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MAGAZINE SPRING 2026

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Nancy Hoque, MBA 19, Sales Finance Director, Adobe

Nancy Hoque, MBA 19, a former engineer and entrepreneur, now directs sales finance and revenue strategy for Adobe’s multibillion-dollar sales organization—and is exploring how AI can transform the finance function, drawing on early advice from UC Berkeley Haas about leading through others.

By

Meilan Carter-Gilkey

Person with dark chin-length hair wearing a black button-up shirt, earrings, and a nose ring sits in front of an ironwork railing.

When Nancy Hoque started the EWMBA program at Haas, then-Dean Rich Lyons, BS 82, shared a piece of advice that at the time didn’t fully resonate: “It’s really important to learn how to work through others,” she recalls him saying. 

Previously an engineer and entrepreneur, Hoque wanted to broaden her impact from building products to shaping business strategy. She started in product marketing at Symantec while earning her MBA, then moved to strategy, operations, and finance roles at Adobe after graduation.

Hoque now supports revenue strategy for the multibillion-dollar sales organization, translating financial insights into go-to-market decisions. Her work brings her in close partnership with sales and GTM leadership teams across Adobe. It was that collaborative work and innovation within a large corporation that made the advice about working through others click. “The tools will change, but the ability to align people around insight and action—that’s where real leadership lives,” she says.

Currently, Hoque’s interest is AI. She serves on the advisory board for the University of San Francisco School of Management’s Strategic AI Program, helping ensure that working professionals receive an ethical and impactful AI education.

In her own work, she’s exploring how AI can automate and transform finance. Hoque meets regularly with fellow Haas alumni to share AI knowledge: assessing tools, designing their own agents, and discussing workplace applications. It all comes back to that early advice. “Sometimes, we just need to sit in a room and have a dialogue and learn from the collective knowledge,” she says. “Because there’s still so much to learn.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Nancy Hoque?

Nancy Hoque, MBA 19, is a sales finance director at Adobe, where she supports revenue strategy for the company’s multibillion-dollar sales organization, translating financial insights into go-to-market decisions. A former engineer and entrepreneur, she earned her MBA through UC Berkeley Haas’ Evening & Weekend MBA (EWMBA) Program.

What is Nancy Hoque’s work in AI?

Hoque is exploring how AI can automate and transform the finance function. She serves on the advisory board for the University of San Francisco School of Management’s Strategic AI Program, helping ensure working professionals receive an ethical, impactful AI education, and she meets regularly with fellow UC Berkeley Haas alumni to assess AI tools, design their own agents, and discuss workplace applications.

Connections

From 2019–21, Hoque was a lecturer with UC Berkeley Executive Education, where she taught leadership, storytelling, and audience-focused communications to Haas students and professionals in the Middle East.

The Takeaway

Hoque’s interest in driving change is accompanied by her belief that growth is rarely accidental; it’s designed through deliberate learning, cross-functional dialogue, and the courage to step beyond functional comfort zones.

Posted in:

Alumni News

Topics:

Finance Innovation & Technology Operations & IT Management

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