Tag Archives: school of management

From a BBA to a CFO, Robert shares his passion and investment in Flint: February aMaizeing Alumni

Robert Widigan graduated from UM-Flint School of Management in 2014 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a concentration in Accounting. He has been the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the city of Flint, Michigan for over a year and explains that some of the most important things he learned while at UM-Flint were the core skills he uses every day. Such as, working on a team, handling big projects, staying organized, and managing stress. As our featured alumni of the month, Robert gives advice on working for the city, his path to becoming a CFO, and his favorite memories about UM-Flint!

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization?
A: I am the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the city of Flint, Michigan. I have been here for over a year now

Q: What is your job like day to day?
A: Every day brings its own set of challenges. Therefore, it is crucial to understand clearly and have the department’s critical long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals in focus as you’re pulled in numerous directions. Day-to-day includes overseeing all aspects of the City’s finances, including preparation and administration of the City’s budget and financial reports, as well as accounting payroll, grant reporting, and purchasing. In addition, the CFO also oversees Fleet Management, IT Services, and Facilities. Recently, the day-to-day has primarily consisted of working with our partners in Lansing to find a solution to subsidizing the City’s underfunded pension fund. That goal was achieved recently with the newly adopted state budget, which included a $220M lump-sum infusion into the City’s pension fund, bringing it up to 60% funded, as required by state law. This funding will help ensure the City of Flint is financially sound for generations.

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree(s)?
A: It was clear that UM-Flint had amazing resources for students to be successful both academically and in their careers. To me, UM-Flint was a great opportunity to earn my degree while also remaining involved in my hometown.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: Attending home games at the Big House, Go Blue!

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: Some of the most important things I learned while at UM-Flint were the core skills I use every day. Such as, working on a team, handling big projects, staying organized, and managing stress.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: Well, there is not much that can truly prepare you for being the CFO of the City of Flint. However, I will say the relationships I made and the passion for this community that I developed while at UM-Flint made it easy to say “yes” when asked to take on this role. When your hometown calls, you go.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: Professor Chris Douglas. I had Sports Economics with Professor Douglas, one of the best classes I have ever taken. The class examines the economic issues pertaining to professional and college sports – such as labor relations and how franchises impact the local economy. I still talk about what Professor Douglas taught us in that class today. We have stayed in touch over the years; he has even presented at conferences I planned while working at the State of Michigan.

Q: Describe your career path.
A: Before joining the City of Flint’s Team as CFO, I served as the Finance Director for the City of Lansing. There I managed the Finance Team, oversaw short and long-term financial planning and financial operations of the City, prepared revenue projections and debt service requirements, and evaluated department operations, among other tasks related to the City’s financial health.

Previous to Lansing, I served as the Village Manager for the Village of Shelby in Oceana County, Michigan. In this position, I oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Village. Leading a small local government required me to wear many hats, including budgeting, community engagement, economic development, forging public-private collaborations, and working with local, regional, and state partners.

Prior to that, I was with the Michigan Department of Treasury for over four years. There my responsibilities included:

– Analyzing trends.

– Compiling local government data.

– Preparing reports for long-range strategic planning and recommendations for state support directly to local governments.

Throughout my career, I’ve developed substantial expertise in calculating and managing risk, cash flow projections, economic development, and planning, facilitating communications and decision-making between departments and administration, financial and operational management, labor negotiations, long-term financial planning and financing strategies, policy and ordinance development, and an understanding of State reporting requirements. This experience also taught me excellent skills in building lasting relationships with individuals and community members.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: I have always been interested in government, finance, and economics, and I have a high drive and desire to help people and communities progress toward further success; this role as Flint City CFO allows me to do just that!

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: First, Take your time and be patient. Second, it’d be helpful to earn your Bachelor’s in Public Finance alongside a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. That will open many doors for you, from CFO to City Manager. Lastly, take an internship somewhere, like with the City of Flint!

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: I would like to go back to school for my MBA.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: My proudest accomplishment was helping carry the football across the goal line: pension reform in Michigan. It is unmistakable that Flint has had its share of disinvestment over the years.

Upon taking the role of CFO with the City of Flint, the City faced unrealistic annual pension contributions. FY2022 and FY2023, the pension contribution was about $32 million and was projected to increase to $40 million in FY2024. This drastic increase made pension contributions our most significant expense in the City’s budget.

While facing this reality, under my leadership we engaged in numerous meetings with state legislatures and our partners in Lansing.

All these meetings led to $750 million being set aside in the state of Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget to support underfunded municipal pension plans, helping to ensure a promise made is a promise kept to hardworking local government employees across the state.

This is a historic moment in Flint; thanks to the countless meetings and hard work, we helped ensure the City of Flint is financially sound for generations to come with this cash infusion of up to $220M into our pension fund. Based on recent analysis, $220M deposited into the pension plan will reduce our pension contribution for that following fiscal year to approximately $18 to $19 million, ensuring we fulfill our promise to retirees while maintaining City services.

