Valerie Kutsch

MIT Sloan School of Management, MBA

Valerie grew up on a small farm in Bozeman, Montana. She graduated and commissioned from the United States Military Academy in 2015 as a Military Intelligence Officer. During five years of service, developing and leading teams has been the core of her military experience. Most recently, she spends several years supporting special operations in 1st Special Forces Group.

Witnessing the impact that good planning can have on effective disaster response, both in Chile and Afghanistan, Valerie realized there is a long way to go to effectively coordinate and respond to disaster situations across cultural barriers. Her proximity to a suicide bomber who detonated his vest on a US base necessitated her involvement in the immediate response and military intelligence follow-up. She credits her disaster response experience as one of the motivations of her desire to work in crisis management.

Valerie is pursuing an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management while also continuing to serve in the Army Reserves. After her studies, Valerie hopes to make an impact by optimizing supply chains in emergency situations.