Business Alumna’s Journey to Leadership Success

Carolina Guske credits university experience for launching her thriving career with national grocery retailer ALDI

Belmont double alumna Carolina (Domingues) Guske (‘13, ‘14) credits her university experience for not only launching her thriving career at the grocery retailer ALDI but also shaping her personal growth. 

As a manager in ALDI’s National Transition Team, Guske supports human resources projects and the Divisional Office population throughout the 26 divisions ALDI has nationwide. Her previous leadership at ALDI includes serving as a Divisional Purchasing Manager and leading a high-performing team of purchasing assistants responsible for products at 96 ALDI stores in multiple states.  

Guske, originally from Brazil, moved to the United States at age 11. She first encountered Belmont while attending volleyball games with her father, a former professional volleyball player. The university quickly became her dream school. 

As a commuter student, Guske desired to make the most of her educational experience by immersing herself in campus life.  

She participated in numerous organizations, including the International Business Society, where she served as president for one year and vice president for three. She was also a founding member of the Society for Human Resource Management chapter at Belmont. She served in the College of Business Student Advisory Board, and she was the vice president and marketing chair of the National Association of Women MBAs while in the Massey Graduate School of Business. 

In 2013, Guske graduated with a double major in marketing and management, then earned her MBA with a concentration in marketing in 2014 through Belmont's accelerated program. 

Advertised and delivered 

Guske would go back and relive her five years as a Belmont undergraduate and graduate student all over again if she could.  

“Belmont absolutely met my expectations,” she said. “The community, the opportunities and the support that was advertised at Belmont was delivered.” 

As an undergraduate student, Guske appreciated the quality educational experience she received at Belmont from the depth of the courses to the relationships she built with her professors who “who really cared for me and my individual growth and learning.”  

“What I learned prepared me for what I would actually see in my career,” she said. “Then at the graduate level, I feel like everything was multiplied. The international trip we took during our Accelerated MBA to South Africa was an additional layer of perspective in business that I don't think I would have gotten anywhere else.” 

Guske values Belmont for the principles she learned in and outside of class, particularly "leadership by walking around" – a concept she first encountered in Dr. Richard Churchman’s business class and now practices daily in her roles at ALDI. 

Seizing the moment 

Belmont is more than a place where Guske earned her diplomas. She credits the University for laying the foundation for her career at ALDI, a company where she has grown as a leader and worked for nearly a decade.  

While working on an ALDI case study in her operations class during graduate school, Guske was so impressed by the company that she seized the moment and applied for a job on the spot, while class was still in session. She landed the job and began her career with the grocery chain six months later. 

"I have to credit Belmont for my ALDI career," Guske says. "I literally have the case study on my desk with my diploma sitting next to it." 

Over the years, Guske has excelled at ALDI and thrives in her position as a Transition Team Manager. In this hybrid role, she is part of the National Purchasing and Administration Committee and Transition Team, leading all national HR projects as the manager/divisional office population representative and advocate.  

Education for life 

The impact of Guske’s Belmont education extends beyond her professional life. She has volunteered as a mentor in the Purpose Mentorship Program, helping current students discover their identities beyond their chosen majors or career paths. Her participation in the Purpose Mentorship Program represents a full-circle response to the mentorship she received as a student from her professors.  

“My professors got to know me on a personal level,” she said. “They wanted to know what my goals were and how they could point me in the direction to achieve them. They were invested in my personal well-being and not just my grade.” 

For prospective students considering Belmont, Guske offers this advice: "You can always rest assured that Belmont will feel like home. You'll find your place. You’ll have the room to develop into exactly who you want to be, and you’ll have the support of your faculty, and you will find your community." 

Guske's journey exemplifies the lasting impact of a Belmont education – one that goes far beyond the classroom to shape not just careers, but lives.