Links:

https://bit.ly/3yVSwoU

https://bit.ly/3sdl9Kx

https://bit.ly/3eKZvKO

Q: Fun Facts! (Examples: sports fan, long-term goals, favorite vacation, future travel plans/ideas, or come up with your own!)
A: I really enjoy golf (although I am really bad at it). Future travel plans include Puerto Rico in January, Mexico in February, and Honduras in the spring.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: I was a paid-on-call firefighter for seven (7) years.

BBA Alum becomes a well-rounded business attorney: January aMaizeing Alumni

Nicholas Goldsworthy graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) concentrating on Operations Management and Finance. As a student, he was a part of the Entrepreneurs Society, a SOM student organization. Outside of academics, he spent time at the UM-Flint Rec Center where he met his future wife! In 2021 Nick became a partner at Witt & Goldsworthy, PLLC, and has practiced law there since 2016. As our featured alumni of the month, Nicholas gives advice on working in law, his path to becoming a lawyer, and his favorite memories about UM-Flint!

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience? If so, what organizations/clubs?
A: Entrepreneurs Society

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization?
A: I work as an attorney with Witt & Goldsworthy, PLLC. I’ve practiced law with this firm since 2016, and I became a partner in 2021.

Q: What is your job like day to day?
A: I’m usually working on a matter on behalf of my client, and the work varies depending on whether the matter involves a transaction or litigation. Transactional matters involve negotiating, drafting, and closing contracts supporting a sale, and what is sold ranges from real estate, goods, services, or businesses. In that context, my job involves supporting my client by advising them in the negotiation process, performing due diligence, preparing documents that minimize any legal exposure or risk of loss to my client, communicating with the other party’s attorney, and assisting the client with closing on the deal. For litigation matters, I spend a lot of time educating clients on the litigation process, preparing and filing motions and briefs in court, discovery, negotiating settlements with the opposing party, and attending court hearings.

When I’m not doing work for clients, I spend time working to generate new business for the firm and to improve how we deliver legal services. This requires networking with potential new sources of business and consulting with outside advisors.

I’m fortunate that I get to do most of these activities from the comfort of my home!

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree(s)?
A: I chose UM-Flint because I had a great experience touring the campus, and UM-Flint was an affordable option for me and my family.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: My best college memory was meeting the woman I would later marry. We met at the UM-Flint Recreation Center!

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: The most important thing I learned at UM-Flint is to get involved. Get involved by asking questions, networking, and taking advantage of the resources you have available to you.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: Since I majored in operations management and finance, the education I received at UM-Flint has made me a well-rounded business attorney.

Q: Describe your career path.
A: I worked a lot of service jobs when I was younger. I worked various sales jobs, waited tables, and worked at a golf course in the summertime. When I started college at UM-Flint and joined the Entrepreneurs Society, I sought opportunities to work in positions where I had greater autonomy. One notable opportunity was working for a bioenergy startup company that was primarily grant funded by MDARD. While working in that position, I also clerked for a small law firm. Coincidentally, the principal investigator on the MDARD grant was also an attorney, and I introduced him to one of the attorneys at the firm I was clerking with at the time. The two attorneys eventually formed their own firm, and I ended up working for them before, during, and after I attended law school and passed the bar. Now I’m a partner at that firm.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: The main reason I chose this career path is because I know I can help people and businesses in a meaningful way. Another reason is because practicing law is what I’ve always wanted to do, as I knew I wanted to be a lawyer at a young age.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: Get good at researching and writing more. Sound research and analysis are critical to success in law. If you can write well and know your way around the library and online research databases, then you can be a serious asset to any organization.
Seek a mentor. Mentors can help you avoid common errors and connect you to other professionals. It may seem daunting but take the time to find someone working in an area of law that you’re interested in. Do some background research on that person, then contact them to learn more about what they do, why you’re interested in what they do, and if you can help them in any way. If you find that you “click” with your target mentor, ask if they would be willing to meet/call for 20-30 minutes on a monthly basis.

Q: Fun Facts! (Examples: sports fan, long-term goals, favorite vacation, future travel plans/ideas, or come up with your own!)
A: I’m looking forward to taking my 2-year-old daughter to the beach for the first time.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: I love to cook, and I do my best to replicate authentic Italian cuisine.

BBA Alum’s Bright Start Takes Her to Tennessee: August aMaizeing Alumni

Lauren Carr graduated in the winter of 2019 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). As a student, she was a part of a small powerlifting club that would train together a few times a week. Outside of academics, she spent time downtown at the Flint Farmers’ Market and restaurants with peers from class. In September, she will be celebrating her first year at VMLY&R, a marketing and communications company, located in Tennessee. Prior to that, she was employed at Organizing Core where she assisted with the Presidential election campaign in 2020. As our featured alumni of the month, Lauren gives advice on working in the marketing or advertising industry, long-term career goals, and her favorite memories about UM-Flint!

