Title:Hoya Highlight: Tesia Henn (C’09)

From majoring in French at Georgetown University to becoming a senior finance director at Pfizer, Tesia Henn’s (C’09) career has been marked by open mindedness, curiosity, and passion. Professionally, she’s been adaptable while seizing new opportunities, especially those that provide exposure to senior leadership. Originally, Henn considered obtaining a medical degree; however, her time at Georgetown motivated her to pursue a career path that combined her passion for business and healthcare. While working towards her MBA, Henn landed a finance internship at Pfizer, and continued to climb the corporate ladder until reaching her current position where she now leads a team of her own.

Henn chose Georgetown due to its reputation for academic excellence, strong linguistics department, and intellectually curious student community. Her time as a student was marked with deep involvement in campus life, a strengthening of her Catholic faith, and a commitment to service. One of her favorite academic courses was Narrative Across Disciplines with Professor David Lipscomb, which challenged her to think critically and articulate complex ideas persuasively. She also credits her business courses, particularly Entrepreneurship, with opening the door to new career possibilities outside of medicine and preparing her for the real world.

Since graduating, Henn has given back to Georgetown’s community in many ways. She is currently completing her first three-year term on the Board of Governors, the governing body of the Georgetown University Alumni Association (GUAA). There, she serves as the Chair of the Career Services Committee, which helps support career programming and resources for the greater alumni community; she is also a member of the Audit and Finance Committee. For the past eight years, Henn has served as an Alumni Admissions Program Committee Chair, coordinating alumni interviews and engaging prospective students in Northern Fairfield County, Connecticut. Locally, she also serves as the Events Chair for the Alumni Club of Fairfield County. Most recently, Henn co-leads the development of Hoyas in Health, an incubating professional alliance aiming to unite Georgetown alumni working in healthcare. Her dedication to mentorship and service reflects her belief in the power of community and lifelong learning.

At Pfizer, Henn supports the Research & Development organization, making strategic financial decisions that impact the company’s research and innovation efforts. Henn managed Viagra’s U.S. Profit and Loss. During that time, she was asked to partner with the marketing team and assess if a line extension—Viagra Single Packs—would be fiscally viable. Seeing her work come to life in TV commercials gave her a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing it was helping Pfizer further their mission of “Breakthroughs that Change Patients’ Lives.” Henn became Team Lead without management experience, however, Knowing it would be a great learning opportunity, she fully embraced it, and today, finds growing and developing her team members the most rewarding part of her job.

Henn credits her career success to her willingness to embrace new opportunities, her ability to make a positive impression, and the network she’s built over time—which includes great mentors and supportive managers. To thrive in the professional world, Henn advises “do your job exceptionally well” and make a strong impression on those around you. It’s important to step out of your comfort zone and take jobs that not only fill gaps in your resume but also lend exposure to senior leaders. Also, don’t forget where you came from—Georgetown’s Jesuit values are relevant long after you graduate from the Hilltop. Consider how your work can serve others, prioritize the well-being and growth of your team, understand your strengths and weaknesses, be a life-long learner and strive for excellence.