Experiential program—not just theoretical
When you stay in one domain you can get silo'd with one approach. I always wanted to be a student beyond my expertise in engineering. I'm part of the largest supply chain at Intel, and it requires a mix of technical and business skills. An MBA gives me a holistic view of business that I can apply at work.
I wanted to go learn and then apply at work, so I was looking for a top tier school that offered a convenient schedule. I also wanted a program that would help me build connections outside my industry, and I wanted to make sure the program's education was experiential and not just theoretical. Haas fit all of this.
My role as a visionary influences the company's product playbook for next 3-5 years; I work at the junction of delivering products and speculating on future company investments. The investment side needs to be business driven, incorporating strategy, finance, and marketing, not just tech driven.
I needed a view of these perspectives. Finance is a core part of the needs of working in a supply chain organization. As an engineer, I tend to get emotional about a product. But now with my stronger understanding of finance, I'm able to view our decision on a product through a different lens.
Cherry picking new opportunities
I've become a better decision maker at Haas. I focus on developing the right opportunities, rather than all of them, and I'm able to be more impactful by narrowing down the list of what's important. This carries over to using my time more wisely in my personal life as well.
I've turned into more of a career coach for Intel since joining Haas, and my senior leadership role also requires me to regularly mentor other employees. The opportunities that have opened up just within 6 months at Haas are unbelievable. Now I have to cherry pick and decide what I'm able to balance between work, family and school.
Talented people from different fields
At Haas I'm learning that the softer skills, like being a deep listener, can take you a long way and can help in building better efficiency within your team and organization.
Collaboration at Haas leads to success because you're working with such talented people from different fields. Right now we're working on a project to develop a digital health monitoring system that focuses on senior living. In figuring out the logistics, my tech background has been helpful in product development, but one of my teammates has a medical background, and that's been essential in exploring the nuances of the pharmaceutical side.