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: BBA, 2019

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree?
A: I chose to attend UM-Flint because of the flexibility it offered me to complete my schooling in a way that worked for me. The Mott to UM-Flint program relieved my family of so much of the financial burden the college can cause and it offered me the flexibility to work while I attended school.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: My best college memory is getting to be in the heart of Downtown Flint for my classes. There was nothing better than finishing up a night class in the winter, and meeting your classmates at Churchill’s for warm chili. Or wrapping up a class mid-day and walking over to the Farmers Market! The city has so much to offer. You can’t find a campus quite like UM-Flint.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: The students influenced me the most during my time at UM-Flint! The experience at UM-Flint, in my opinion, is so different than what you’d find at your typical university. During my time at the school of business, I was constantly running into other students who had interesting internships and career opportunities. I think that there is more of an expectation to juggle schoolwork with a career while still finding time to complete volunteer work. The university is great about providing opportunities and guidance to students who want to build their resumes while still in school.

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: Less than six months after graduation, covid hit our community and stunted the start of many of my classmate’s careers. Remote work was something that had not yet been introduced to many companies. I ended up finding an organization called Organizing Core that prepared college students and recent graduates to work on political campaigns in a virtual space.

While working in the field on the Presidential campaign was exciting, I found myself feeling cooped up in my hometown. At the beginning of 2021, I took the plunge and moved to Memphis, Tennessee where I accepted a position as a Connections Manager with VMLY&R- a marketing and communications company. I will celebrate my first year on September 1!

VMLY&R specializes in advertising, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting so what I do on a day-to-day basis is always changing. While I typically manage a recruitment platform for our client, I also have the opportunity to help with various event activations.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: If I were to give a piece of advice to someone interested in working in marketing or advertising, I would say to get in wherever you can and try everything! If you can intern at a local nonprofit and run their social media for a summer- do it. If you can reach out to a local small business and ask to manage their email campaigns for them- do it. Every bit of experience is going to make you more well-rounded and more marketable.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: My proudest accomplishment was made during my time working on the Presidential election in 2020. One of my volunteers has a daughter who runs an art studio for adults with disabilities. The studio is called Sage Studio and it’s out of Austin, Texas. One of the artists, Rick, absolutely loved the candidate I was working for. He would make art about him and donate a portion of his profits to this candidate’s campaign regularly. I was eventually able to get ahold of the candidate and they asked to meet with the artist. During their meeting, the candidate praised Rick’s art and asked if he could buy his designs to sell in his store. Being able to watch the excitement on Rick’s face while he spoke to his hero was something that I don’t think will ever be beaten in my mind. My biggest accomplishment was being able to be a small piece of this magical moment.

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: Ultimately, my biggest goal is to start my own nonprofit for adults with disabilities. I am so inspired by the work done at Sage Studio in Austin, Texas and I would love to be able to build something even half as incredible as that organization.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: Something that people may not know about me is that I love baking! I bake every single week for my friends and family. Cakes, cupcakes, breads, candies- you name it!

Persevering Through the Pandemic – One Grad’s MBA Journey: May’s aMaizeing Alumni

Alumna, Felicee Murchison, graduated this past April from UM-Flint’s School of Management with a Master of Business Administration (MBA). She was also awarded the Most Outstanding MBA Student from her graduating cohort. During her time as a student, Felicee was engaged with campus events and cross-campus learning opportunities such as earning a certificate from the Sexual Violence Prevention Program and a certificate from the Inclusive Leadership Program. As our featured alumni of the month, Felicee shares why she attended UM-Flint, career goals she outlines for herself, and how peer-to-peer interaction shaped her time at UM-Flint.

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Master of Business Administration – General, 2022

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree?
A: I chose UM-Flint because of the convenience without compromise. UM-Flint offers an award-winning and the highest accredited online MBA option, which I needed while working and caring for my family.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: The most important thing I learned while at UM-Flint was to never give up. During my first semester at UM-Flint, we went 100% online. It was quite an adjustment for me because I am a fan of the more traditional classroom setting. However, my peers and professors made it easy to adjust and succeed.

Q: What is one of your favorite events you attended or classroom experiences at UM-Flint? Why?
A: My favorite event attended was Blue Bash 2021. It was really the first time that the UM-Flint community came together after the pandemic. It was as if we didn’t skip a beat and the sense of togetherness and belonging was amazing and memorable.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: Becky Toney, my fellow classmate was very influential late in my journey. She offered some incredible gems of advice right when I was at my breaking point of giving. She was so positive and encouraging and would even call to check on me at times!

Q: Describe your career path.
A: Currently, I work on the clinical side of healthcare as a technologist. However, I chose to return for a Business degree to tap into the administrative and/or leadership side of decision-making.

