-time MBA Program at Berkeley Haas
Dylan Kahn
Expert Coach
Former HBS Admissions Team Member & Harvard Alum
Julie Ferguson
Senior Expert Coach
Former Senior Associate Director at Chicago Booth & Team Member at Wharton
Michael Malone
Director
Former Associate Dean at Columbia Business School
Rebecca Fogg
Expert Coach
Harvard Business School Alum & Yale Admissions Interviewer
Karen Ponte
Expert Coach
Former Senior Program Manager at London Business School
Jody Keating
Expert Coach
Former Career Coach at Wharton & Georgetown
Randall Sawyer
Director
Former Assistant Dean of Admissions at Cornell Johnson
Jayne Mulcahy
Expert Coach
Former MBA Admissions Team Member at Kellogg
Corey Hester
Expert Coach
Dartmouth Tuck & Harvard Law School Admissions Team Member
Emy Han
Expert Coach
Harvard Business School Alum
Trisha Nussbaum
Expert Coach
Tech Consultant, Former Google Talent Coach, & NYU Stern MBA Alum
Nicole Gehrmann
Expert Coach
Former Alumni Careers Director at Columbia Business School
Sharon Joyce
Senior Expert Coach
Former UC Berkeley Haas Admissions Director
Preeti Taterway
Expert Coach
Wharton MBA alumna, Entrepreneur and 9+ Years of MBA Admissions Consulting Experience
Top-ranked Global MBA Admissions Consulting Firm
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Frequently Asked Questions
Our team is made up of former admissions directors and senior professionals from the world’s top business schools, including HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, Kellogg, INSEAD, and more. We bring insider insights, institutional knowledge, and a collaborative approach that’s unmatched in the industry.
We take into account your goals, background, target schools, and working style to match you with the coach who’s the best fit to support your success. If you have a specific coach in mind, we’ll do our best to accommodate your preference, depending on availability.
Yes. Many clients benefit from our team-based approach. With our All-Inclusive Application Package, you’ll be matched with both a primary coach and a senior advisor, offering you complementary perspectives on your candidacy and applications.
If you’re working with us on an hourly basis, you also have the option to divide your hours between more than one coach — although most clients choose to work primarily with one person. Behind the scenes, we collaborate closely as a team, so even if you’re working one-on-one, your coach can tap into the full Fortuna brain trust on your behalf when needed.
Very likely! Our bench includes former decision-makers from nearly every top MBA program. If you’re targeting a specific school, chances are we’ve been on the inside of that admissions committee.
Not necessarily. While we do have former gatekeepers from nearly every top school, what matters most is finding the right coach to support your unique background, goals, and working style. Our coaches have extensive experience coaching applicants to the full range of top MBA programs — and a strong track record of success across schools, not just where they worked previously.
We also collaborate closely behind the scenes, so your coach is constantly exchanging insights with others on the team. That means you benefit from deep institutional knowledge and a collective brain trust, no matter who you work with.
Our team maintains strong connections across the business school community. Many of our coaches are former admissions professionals who remain active in the space and in touch with former colleagues. We regularly speak with schools to stay informed about policy updates, shifting priorities, and evolving application trends. This ongoing dialogue helps ensure that our advice is current, strategic, and aligned with what admissions committees are really looking for.
No – we also support applicants targeting Executive MBA, Master’s in Finance (MiF), Master’s in Management (MiM), deferred enrollment programs, law school programs, and more.
Each year, our clients are admitted to M7 schools and other top-tier global programs, at at least triple the average admissions rates,often with substantial scholarships.
Start with a free consultation. We’ll talk through your goals and recommend the coach or package that makes the most sense based on your needs.
We’re a global team with coaches in North America, Europe and Asia. No matter your time zone, we’ll find a way to make it work.
We’re highly selective in building our team. Most of our coaches are former admissions professionals from top business schools like HBS, Stanford GSB, Wharton, INSEAD, and LBS. Many were directors or senior members of the admissions committee. Several of us worked together or knew each other when we worked at these institutions; often our recruits come through our extensive school networks. Every recruit is selected not just for their credentials and admissions insight, but also for their coaching skills, empathy, and commitment to our collaborative ethos. If you are interested in joining the Fortuna team, reach out to us at info@fortunaadmissions.com.
Get candid feedback and strategic advice from former MBA admissions decision-makers.



