(Photo courtesy of Alison Wehr)
The marketing department at Temple University’s Fox School of Business strives to ensure their graduates are prepared to become the industry thought-leaders of tomorrow.
This means equipping their students to be clear communicators, team leaders, problem solvers and innovative thinkers.
Alison “Ali” Wehr, class of 2019, checks all those boxes.
Born and raised in Palmyra, PA, Wehr is a stellar example of how she turned the marketing skills she gained at the Fox School into success just five years after graduation.
First drawn to Temple’s Main Campus through her father’s encouragement as a Temple alum, she began as a mathematics major but decided to switch to marketing when a specific area of study caught her interest.
“When I first learned about consumer insights and research, I was really drawn to how interesting it was to study the data of consumer behavior and connect that to conclusive market trends,” Wehr says.
“I was grateful that, even though I was moving away from mathematics, I could still utilize some of the mathematical concepts I had already developed when I became a marketing major with focus on consumer insights.”
Once she was on track to studying data analytics, she continued her success in the classroom, particularly in the courses that most aligned with her goals and interests.
“I recall some of my courses like ‘consumer behavior,’ ‘customer data analytics’ and ‘marketing strategy’ standing out as my favorites and really shaping my entry into the industry,” Wehr says.
“Fox prepared me in so many ways to find success in my role … being sure to form connections and network with others—those are concepts that will always stay with me in my career.”
Today, Wehr serves as a senior business analyst on the consumer insights and analytics team at Qurate Retail Group, the parent company of the television networks QVC and HSN. Her role specializes in working to report, research and analyze the trends of consumers and viewership with the goal of providing important information to her team leaders and company partners.
Almost daily, she still utilizes many of the valuable lessons she learned at Fox.
“Fox prepared me in so many ways to find success in my role,” Wehr says. “I still often remind myself the important strategies I learned like being a good communicator for my team and what that looks like, having an openness to trying new marketing trends or ideas, making sure I am prioritizing my deadlines and keeping on top of my busy calendar and always being sure to form connections and network with others—those are concepts that will always stay with me in my career.”
In addition to learning these crucial lessons in the classroom, part of her industry preparedness came from other student opportunities. Wehr was heavily involved in the Temple University chapter of American Marketing Association (TU-AMA), a Student Professional Organization (SPO).
TU-AMA provides its members with integral professional development and preparation to enter the marketing industry through a variety of careers. This is done through hosting speaker sessions, workshops, conferences, networking events and more.
“Beyond my degree itself, I don’t think I had a more impactful experience on campus than my time in the American Marketing Association,” Wehr says. “My time within the chapter taught me valuable leadership lessons and confirmed the importance of being a strong communicator and ability to work well with others in a team setting.
“It really was a perfect way to practice and get experience with everything that was being taught in the classroom—I highly recommend that any marketing student get involved in the chapter.”
First joining as a sophomore, Wehr served as the chapter’s director of membership administration and case competition project lead in her senior year. As a project lead, Wehr led a team comprised of chapter members to compete at the International Collegiate Conference hosted annually by the American Marketing Association in New Orleans.
“Leading the team during my senior year was one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic and even my professional career,” Wehr says. “I was so proud to represent our chapter, and it definitely helped shape me into the professional I am today.”
Today, as Wehr continues to excel in the marketing industry, the department recognizes her success and hopes it can inspire current students in the major.
“I knew Ali was destined for success in her career through what I saw from her in the classroom—she always brought her best to class and surely inspired others, too,” says Jennifer Sundstrom-Fitzgerald, EMBA, assistant professor in the department of marketing.
“She was a joy to have in the classroom and is stellar example for what we hope all students within our major can achieve, both here at Fox and once they enter the professional industry in their futures.”
“It brings me great joy to see the impact she is making within her company and that she attributes some of her success to the lessons learned through the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff,” says Joydeep Srivastava, chair of the marketing department.
As she continues her career, she acknowledges that she will always feel gratitude for what the Temple community offered her.
“Every time I come to campus, I am reminded of the energy that resonates within the community,” Wehr says. “I am still fortunate to be involved in the alumni association and always encourage current students to reach out and connect—I am always open to helping anyway I can within this industry.
“Fox was the first place that helped me realize the possibilities that I could achieve for myself, and for that I will always be thankful.”