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: Computed tomography/Radiology,CVT Technologist-Mclaren-Flint. Worked here for the past 15 years. I treat and care for patients. This ranges from performing scans on suspected stroke patients to assisting the cardiologist to insert cardiac stents for patients that are having a heart attack.

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: I am a change agent and I had an amazing internship experience in the Human Resources arena that allowed me to look for ways to make a positive and lasting impact within the organization. I intend to stay on a professional journey that allows me to bring solutions to problems within the overall culture.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: I would tell anyone interested in Business Management that it is such a broad career path. Please give yourself grace if you find yourself gravitating towards certain subject matters and running from others!

Q: Fun Facts!
A: I am a Lebron James fan! I would love to travel to Africa! I love Jesus!

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: I am really an introvert! I am learning to step outside my comfort zone and open up to new people and opportunities!

SOM Alumna Estimates with Confidence in New Career: April’s aMaizeing Alumni

Angela O’Rourke earned her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Operations Management and Finance from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2020. Currently, she works at Mid Michigan Pride (MMP) Painting as an estimator. Every day she’s doing something different from looking at blueprints, working with customers, or on-site to evaluate the conditions of a project. As our featured alumni of the month, Angela explains why she choose UM-Flint, how her education prepared her for her current job, and shares her love for the outdoors!

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Bachelors of Business Administration in Operations Management and Finance

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: I currently work at Mid Michigan Pride (MMP) Painting. I am an estimator and have been with them for about 9 months now. I look at blueprints all day and do what we call a takeoff. Which is figuring out the square footage of walls, ceiling, steel bracing, columns, floors…really anything that can be painted, epoxied, or have a wallpaper or covering put over it, I have to measure it. Once I have all my measurements, I have to put them together and figure out what surface gets what covering and how much that would cost.

In between doing the takeoffs, I deal with filing away daily paperwork and downloading new jobs, and getting them in files. I return phone calls and emails to customers about any questions they have reached out with. I also take care of submitting product samples and data sheets to be approved before we can use them on sight.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: Honestly, this career fell in my lap. I had no idea it really existed to the extent of what it is. I went into my interview to become an administrative assistant and walked out hired as an apprentice estimator. Now that I am in it, I am choosing to stay in it because it’s something new every day. It keeps my brain stimulated and doesn’t get boring. Some days I am in the office looking at blueprints and some days I might be on a job site looking at the condition.

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree?
A: U of M was the school I had always dreamed of going to as a kid. I ended up taking a different path and attended Central Michigan for my first year of college. It wasn’t a good fit and I came home to get my associate’s at Mott Community College. Then once I was ready for my bachelor’s I decided to give U of M a try and applied. Once accepted I started towards a teaching degree before quickly realizing that it wasn’t what I wanted to do and switched to business.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: I learned that you always have to keep striving to do better than you did yesterday. Sometimes you have to pick up the slack for others because there will be times that you need someone to do the same for you.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: I learned that you had to find a way to get the work done no matter what obstacles might be in the way. That it is ok to ask for help and admit if you don’t understand something. It prepared me to know when I need to take the lead and when I to give someone else the lead. That you have to speak up to be heard.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: That it is a harder job than it sounds. There is so much more to it than meets the eye. I will actually be going to estimating school in the next month or two before training under a second estimator. This way I can learn many different ways to do the job and find what is comfortable for me.

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: Long term goal of my position would be to become head of the estimating department.

Q: Fun Facts!
A: I have two favorite vacations to date. One with just my husband when we went to Peru for our honeymoon. We got to eat dinner and sleep in a pod on the side of a mountain that we climbed. We got to do a day hike on the Inca trail to see Machu Picchu and then see the sunrise over Machu Picchu the following morning. We got to see rainbow mountain ad stay in the Amazon forest for 3 days. We held a sloth and anaconda while there and fished for piranha (which tastes very good).

My second favorite was our family vacation when we got to take our two kids and my brother out west for almost two weeks. We camped in the mountains and saw many historical sights. We also did a lot of hiking and found an ice cave that the kids loved.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: I love to go backpacking, and I mean in the sense of carrying everything I need with me and sleeping under the stars in a hammock. Most people are shocked to hear that.

School of Management to play larger role in Effort to Make Genesee County a Top-Five Community by 2040

The Flint & Genesee Chamber and the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management (SOM) and Entrepreneurs Society announce today a broad-ranging partnership, focused on a series of new initiatives that will impact the community and stimulate economic growth in Genesee County.

“The Flint & Genesee Chamber is a determined network of community members. Its efforts bring a wide range of valuable resources to individuals and businesses in Genesee County, all for the purpose of supporting our local economy and community members. The Entrepreneurs Society and School of Management are delighted to work with the Chamber to amplify this effort,” said Dr. Michael Witt, PharmD, JD, University of Michigan-Flint, Entrepreneur in Residence and Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Business Law.

The Chamber is one of four divisions of Flint & Genesee Group, which supports the region through its commitment to developing business, talent, and place. The organization – which also includes Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, and Explore Flint & Genesee – envisions Genesee County being a top-five community in Michigan based on jobs, talent, livability, and equity by 2040.

