Erin Nixon’s friends have taken to referring to her as a “triple dipper,” a nod toward the fact that Nixon is returning to Stanford for a third time. Having earned both her undergraduate and MBA degrees on the Farm, Nixon arrived in July as the new assistant dean for admissions at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“As you can imagine, it’s an interesting blend of feeling familiar and yet completely new,” she says. “I bump into faculty and staff I got to know years ago, which always brings me joy. I am digging up memories of study sessions in the Green Library stacks, dinner parties in Schwab, and early morning runs around Lake Lag.

“And yet so much is different. The GSB campus is new since I graduated. There’s tremendous energy from students here with new perspectives and professional aspirations. So much in the world has changed, including for me personally, so now I am also seeing everything with fresh eyes.”

It is Nixon’s first professional role in higher education after a 20-year career spent mostly in strategy and operations. Nixon has built and managed teams across multiple industries and international locations. After five years at Boston Consulting Group, she joined LinkedIn, where she was responsible for growing the global talent brand business, overseeing a team based in 18 countries around the world.

She then pivoted, opening a popular wine bar and restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. There, she also worked as a strategy and operations leader and advisor for several startups and small businesses, including a tech-enabled mental health provider and a digital marketing and brand agency for wine and spirits.

What attracted you to this admissions role?

For me, it comes down to three things. First, I love how this role aligns with my purpose and values. It connects potential with opportunity and enables others to live the fullest, most impactful version of their lives. So, I feel committed to the work we are doing every day.

Second, as a strategy and operations professional, I like the work to be done. I get to roll up my sleeves with a talented and passionate team to build a new class each year. I also like the diversity of work, from reaching out to prospective students, to reading applications, to overseeing our interview process, to hosting Admit Weekend, to helping admitted students access financial aid. Plus, I love that we get to connect with wonderful people around the world, from applicants to students to alumni, in service of building the GSB community.

Finally, I love Stanford. I love being a part of the energy and community here.

You have been both an executive and entrepreneur in international settings. How will that experience help you in your new role?

I think a useful toolkit gets developed when working across a variety of experiences – the ability to assess any problem or opportunity by breaking it down, quickly understanding and evaluating viable options, and aligning on a path forward. The international experience has taught me to be flexible in my thinking and curious about new contexts and cultures, all while learning how to adapt.

Plus, I’ve gotten good experience over the years walking into many different kinds of rooms and learning how to connect with and learn from many different kinds of people. I find it energizing, and it’s one of my favorite parts of my career so far.

What challenges do you anticipate?

Sometimes I wonder if some people outside the GSB community have more narrow or preconceived notions about who the Stanford MBA or MSx programs are for – for example, people from specific industries or backgrounds. I want to continue our work to engage and attract high-potential, high-impact leaders from a broad spectrum of experiences, perspectives, and ambitions so that each year we are building the strongest and most robust community and learning environment possible within each class. This is more in line with the true Stanford GSB experience.

What’s the most important thing to get right in admissions?

Above all else, maintaining a high degree of integrity is key. This means treating every potential applicant with care and respect, whether they ultimately join the Stanford GSB community or not. This also means continuing to hold ourselves to high standards in how we assess each individual application.

What’s your approach when thinking about crafting a new GSB class?

We assess each applicant as an individual, examining how they think, lead, and see the world. We also look for how they will uniquely contribute to the class we are building.

Importantly, we work to support the GSB’s mission of developing principled, insightful, and innovative leaders. We look for students who will be engaged in our classrooms and who seek to create positive impacts on campus and beyond.

Additionally, as I mentioned before, we look to bring in a broad spectrum of experiences, perspectives, and ambitions to build as robust a learning environment and community as possible. Our students and alumni don’t all fit one mold, and we don’t expect candidates to, either.

Historically, leadership potential has been an important characteristic in evaluating prospective students. What do you look for when making such an assessment?

Since we believe that past actions are the best predictor of future actions, we want to learn about how you have created positive change in the organizations and communities in which you have been involved.

Leaders guide others to reach a common goal and can be found at all levels and in all areas of an organization. You do not need to hold a specific role nor reach a certain level or title to show leadership. We look for examples of when you have taken initiative, persisted through challenges, engaged others in your efforts, and supported those around you. No matter where you have demonstrated these behaviors – at your university, in a professional role, or maybe during an extracurricular activity – we want to learn the impact you have had and why it matters to you.

What are the values that keep you grounded?

My touchstone values are around authenticity, connection, and community. Here’s what I ask myself to stay grounded: Am I showing up in a way that is real and has integrity? To paraphrase Gandhi, are what I think, what I say, and what I do all in alignment? Am I fully seeing the individual in front of me and meeting them with curiosity and respect? Am I welcoming others into the fold and supporting their success and happiness? Am I serving others in my community in a way that helps them thrive versus being too centered on myself?

I find I am the best version of myself when I can answer yes to these questions.

You’ve been on the job for about a month now. Has anything surprised you?

A couple of things. Firstly, I am reminded by how much is happening at the GSB – the depth of programming, classes, student support, visitors to campus, talks, research, experiences, you name it. I had little appreciation as a student for the lean teams behind the scenes making all of this happen, all at once, and making it look effortless. Now I am blown away.

Secondly, I always knew that GSB Admissions invested in a quality applicant experience, but I had no idea to what extent. I love the craft and care I see from my team across every step of the process, and feel we are doing a great job representing the camaraderie and thoughtfulness of the broader GSB community.

You operated a successful restaurant in Barcelona. Have you had a chance to explore the food scene in the Bay Area?

I’m too new to have any hot takes quite yet, but I’m excited to explore! Let’s open the floodgates, send me all the tips. Luckily, a few of my favorites from my post-MBA life in San Francisco have survived the last decade, so I can always fall back on those. I’m also a huge wine nerd, so am wide open for local suggestions as I reacclimate to life in the U.S.