Ana Margarita Olivos

Ana Margarita Olivos came to Penn’s Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics program from a small town called Calamas in the northern part of Chile. She ran her own organizational development firm that offered programs to individuals as well as public and private companies. As she explains it, “I helped my clients define and develop their professional interests” and Ana also explored how she could develop her own professional interests.

“I was looking for a master’s degree program related to organizational dynamics and I found it at Penn. I then secured funding from Chile’s Ministry of Education which underwrites international education so scholars can return and make an impact on our country’s developmental momentum. Once approved, my husband and I sold our home and moved to Philadelphia with our two daughters.

It was important for me to gain specific skills that I could transfer back to my home. Business in Chile has become so global that international companies face far fewer barriers to entering the country’s copper mining and agricultural industries. With the increase in multiculturalism, our local firms will have to manage complex operational change.

With my experiences in the Organizational Dynamics program, I’ve been able to gain new perspective on how the ability to recover and adapt to change–or resilience–can be integrated into the operational make-up of an organization. I know that Chileans already possess this capacity for resilience, given our country’s history of natural disasters and complex political issues. The program allowed me to also explore how I can help Chilean businesses create a workplace culture that fosters a commitment to continuous training as well as a mindfulness of the consequences that come from refusing to adapt.

Because of Organizational Dynamics, I know that it is possible to develop a highly effective organization that can co-exist in an environment that has high-risk for continuous challenges and need for change.”