The University’s partnership with the Chamber kicks off this collaboration with a new video and podcast series, Genesee County Visionaries. This series focuses on the role local business and non-profit leaders play in growing the Greater Flint area.

“This series is a great way to recognize the business leaders in our community and learn more about their visions and what drives them to succeed,” said Andrew Younger, Executive Director of the Flint & Genesee Chamber.

The first episode, launched on March 8, 2022, highlights Dick Skaff, CEO/President of Skaff Furniture Carpet One. A member of the Flint & Genesee Chamber, Skaff is renowned for its catchy family-orientated TV commercials and high-quality furniture and flooring products. Moderated by Witt, the pair discuss the over 100-year-old company’s roots in Michigan and its extensive philanthropic activities in the Flint Community. Skaff has raised over $180,000 through their Save and Share program to support local charities, which include the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, Carriage Town Ministries, Whaley Children’s Center, and Communities First.

Genesee County Visionaries can be found on Anchor, Spotify, Youtube, and Facebook with future plans of being released on Apple Podcast and Google Podcast.

“The series will also highlight the many opportunities available for our talented young professionals to grow and have a successful career here in Genesee County,” said Younger.

“The Genesee County Visionaries series is just the beginning,” Witt continued. “In the near future, we want to invite hundreds of UM-Flint students to Flint & Genesee Chamber career fairs to keep top talent in the region, expand areas for student memberships, coordinate expert UM-Flint faculty presentations for Chamber members, and much more. We see this as a win-win for everyone, especially for our students. They are the future leaders of Flint.”

About the School of Management
The School of Management, established in 1975, is the oldest professional school on the Flint campus. The school is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in management education. The School’s mission is to deliver innovative high-quality programs, intellectual research contributions, high standards of integrity and ethics, and engagement in local and global communities.

About the Entrepreneurs Society
The Entrepreneurs Society is an official academic student organization at the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management, founded in 2008 by Dr. Michael Witt, PharmD, JD. The Entrepreneurs Society seeks to offer guidance to students to help transform their creative ideas into productive, new ventures.

About the Flint & Genesee Chamber
Flint & Genesee Chamber, a division of Flint & Genesee Group, is a premiere business advocacy entity that helps local business owners and entrepreneurs grow their network and visibility, develop their employees, influence public policy, and works with its partners to foster a strong business climate in Flint and Genesee County. For more information, visit flintandgenesee.org, and check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Flint Native Focused on Fashion Startup and GM Career: February’s aMaizeing Alumni

Alumnus, Lee Allen, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2014. During his time as a student, he was involved with Greek Life, Black Student Union, and studied abroad in China. Lee is the owner of Bau-house located in Downtown Flint and a business analyst at General Motors. Through entrepreneurship, he is able to express his creativity in fashion and educate others on brand development. As a role model within the Flint community, he was selected to be featured in the Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male at the Flint Institute of Arts. As our featured alumni of the month, Lee explains his passion for two industries – fashion and automotive, his life as an entrepreneur and working at GM, gives advice on the importance of internships during college.

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) 2014
Organizational and supply chain management (M.S) from another institution

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience? If so, what organizations/clubs?
A: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., NPHC, and Black Student Union

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: I am currently a business analyst at General Motors located at our headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. I have worked at General Motors for almost 7 years holding a variety of positions. I’m also a proud entrepreneur within downtown Flint, operating a brick-and-mortar space: Bau-house. Bau-house is a lifestyle retail store that focuses on curating streetwear, sneakers, and art. The store also places a heavy emphasis on fashion and design education through our brand development workshops.

My job as a business analyst is to review and manage budgets for US manufacturing facilities. As it relates to day-to-day tasks, crunching numbers is the name of the game to find cost-saving opportunities for GM manufacturing sites. I love my 9-5, I work on a diverse team, and I get the opportunity to travel.

Once my day has ended with General Motors, I feed my design and retailing passion! Bau-house allows me to express my creativity and indulge in the world of fashion. It brings forth the opportunity to support my city from an economic development standpoint as well. Currently, the store is under renovation, so I am painting walls, designing clothing, selecting fixtures, planning interior layouts, and sourcing products in preparation for a soft opening in April or May of 2022.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: Growing up I had a passion surrounding two industries – fashion and automotive. At one point in my life, I stated that I would not work in the automotive industry because everyone in my family worked for General Motors. I had my mindset on working for a fashion house or a global retail chain. I made the decision based on where I landed my internship for my senior year of college. My internship at Inteva products LLC fueled my drive towards the automotive industry and introduced me to General Motors. Once I became confident in my position at GM, I set my sights on fulfilling my love for fashion and retailing by opening my own space. It is my vision that this space will become a creative hub for design enthusiasts.

