•lifetime achievement•

Education:
M.S., Industrial & Systems Engineering, University of Southern California;
B.S., Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California 

With an early aptitude for both math and music, Rosa M. Bravo made a choice at the age of 17 that shaped her path to a lifetime of accomplishment. Deciding to follow in the path of her father and his family, she chose to attend USC to study engineering rather than pursue a career in performing arts.  To say music’s loss has been engineering’s gain would be an understatement. 

In her current position as the head of business development and public affairs in Southern California for Accenture, Ms. Bravo’s leadership responsibilities span strategy, delivery, sales & marketing, and community engagement.  Her expertise helps drive the firm’s business strategy for state & local government, higher education, and non-profit clients in Southern California. She is also in charge of government relations and public affairs in the region. 

Before her journey brought her to the prestigious consulting firm, however, Ms. Bravo was thoroughly enthralled with the world of space. As the first woman in her family to attend college, and one of only four women in her class in the USC Aerospace Engineering department where she earned a scholarship, she dreamt of joining her father, aunt, and uncle at Hughes Aircraft and working on the U.S. space program. 

She achieved that dream soon after college and began a career that gave her extraordinary opportunities to work on programs that continue to be the backbone of US Defense initiatives and global communications. She began as the lone woman in her department, supporting top secret defense projects as part of the Missile Systems Group, before transitioning to the Space Systems Group where she helped design the first satellite to take up mobile phone technology. However, it was Ms. Bravo’s work on the Space Shuttle mission amongst an elite group of engineers that she is most proud of.  

Ms. Bravo then decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering at USC.  After completing her degree, she made the move to a new company, and a new industry, joining Accenture in 1993.

Beginning as a coder and a tester, Ms. Bravo quickly rose to become a team leader and director. Being known for her ability to ideate and deliver, she was asked to work on many “first-of-its-kind” projects including creating a local incubator hub as a start-up launch center and integrating it into a global network of innovation centers. Her diverse assignments have ranged from new ways to approach the supply chain for a top chocolate manufacturer to implementing the most comprehensive benefits solution for the County of Los Angeles. Most recently, she has been the business development & government strategist on behalf of Accenture for the State of California, the 5th largest economy in the world.  

Ms. Bravo’s been active in new hire recruiting efforts for many years, even conducting interviews for diverse, high-potential candidates. She was also given the responsibility to help lead campus recruiting for Accenture’s consulting and technology practice at USC.  She not only recruits, she also mentors countless students and employees at the firm to help them continue grow their own careers. 

Ms. Bravo has maintained her commitment to her community and to STEM development as her work responsibilities have grown and expanded, remaining an active member of Accenture’s local Hispanic American Employee Resource Group (HAERG) and leading the company’s Skills to Succeed pro bono efforts with Brotherhood Crusade and STEM community partners.