Introducing Director of Recruiting Operations, Abby Stauffer
The Darden Career Center started 2025 off strong with a new, but familiar, face taking on a leading role in the employer engagement and recruiting team. Following an extensive search, we are excited to announce Abby Stauffer as the Career Center’s Director of Recruiting Operations.
I believe in fostering a collaborative ecosystem within and beyond the Darden community that empowers all Darden students, of all Darden program formats, on their career journeys.
Abby has been a member of the Career Center team at Darden since 2023, serving as the Assistant Director of Employer Engagement and Recruiting, specializing in the consulting sector.
Through her close collaboration with career coach and consulting sector lead Christy Gunville, Abby played a pivotal role in supporting 42.5 percent of the 2024 Darden graduating class in securing full-time consulting jobs. On top of that staggering stat, she has organized, promoted or participated in over 350 recruiting engagements.
When asked to share a highlight from this past year, Abby recalls supporting a top-tier consulting firm in organizing and executing 120 coffee chats within a tight 90-minute window at the Forum Hotel. “The energy was electric as eager First Year students participated in their first coffee chats of the year. Witnessing the excitement and engagement of the students, while ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for both students, recruiters and consulting practitioners, was incredibly rewarding and a fantastic way to kick off the 2024-25 recruiting season.”
Since joining our organization, Abby has collaborated closely with our valued consulting partners to ensure that we understand their objectives and provide them with innovative opportunities to connect with our students, in a way that expresses their unique recruiting value proposition. We consistently hear that the firms truly enjoy engaging with our Darden community, and that’s in large part due to the high standard of service and consistent touchpoints that Abby helps to create across the sector. I am confident that she will bring this passion for innovation and collaboration as she steps into her new role.
Prior to joining Darden, Abby refined her expertise in recruitment operations at Carney Sandoe & Associates, an educational recruiting and executive search firm serving independent schools nationwide. Her dedication to education stems from her time as a School Counselor with City Connects, where she spearheaded data-driven Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives and established partnerships with community organizations, positively impacting the well-being of over 600 students in the Boston Public School system. This work has given her a passion for fostering student success.
Enhancing the MBA Recruiting Experience
Abby brings this commitment to student success, a strategic mindset, and a deep understanding of MBA recruitment and operational efficiency to her new role. Under her leadership, recruiting operations will provide employers with strategic and tailored guidance and recruiting tools to ensure they are on the right path to secure the talent they need.
“By leveraging data and technology, I am committed to innovating our recruiting processes and creating seamless and impactful recruiting experiences for both our students and employers,” Abby pledges. Her vision for innovation will build on the Career Center team’s decades of experience and proven abilities to support students in each of Darden’s MBA degree programs.
What does success look like for Abby? Making a connection between the skills and career goals of Darden students and the strategic needs of employers, all while navigating shifting recruiting environments. Tap into the personalized recruiting support offered by Darden or learn more about sharing your open opportunities with students.
Outside of work, she enjoys life in Charlottesville with her husband, Matt, and their one-year-old daughter, Susie. A live music enthusiast, pop culture aficionado, and dedicated yogi, she aspires to live life-based on a favorite summer camp guiding principle, “Seek the Joy of Being Alive.”
Abby holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Kenyon College and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Boston College.