Q: Why did you choose to attend UM-Flint for your degree?
A: My family always thought that the University of Michigan offered the best level of education. I originally selected UM-Flint as a steppingstone to get on the campus of Ann Arbor. After about two years of attending classes at UM-Flint, I had a change of heart related to leaving. I was won over by the amazing culture surrounding student life, the support of professors, and the administration alike.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: My best college memory and life experience was going to China. My original major was international business, and it was a requirement to either secure an internship or study abroad. I had already landed an internship, but I wanted to travel and see the world. Going to China was a life-changing experience for me because it taught me how to appreciate my culture and country. Plus, I had the opportunity to travel with one of my favorite cousins, LaTresha Reed. She is a proud graduate of UM-Flint School of Management as well.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: One of the most important things I learned at UM-Flint is that real-life experience is the true professor. No matter what class I attended within the school of management, each professor stresses the importance of applied work experience. Projects were always geared towards real companies and solving active problems within those companies. The hands-on experience via internships and projects helped me to develop professional skill sets and business acumen that course textbooks could not teach. I learned that the more work experience I gained the better equipped I’ll be for my future career.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: My only advice would be to gain as much hands-on experience as possible via internship and/or co-op opportunities. I cannot express enough the importance of real-life work experience during a student’s undergraduate journey.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: One of my proudest accomplishments thus far in my life is becoming a father and husband. My daughter drives my motivation for success in everything that I do. Recently I was selected to be a part of an exhibit within the Flint Institute of Arts titled, Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male. The FIA was the first museum I was introduced to as a child and to have my picture hanging on the walls, I was left speechless. It was an awesome experience to be able to share that moment with my family. As it relates to my career, it would be landing a role at General Motors headquarters.

Q: Fun Facts!
A: I went to elementary school, high school, and college in Flint. I am a proud graduate of the Flint educational system, a true Flintstone =) !

UM-Flint’s School of Management AACSB International Accreditation Affirmed for 30 Continuous Years

The School of Management (SOM) at the University of Michigan-Flint received continued accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the premier accrediting body for business schools worldwide. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. With reaffirmation, the School of Management is celebrating more than 30 continuous years of accreditation by AACSB International.

AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and it aligns with the School of Management’s mission of continuous commitment to improvement through the delivery of innovative high-quality programs, intellectual research contributions, high standards of integrity and ethics, and engagement in local and global communities.

Since the five-year continuous improvement review, the School of Management has introduced online availability of the following programs: Master of Business Administration, MS in Accounting, MS in Leadership and Organizational Dynamics, and Bachelor of Business Administration programs. In addition, UM-Flint’s Online BBA degree, ranked #1 in Michigan for 2021 and 2022 and top 40 in the country by U.S. News & World Report, is now much more affordable for out-of-state residents. The online bachelor’s program, with a lowered out-of-state tuition now just 10% above that of in-state, represents one of the best values in Michigan and across the country. Reflecting market trends, the School has also created new undergraduate programs by introducing a two-course special topic on Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, adding a new Business Analytics minor, and developing a joint (4-1) BBA/MBA program where qualified undergraduate BBA students can complete an MBA degree with up to 21 fewer credits than if the MBA degree were pursued separately.

AACSB International credits the School of Management with strongly supporting students in their pursuit of international experiences. SOM has developed its own relationship with international institutions which lead to two new student exchange programs in France and Germany in addition to the other partnered universities in Belgium, Croatia, Turkey, Taiwan, Poland, Romania, and Sweden.

The School of Management has expanded the online availability of professional development and networking opportunities, in coordination with the undergraduate career development requirement aimed at differentiating UM-Flint’s BBA program and enhancing students ‘career preparation.

AACSB International found that the School of Management actively supports young interdisciplinary entrepreneurs’ ambititions by offering a general education course on introduction to entrepreneurship and offers many programs and activities through the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation such as an idea pitch “Zillion Solutions” competition and the Summer Entrepreneurship Institute for high school students. The Center works closely with the Entrepreneurs Society student organization which has its own entrepreneurship speaker series.

School of Management Interim Dean Yener Kandogan and faculty members Mark Simon, Cathy Miller, Keith Kelley, and Scott Johnson were critical to the successful completion of the continuous improvement review report. We thank everyone involved for their time and the AACSB peer review team that evaluated the School.

Embracing the Journey Leads to Impactful Supply Chain Management Career: January’s aMAIZEing Alumni

Alumnus, Mahmood Al Madan, graduated in 2017 from UM-Flint’s School of Management with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Economics. During his time as a student, he was a member of the Financial Management Association and worked part-time as a Research Analyst at the UM-Flint’s Office of Research and Economic Development. Mahmood is an Operation and Accounting Manager at Vision Transport Logistics where he handles the supply chain of the trucking company.

As our featured alumni of the month, Mahmood gives advice on how to push through public speaking fears, talks about choosing UM-Flint because of the personal, smaller classroom settings and his career path from sales assistant/merchandiser to where he is now and how team projects at UM-Flint helped him prepare for his career.

