Mike Birdsall
"The Fuqua network is incredible. They have been phenomenal for career, personal, and general industry knowledge and advice. Upon starting the program, alums began reaching out to the network. Even after a year, when I reach out to Fuqua alums, the response has been quite high. One has become a true mentor. I do not think I would have the direction or goals I do without the Fuqua network."
Global Executive MBA
Industry:
Prior Education:
Susquehanna University,
BS, Business Administration, 2012
Reflections
I believe that I have grown as a leader within the program. Although flexible, the program is a notable increase in pace compared to my time before business school. This increase has encouraged me to be more intentional in everything I commit to and provided a greater perspective. I feel more grounded than before starting the program and have a greater ability to understand others. The diversity of the program has been the primary catalyst to this due to learning from those around you. My favorite aspect of the program has been the out-of-class discussions with cohort members, which have genuinely changed how I think about my daily life.
Before Fuqua
I lead sales operations for an automotive OEM within a territory, including but not limited to new/used sales, marketing, and customer experience. My primary objective is to be an advocate for the retailer body while ensuring proper performance.
After Fuqua
I plan to help lead the automotive industry's evolution into a new, de-carbonized, and sustainable future.
How I Knew Fuqua was the Right Decision
Looking back, it's amusing to think about, but I knew I made the right decision in Term One during the first week of the residency. Going in, I thought there would be a high amount of jockeying, yet I couldn't have been more wrong. The cohort was incredibly open and wanted to network despite everyone's diverse backgrounds. In parallel, I was interviewing for a dream international role and was pretty nervous. I brought up the situation with one cohort member, who almost immediately called up a former colleague of his that was an engineer at the company for me to network with. Another put a note of encouragement under my door in the middle of the night, which helped pep me up for a 3 am interview. Situations like this have continued mainly due to Fuqua's character quality.