Fuqua Flashcards
Why an MBA? Why now?
“Improved technical acumen and help increase the velocity toward my entrepreneurial goals”:
- Help me become more grounded & comprehensive in my knowledge of general business principles:
- Not just concepts; approach (e.g. McAdams’ game theory). - Concentration of Resources: Academic centers (CEI)
Walk me through your resume/tell me about yourself.
- Close knit fam + small town in NorCal
- UCD on ROTC scholarship
- Aviator: 9 yrs AD
- Majority in SpecOps: “guys on the OBL msn”
- 5 combat deployments
- Multiple disaster relief missions
- From Supervisor and Mx mgr to Strategic project mgmt for SpecOps msns
- Entrepreneurial goals in fitness: Army=projects, leadership, creativity=confidence
- Left to pursue these dreams
- Tech job to increase understanding + biz
- Fuqua’s strength in consulting, tech, E are key to my success
Best leadership experience.
VBK/FE: spring/summer ‘12.S: Project Mgr for 1-month int’l tng msn in SK. Purpose: 1) simulate crisis response, 2) int’l cohesion.T: 1) Organizer: global logistics, 2) Lead pilot: tactical plans + coordination w/USAF, USN, USA, SK gov’t + state agencies, 3) OIC: supervise TFA: 1) Strategy: real world CONPLAN, 2) Operations: 2x acft, 60 pax, 50 tons across the globe (w/in budget), 3) Expanded capes: FLD eval, MIO. R: 1) Confidence in global mgmt: country + culture, int’l relationships, 1st FLD. 2) Empowering: running my own enterprise. 3) Strongest teams: Pilots vs. staff. Saying: “You know a SOA has entered…”
How would your coworkers/friends describe you?
- Leader, not a manager. Invest in team, co.2. Selfless. Put the needs of others first:-EX: Xmas disaster response3. Driven. Never one to be satisfied - always moving toward the next project:-EX: finish a marathon, looking to the next one
3 strengths
- Team building/relationships: -EX: the PM dept at NSIT
- Versatility: -Led in unique experiences and locations -Comfortable in the uncomfortable -EX: Insight transition
- Work ethic: -Pride in being hardworking -EX: OEF w/o a day off: thrived
If faced w/a setback, how would you respond?Tell me about a time you failed.A regret and what you learned.
Flt school helo crash:
S: Day 3 of tng. Learning to hover.
T: Practicing hovering, exceeded aero limits.
A: 1) Faced fears. 2) Focused: perfect maneuvers 3) SME in AV.
R: Better leader. 1) Convert fear into confidence. 2) Expertise (1,200 hr w/o accident or incident, 3) Inspire during uncertainty.
Ways to be involved in Fuqua?
- Professional clubs: Consulting Club, Entre and VC Club, High Tech Club, Net Impact Club.
- Other clubs: Running and Triathlon Club, Duke AFA (pay it forward).
- Center of Leadership and Ethics (COLE) -Leadership Fellows and Prof. LeBouef
What does leadership mean to you?
- Integrity.
- Investing in your team, not just outcomes.
- A leader in thought, word, and deed.
- Owning failures, bestowing successes.
Short-term goals?
- More comprehensive & complete; applying the strategic lessons & mgmt skills from Fuqua
- Will thrive; AV units at home & abroad, developed passion for solving complex operational probs in ambiguous situations:
-Didn’t just fix probs; changed the way we did biz - Prep for entrepreneurship:
-Exposure=perspective, prob-solving skills, landscape
FUQUA will get me there:
-So much invested in helping prep
-DMCC: roadmaps, WIC, Symposium, Mock Int.
Long-term goals?
-Leverage gen mgmt skills from Fuqua + consulting exp
-Build a wearable tech company
-Not fitness, but health.
-Aggregate broad set of data (biometrics, environment, social cues, diet)
-Improve lives: battle addiction, manage disease
FUQUA:
-Plan B if goals don’t work out?
Social Entrepreneurship Program
- Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)
- B Corps-Clif Bar’s In Good Company
Questions for interviewer
- Ways to improve my candidacy?
- International Exchange Programs: summer exchange programs - internship too?
- Courses or experiences you’d recommend? -Managerial Accounting -Game Theory w/McAdams-Prof. Shane Dikolli
Fuqua contacts
Duke AFA:
- Christopher Selleck: USA
- Brian Hamilton: 10SFG
- Dave Strickler: USA
- Marc Boyle: USN
- Herman Bulls: USA
Why Fuqua?