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Finance and Accounting with a minor in Economics, 2017

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience?
A: Financial Management Association

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: Currently working as Operation and Accounting Manager at Vision Transport Logistics. I have been working here since 2019. With a dedicated fleet of 15 trucks, Vision Transport Logistics, offers flexible and efficient drayage services.

Working in a trucking company and being part of the supply chains, which acts as the veins of the economy, makes our daily routines different and exciting. My team and I work closely with our fleet drivers to make sure the containers get delivered to warehouses in a timely and smooth manner. We solve different problems that arise every day with truck drivers, railroads, and equipment providers. Monitoring the arrival time of containers and arranging delivery schedules with warehouses. Also, keeping a watchful eye that each driver is following the department of transportation working hours efficiently and maximizing their productivity while following safety standards. Making sure, with top priority, our customers get updated on their shipment delivery and invoicing in a timely manner.

Q: Describe your career path
A: The first job in my career path was after I finished my English program in Canada for two and half years which was a Sales Assistant and Merchandiser at Kimberly-Clark. I was visiting many Supermarkets checking the inventory and talking to customers and warehouse teams. Working hand in hand with the sales, accounting, and finance team, I had built curiosity, I had the desire to start college and be able to work in the professional Accounting and Finance sector.

During my third year at the University of Michigan-Flint, I worked part-time as a Research Analyst at the UM-Flint’s Office of Research and Economic Development. During this position, I worked with a team in gathering data on businesses developments and economical needs in the thumb region of Michigan. We also were a part of asset mapping to identify regional assets and evaluate each asset’s impact on that region. After graduating, I had taken on a few jobs as a bookkeeper and Uber driver which have both helped me become more social and gave me practice becoming familiar with handling books for businesses, which lead to my current job in Vision Transport Logistics.

I was hired first as a Bookkeeper after the books were left for months without being managed. I have taken on the role and cleaned up the bookkeeping and brought things up to date. Taking on a role like that has helped me understand every aspect of bookkeeping and more specifically in the business. With that being said, I have been able to oversee day-to-day costs and be able to reduce the cost of the business most specifically during the pandemic. After being able to manage to reduce the cost, I was assigned as Operation Manager/Accounting Manager.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: Working at Kimberly-Clark as my first job and talking with others from the accounting and finance team had built interest in this career path.

Q: Why did you choose UM-Flint for your degree?
A: I was originally advised by an academic agent overseas of the University of Michigan-Flint being a regional campus of the University of Michigan. Attracted to the living cost being cheaper in the Flint area. Being on a smaller campus makes the classes more personalized and instructors can give more attention to students on a personal level. This made it possible to build relationships with some of the instructors and get different types of advice and wisdom which has helped my personal and academic level.

Q: What is one of your favorite events you attended or classroom experiences at UM-Flint? Why?
A: One of my favorite classes I have taken at UM-Flint was a class called First-Year Experience. It was a course that examines real-world problems from a multidisciplinary perspective. In that, we were given many assignments that genuinely helped me understand and respect the difference in people who came from different social statuses, religions, economical levels, races, etc. I would say this class has helped me stay reasonably constant throughout life.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: I have learned many things at UM-Flint that have had a large impact on who I am today along with my career path. The two most important would be public speaking and team projects. In many of our business classes, we were assigned to give presentations as assignments. At first, I hated it because I had glossophobia, but after having to do it for a few classes it certainly helped me overcome my fear. These group assignments reinforced these skills that are relevant to both group and individual work. Many of these skill sets I still rely on in my current work such as strong communication skills.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: My family and friends along with some of the instructors.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: Many of my business classes have given me the knowledge and fundamentals of accounting which I use in everyday operations from financial statements and cash flows. Group projects and presentations helped me become more confident and a better team leader by improving my public speaking skills.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: If asked to give any advice from personal experience it would be socializing and building a network. When you socialize regularly in college, you tend to develop deep and lasting relationships. Studying abroad may be one of the most beneficial experiences for a college student. Last, but not least, seek internship opportunities!

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: My long-term goal when I was a student is completely different from what it is right now, and I am also sure it will be different in a few years from now. However, the opportunities are endless, and my goal is to continue to grow.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: Studying abroad and owning my own business.

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: In my spare time I enjoy cooking and spending time with family and friends. I love going on road trips or traveling with my wife and exploring different countries, cultures, music, and food.

MBA Alumnus Creates Connection in Higher Education: November’s aMaizeing Alumni

Alumnus, Raymond Pirouz, graduated with honors in May 2021 from UM-Flint’s School of Management with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and was awarded Most Outstanding MBA Student from his graduating cohort. During his time as a student, he founded a graduate/alumni social network for SOM students. Raymond is an Instructor at the MSU Broad College of Business in the Marketing Department where he’s able to share his passion for learning with others continuing their education. In 2021, Raymond earned four teaching awards including the MBA Faculty of the Year award by the Broad College of Business.

