Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto

Member of the Dean's List, class of 2024

Sonia has worked hard throughout her studies to ensure she stands out in a competitive job market. She has also generously given back to her communities and peers.

Gaining commercial awareness

Throughout her studies, Fransiska Sonia Rickiyanto has proactively sought opportunities to maximise her future career prospects. She participated in Bright Network’s Virtual Internship in Business, Operations and Marketing through which she strengthened her knowledge of Sustainability in Marketing and Business Operations. By working on a real business case, she increased her commercial awareness and networked with people from marketing industries.

She continued to work directly with businesses as she undertook a dissertation company project with Tyzack Machine Knives. She worked with the organisation on their rebranding project, providing recommendations on their brand identity and business marketing communications. Working directly with managers and directors she improved her commercial awareness of the UK manufacturing industry. She also developed her market research skills by interviewing customers from the UK and USA.

Developing digital marketing expertise

Sonia attended a Digital Marketing 360 skill accelerator bootcamp for six to seven hours a week for two months. She gained new practical insights from practitioners in marketing, advertising, social media, website and analytics. She presented a marketing project to marketing managers who became her mentors and developed an initial portfolio which may be helpful as she applies for marketing roles.

Alongside the bootcamp, Sonia took on a part-time role as a Student Content Creator at the Management School. She supported the digital marketing team in planning and developing social media content for SUMS social media and website, highlighting her positive experiences as a student in Sheffield. She also featured in a vox pop video for a social media marketing campaign and participated in a photoshoot with the University’s Student Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions team.

Giving back to her communities

During her time in Sheffield, Sonia has regularly taken part in volunteering activities. She has volunteered with Holly Hagg Alpaca and Llama Farm and the Conversation Club. She also registered as a Food Waste Hero with Olio, where she collected unsold food from local supermarkets and shared it with the local community. In her busiest month, she shared 26kg of food, and saved 111kg of CO2, 376 car miles and 19178 litres of water. In addition, she served as an Olio Ambassador. In this role, she helped increase Olio’s brand awareness through social media and sharing print materials.

Alongside giving back to people in the city of Sheffield and beyond, she has actively supported the University community. She initiated a WhatsApp group for her cohort and attended a student focus group to discuss her experience, representing those on her programme. She also interacted with students from different countries and continents as a Global Campus Ambassador. She helped to organise orientation week activities, provided on the ground support for the University’s meet and greet service and conducted campus tours.

Post-graduation journey and future plans

Since completing her masters degree, Sonia has continued to pursue her passion for branding, marketing, social media, and sustainability. She is currently the Head of Marketing in an Electric Vehicle company, where she plays a key role in promoting environmentally friendly mobility solutions in the automotive sector. In addition to this, Sonia has co-founded Winter Attire (@winterattire.id), a sustainable fashion business specialising in renting winter jackets and travel equipment in Indonesia. As Chief Marketing Officer, she leads initiatives that encourage sustainable consumption by promoting reuse and reducing fashion waste. 

She also channels her creativity as a digital content creator on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok through @fransiskasonia, where she focuses on lifestyle and self-growth, building an online community that shares her values of having a well-balanced life while still giving positive contributions to society. 

Looking ahead, Sonia plans to expand her impact as a marketer by creating innovative strategies that not only drive business growth but also contribute in shaping a more sustainable future.