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Sandra Estefania Ullrich Gavilanes

BSc Electrical Engineering & Computer Science | 2010

Nationality: Ecuadorian

Graduate School: Master in European Business, École supérieure de commerce de Paris Europe

Current Position:  Head of Controlling, Westwing, Munich, Germany
Position at time of interview: Pricing Specialist, Texas Instruments, Munich, Germany

In my current role, I am in charge of 3 customer accounts in the industrial and automotive sectors each with a different procurement strategy, and in total >200m EUR sales revenue for TI. I am also responsible for competitive pricing of devices to support revenue opportunities. I also lead annual face-to-face price negotiations with assigned accounts for over 5,000 different devices as authorized TI representative.

 

Tell us about your life.

I studied at the SEK International School of Quito, Ecuador, an Ecuadorian school based on a Spanish curriculum. I obtained an IB Diploma as well as an Ecuadorian Baccalaureate. I then attended Jacobs University where I received a merit scholarship for the duration of my studies. During my time at Jacobs, I also received a DAAD scholarship in representation of the Jacobs Cheerleading Team. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

“Jacobs also gave me the opportunity to get involved in many activities and sports, which I had not considered and gave me friends who, in the long run, became also my family at a home away from home.“

Sandra Estefania Ullrich Gavilanes

Later on, I worked for some months in the Jacobs Admissions Office and then went to pursue a Masters in European Business at ESCP Europe. During my Masters, I lived for 1 semester in Madrid, 1 semester in London, and wrote my thesis/ did my internship in Munich at a Mergers and Acquisitions Boutique. I graduated from my Masters summa cum laude. Then I went on to work for Texas Instruments. Before my current position, I completed the ACCESS program, which is a 3-year program in the Finance and Operations department consisting of 1-year rotations in different roles.

What do your days look like currently?

On a normal day, I wake up, get ready, have breakfast and drive to work. My work varies day to day, but in general, as soon as I arrive, I check my pricing quote workflow and my pending emails for something urgent. Then I work on my pending items. My work requires quite a lot of contact with different teams and people so I always have the chance to learn something new. If this is a day during annual price negotiations, I mainly work with the sales team and customer to prepare for the face-to-face negotiations. I have lunch at work in the canteen and in the evening around 17:30 drive back to Munich where I go to the gym or home to catch up on Netflix :)

What attracted you to Jacobs out of all the other possibilities you were considering?

I applied to several universities in the US, Canada and Europe; however Jacobs was always my first choice. Since the first time I found out about this university from an alumni presentation at my high school I fell in love. The idea of an international university with so many different nationalities, where you could study sciences but still have interdisciplinary courses and a live on campus experience really struck a chord.

What did Jacobs do for you that you were not expecting?

When I was admitted to Jacobs University, I knew I wanted to attend but was not sure what to study - I had so far always applied for a business administration Bachelors. However, when Jacobs did not have that major, I was pushed out of my comfort zone to find something I wanted to study. In the end, I studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science which was something I would have not expected before. Jacobs also gave me the opportunity to get involved in many activities and sports, which I had not considered and gave me friends who, in the long run, became also my family at a home away from home.

Disclaimer
As Jacobs has adopted changes in curricula over the years, some of the study programs the alumni have been in might no longer be offered. However, the elements of interdisciplinarity, woven in with diverse perspectives to foster a holistic education, is and will always be the principle that 
governs all of the study programs Jacobs offers. Alumni featured on this website may have studied different subjects, but their appreciation for Jacobs, their journey at Jacobs, and their journey beyond Jacobs stays the same.