As our featured alumni of the month, Raymond gave insight on what led him to begin teaching, why he chose UM-Flint for his MBA, his favorite classroom experiences, and how his UM-Flint education impacts the courses he teaches as marketing faculty at MSU.

Q: Degree(s) and graduation year:
A: Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing and Innovation Management, 2021

Q: Were you involved in any clubs or extracurriculars during your college experience?
A: I founded http://www.UMF-SOM.net, a social network for graduate students of the UM-Flint School of Management. Even though it was an unofficial initiative, it was recognized by the School of Management and is currently listed along with other student organizations.

Q: Where are you currently working and your title? How long have you been in this position or at this organization? What is your job like day to day?
A: I am currently a Broad College of Business Instructor in the Marketing Department at Michigan State University. I have taught at MSU Broad now for a little over three years, though I have been teaching for a little over 25 years at a number of universities including the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California (Irvine) and the Ivey Business School at Western University (London, Ontario Canada) among others.

I love my job because I love learning and I love sharing what I am passionate about with others. So, I get to share my excitement with young people (well, younger people than me for the most part) who are on a journey of growth and advancement.

Q: Describe your career path
A: My undergrad was in Graphic & Packaging Design and I began work as an Art Director in an interactive ad agency during the Dot Com Boom (early dinosaur days of the internet). After a year in advertising, I left to write a few books and became a published author who had the opportunity to speak at conferences and be interviewed on the radio. One thing lead to another and I started teaching (which is something I always wanted to eventually do even when I was a student in design school). A little over 25 years later and I finally had the chance to earn my MBA after spending so many years teaching other MBA students.

Q: Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?
A: Teaching is a passion to me. It’s one of the rare occupations in life where I know I am making a positive difference in the lives of other people, no question about it. I also love the idea of higher education: One of the few opportunities we have created as a human species wherein people of various socioeconomic and other backgrounds willingly come together in peace and harmony for the pursuit of self-improvement. There are few things in this life that reach that level of authenticity and purity in my opinion, and I want to be a part of that.

Q: What advice would you give current students or recent graduates interested in pursuing a career in your professional field?
A: I actually don’t think that teaching is for everyone, and I doubt most MBA students want to go into teaching. For those who do, however, don’t be like me since I definitely did not follow the prescribed path for a career in academia, nor is my role as Instructor necessarily esteemed within the ivory tower. I am not a Ph.D. researcher, but that is what I recommend young people pursue if they are serious about academia.

Q: What is a long-term career or professional goal you have for yourself?
A: I am happy to continue teaching for the next 15-20 years before I retire.

Q: Why did you choose UM-Flint for your degree?
A: I appreciated UM-Flint SOM’s flexible modality that enabled busy professionals like me the opportunity to learn remotely while also having the opportunity to attend in-person sessions during weekend residencies.

Q: How did your education at UM-Flint prepare you for what you are doing today?
A: My experience at UM-Flint was a deep-dive ethnography of the MBA student experience, which has been invaluable to my role as a marketing faculty at Michigan State University, teaching MBA and undergraduate students. The experience enabled me to literally put myself in the shoes of my students and to appreciate their trials, tribulations, expectations, wants, needs, and desires firsthand. One can not put a price on such insight.

Q: What is the most important thing you learned while you were at UM-Flint?
A: The need to interact with faculty and classmates to get a fuller picture of the subject matter.

Q: What is one of your favorite events you attended or classroom experiences at UM-Flint? Why?
A: One of my favorite classroom experiences at UM-Flint SOM was during my final year where I was in a team that competed against other teams in our capstone strategy class, managing an international sneaker retailer brand through an online simulation. The experience afforded a roller coaster of emotions, but we did manage to come out on top and I learned a lot from the team dynamics.

Q: Who influenced you most during your time at UM-Flint and why?
A: During my time at UM-Flint, I was most influenced by my peers and friends in the program. We laughed, struggled, and learned from each other and they remain people I can connect with today if I needed to.

Q: Share your best college memory
A: Meeting other MBA students during weekend residency and hanging out in-between and after class.

Q: What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?
A: After 25 years of teaching, I miraculously earned the following teaching awards in the same year as I graduated with my MBA:

MBA Faculty of the Year, 2021
Broad College of Business, MSU
Instructor of Excellence, Undergraduate Required Courses, 2021
Michigan State University
Instructor of Excellence, Undergraduate Electives, 2021
Michigan State University
Instructor of Excellence, Full-Time MBA Program, 2021
Michigan State University

Q: What is something people may not know about you?
A: As an undergrad, I took advantage of an exchange term opportunity with a now-defunct Swiss campus of my design school. I spend a few months in one of the most expensive and beautiful countries on this planet, touring Switzerland on its pristine and on-time trains. It remains among the highlights of my life.

UM-Flint School of Management Blog

Contact SOM with comments, questions, or story ideas!