3 reasons:
1. Culture: Put on this earth to improve the lives of others:
A. Be Consequential:
-C-LEAD values: integrity, collaboration: I just knew
B. Team Fuqua: preference for teams+collab: -Can’t talk about Fuqua w/o TF coming up -EX: Selleck’s decision -Work w/good people, b/c good things have always come from it
2. Uniquely positioned: A. Consulting: ind’l prep:
-Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum: experiential
-DMCC: Consulting roadmap, Weeks in Cities (3-7 days), Consulting Early Connections Program (1-day workshop), Symposium, Mock Interview Wk
B. Entrepreneurship: -CEI: leadership: Prof. Howie Rhee: strong tech experience -Duke Global Entre. Network is very active -Program for Entrep (P4E) (Matchmaker Events, Join a …)
3. Location: A. Other top 10 grad programs B. Research Triangle Park (RTP): R&D, 170 companies, Start Up Factory C. Raleigh-Durham: Outside (‘13), Bloomberg (‘12)
3 Weaknesses
- Meticulous=lost time.
- Don’t let perfect get in the way of the good. - As leader, let others find their own success:
- EX: Withers.
- PID, adapting - Technical abilities.
- EX: goals in tech; limited tech b/g.
- Taking cert courses.
What Q do you wish I asked you?
- Non-Quant: what are you doing to get ready? -Rio Salado courses (Stats, Accounting)
- What do you do w/your personal time? -Training for the R2R in mid-June -CC courses -Restart private AVN
- Leadership activities outside the office: -Dept. social/volunteer coordinator at work (care packages, UFBank)
Concentrations: -Format-Which ones + classes?
- *Format: 6 classes (4 pri, 2 from other areas)
1. Strategy: consulting:-Managerial Accounting
2. Decision Sciences: general management: -Prof McAdams’ Game Theory
3. Entrepreneurship & Innovation: -Prof. Sheldon’s “Mentored Study in Entrepreneurship”
What are you doing now?
Product Manager for Global Tech Reseller:
- Tech solutions provider=multiple tech partners
- Consulting + tech svcs to HW, SW
- B2B, F1000 space - Apple PM: manage $80M Apple biz:
- Mktg, Sales, Ops, Finance/Accting, Tng, Biz Dev
- Manage Insight-Apple relationship
What do you bring to the class?
- Unique experiences/perspective: -War in Afg -Disaster relief in CA -Military & business exp
- Unique leadership: -Not just military: helo aviation (technical) -Not just military: SpecOps
- Strength in Teamwork: -Sports Team Captain to flying by committee in SpecOps to forging one of the strongest teams at a F500 company - consistent thruout my life
Leadership outside the office
- Social/volunteer coordinator for department
- Org. running group for R2R
- Starting work w/WWP
Fuqua Facts:-Class size-Class breakdown-# terms, term length-Pedagogy
- Class size: 430
- Class breakdown: 6 sections, ~70 per
- # terms, term length: 4 terms, 6 weeks per
- Pedagogy: 1/3 case, 1/3 lecture, 1/3 team projects
Failure 2
Wrong LZ on FMQ Eval TRAINING flt:
S: 1) Unique selection for rare distinction. 2) Didn’t confirm GPS, 500m off course. 3) Risk of failure.
T: 1) Figure out how to fix, 2) Find a way to repo w/limited fuel, 3) Not compromise msn.
A: 1) Triangulate, 2) Ran #s - 2x to fuel, 2x to fix, 3) Extracted and repo’ed w/o burning tgt.
R: 1) Continued FTX, 2) Made the audible, 3) Owned the mistake, 4) Learned from it
Significant Leadership Exp
Project Manager for EC11:
S: Plan & supervise: 6 wks, 4 acft, 80 pax, 100 tons, TH & CB. Purpose: 1) POTUS’ global pursuit missions, 2) Learn new areas.
T: 1) Austere CB, 2) Border x-ing, 3) Relationships.
A: 1) CB: 6-person x-fnct team for assessments. 2) X-border: ext. coord, no resources = 3x HAR, 1x SAR and intel. 3) Strong parallel relationships.
R: 1) Largest ex in Bn history. 2) CB = diplomacy. 3) Project mgmt.
Creative/Convince
EC11 Night Flights:
S: $$$ SpecOps event, CB: no NVG flts=not SOA.
T: How to save diplomacy & still train?
A: 1) SME white-board sesh. 2) Plan: Reposition min. pkg. to shoreline, do O/W ops in int’l waters. 3) Approved by Cdr of all Pacific.
R: 1) Received AAM for innovation. 2) Exercise was a huge success. 3) Still CB today
