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ALUM Spotlight Regenia Sanders '95,
M.M.T.L. '99

As a Marshall Fellow, Regenia Sanders joined a distinguished group of young business leaders from the U.S. and Europe to tour several European nations as part of an economic and cultural exchange. "I had an incredible opportunity to have one-on-one meetings with heads of the chambers of commerce, and commodities and trades, in all of the cities that I visited," Regenia said. "I think individuals in corporate America need to be more aware of public, domestic and foreign policy. I gained an appreciation of all of the data points that can and should influence decision making."

Q. How were you selected for the German Marshall Fellowship?

A. The German Marshall Fund got its genesis in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance after WWII. The fellowship was created in 1982 to introduce a new generation of European leaders to America’s institutions, policies and people. In 1999, a companion program was launched to expose future U.S. leaders to a changing and expanding Europe. Each year, approximately 57 professional emerging leaders between 28 and 40 are selected. I was introduced to the program from an Accenture colleague, Jeff Hancock (senior manager, Atlanta) who was a fellow a few years prior. He suggested that I was a perfect fit for the program. After Jeff’s nomination, I went through the application process and screening, then interviews and the rest is history.

Q. Please describe some of your experiences touring Europe.

A. I experienced a myriad of emotions while traveling through Europe. What sticks out in my mind the most were the ‘aha’ moments when something was said during our briefings or conversations that either challenged my own thinking or made me think of something that I’d never even considered before. The cities that I toured were Brussels, Belgium; Frankfurt, Germany; Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey; Prague, Czech Republic; and finally Berlin, Germany. These cities provided varied experiences from learning about the European Union in Brussels, extending that view to more of an economic perspective at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, being absolutely fascinated by the co-existence of Western civilization in a Muslim culture in Turkey, being inspired by the energy and challenges with establishing a democracy in the Czech Republic, to finally feeling a huge sense of patriotism in Berlin where U.S. influence of democracy is so prevalent. In each of these cities, I was able to sample the culture and see some of the good and bad of society, such as the challenges they face with immigration and discrimination, but also the non-governmental organizations and government agencies that are working to incite positive change. Throughout the entire experience and interaction with the people, I was reminded just how much more alike we are than different.

Q. What is your role at Accenture?

A. I'm a senior manager in Accenture's Supply Chain Management Group, where I manage medium- to large-scale business and systems transformation projects for companies in industrial manufacturing such as Siemens, Caterpillar, etc. I am responsible for the business-process design work as well as leading the systems implementations. I am also the location lead for the African-American Interest Group in Accenture's Atlanta office.

Q. Did Auburn prepare you for your career?

A. My time at Auburn definitely prepared me for my career. Studying engineering for both undergrad and grad school at Auburn equipped me with the problem-solving acumen and industry knowledge that has helped me in my role leading projects at traditional 'engineering' companies. In addition, while on campus, I was involved in a number of leadership positions with SGA as well as campus organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers, which has been a huge contributor to my leadership skills in corporate America.

Q. What is your favorite Auburn memory?

A. I have many favorite memories at Auburn. One of my favorite Auburn memories is Midnight Madness at the coliseum. Staying up late, then walking over from the Hill and meeting up with friends from the Quad as we stood in line to see the debut of our basketball team.