MBA Ambassadors

Contact Kiersten

Graduation Year: 2011
Current Employment: Interim Healthcare
Position: Vice President for Hospice Services

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I went to Clemson University for my MED in Clinical Mental Health and my MBA. I loved my time in the MBA program and upon graduation, I was still unsure what I wanted to do for my career. Through networking opportunities, I landed an internship in Chicago working in healthcare. After my internship, I came back to Greenville and continued on my path in healthcare. Currently, I serve as the Vice President for Hospice Services at Interim Healthcare.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
The most memorable experience in the program was when I was working on a very difficult marketing simulation with my peers. We spent hours together at the Bowater building just trying to figure this simulation out. We had to find ways to make it fun and help each other through this very challenging marketing course. The project helped bring our collaboration and creativity out. The hours we spent together allowed us to develop lifelong relationships and become better teammates.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Have fun and enjoy all the time with your colleagues. Enjoy your time in the classroom and at events. You will make lifelong friendships that will allow you to continue working with people in the future. The relationships you create will let you build upon a network that you may utilize for the rest of your life. Enjoy every opportunity and make everlasting relationships.

Contact Jillian

Graduation Year: 2019
Current Employment: Alliance Pickens
Position: Research Manager

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
After completing my undergrad at Clemson University, I knew I wanted to return to get my MBA with Clemson. During my time with the Clemson MBA Program, I pursued internships that helped guide me to where I am today. Some of the internships helped shine a light on what areas interest me while others taught me what areas I am not so fond of. Internships helped me get to my current position working for Alliance Pickens as a Research Manager. Currently, I am utilizing databases and my research to help the county with economic development plans.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
Honestly, my most memorable experiences came from the quirkier professors' classes. They made the classes so enjoyable and interesting. I also really enjoyed spending time speaking to Jamie Patterson in Career Services who helped guide me to an internship that led me down the path to work in economic development.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Get an internship! I cannot stress this enough. Internships are great to help make connections and learn more about what career path interests you. Learn more from these opportunities and speak with people in positions that you want to one day work in. If you are struggling to get an internship especially during this time, utilize LinkedIn and the Clemson B-Hive to make connections that may lead to career opportunities.

Contact Madison

Graduation Year: 2019
Current Employment: Hubbell Incorporated
Position: Sales Leadership & Development Program

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
After graduating with my marketing undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to pursue my education further. This led me to Clemson University to get my MBA. While I was at Clemson I made sure to be very involved and this involvement ultimately helped me land my job. The connections I made, as well as the mentors I had, helped prepare me for my career.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
The most memorable experience had to have been Networking Forum. Not being from South Carolina, this event was a great opportunity to get to know the employers who were hiring in the area. Networking Forum also helped inform me about my current position, which brought me to Connecticut. I think this was my favorite part of the program because of the wonderful connections I made.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Take advantage of every opportunity. This is advice I would use for life and as a student interested in the Clemson MBA Program. I came to Clemson not knowing anyone here and I worked hard to make connections at every event. I went to every employee spotlight and networking event which helped me build the network I have today. Get to know everyone and use your time wisely.

Contact Harold

Graduation Year: 2014
Current Employment: BANDWAGON
Position: Founder & CEO

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I spent about a decade in corporate America and learned a lot about management styles. I knew I wanted to start my own company, but I wanted to build upon my knowledge base. This prompted me to get my MBA with Clemson University. I needed some of the foundational courses in the MBA Program to help me run my own business. In my last course of the program, I found a passion to start my own company that incorporated my love for sports and my drive to run my own business.

What was your most memorable experience in the Clemson MBA Program?
A lot of my most memorable experiences came from Matthew Klein's class. In this class we had people come in frustrated and tell us about problems at their organizations. We then as a class would discuss solutions to those problems. This allowed for team collaboration and problem-solving skills to be built upon. It was a great opportunity to hear about real-world issues in the workplace and solve them. In this class, I also made some of the best relationships with my classmates. These relationships are ones that I will always have and be able to call upon in my future.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Have fun and get involved. Your classes will allow you to make long-lasting friendships, and events help you build a better network. There are so many times where people in my network have been able to support one another. Go to networking events and find ways to get involved. Don't be afraid to reach out to Alumni who you think may be great people to connect with. We are happy to share our experiences and try to support current students the best we can.

Contact Jacob

Graduation Year: 2018
Current Employment: RVR Consulting Group
Position: Senior Associate

Jacob is currently a Senior Associate at RVR Consulting Group in Orlando, Florida. RVR is a full-service Management Consulting Firm focusing on growth and exit strategy for a wide variety of small to mid-size companies throughout the US. In this role, Jacob primarily focuses on Mergers & Acquisitions in addition to developing integration and growth strategies for clients.

Jacob Kerby graduated from the Clemson MBA Program in 2018, in addition to receiving a Master of International Business at IESEG School of Management in Paris. While at Clemson, he served as the 2017 MBA Student Association President and studied abroad with the Oxford University program.

Jacob received his undergraduate degree in Finance with a minor in Spanish from Auburn University. Following his graduation from Auburn, Jacob spent three years in Alabama working in Commercial Banking, quickly advancing to Assistant Vice President and concentrating in Asset-Liability Management. He also served on various community boards and was President of the Chamber of Commerce.

Jacob is involved in multiple organizations and philanthropies throughout Central Florida, including the Association for Corporate Growth and the Young Professionals Council for CECO, a conductive education center for children with motor disabilities.

Contact Julius

Graduation Year: 2010
Current Employment: World Acceptance Corporation
Position: Director of External Recoveries

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
Shortly after moving to Greenville, I started working in manufacturing. Through the connections I made at the Clemson MBA Program, I was able to transition into financial services. As the Director of External Recoveries at World Acceptance Corporation, I currently lead the external recoveries group at a publicly traded financial firm in Greenville.

What was your most memorable experience in the Clemson MBA Program?
My most memorable experience in the program was being able to graduate with an MBA while working full time. I am very proud of this moment in my life and often reflect on my time at the Clemson MBA Program.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
I believe students shouldn't be afraid to reach out and ask questions. Students should always find a reason to ask questions of guest speakers or while at networking events.

Contact Mike

Graduation Year: 2006
Current Employment: Robert Bosch, LLC
Position: Senior Purchasing Management Quality

Mike works for the largest automotive supplier in the world: Robert Bosch, LLC in Anderson, SC, supporting the North American Direct Purchasing Organization in Supplier Quality in a Senior Project Management Quality role. He has worked there for 15 years in various roles within Purchasing Project Management supporting various plants in the US and Mexico and the various suppliers from around the World.

Mike is a 1993 Graduate of Purdue University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He received his MBA from Clemson in 2006 in the part-time MBA Corporate Program. He originally grew up in the Midwest but has called the Upstate home for more than 25 years. He is appreciative of the education and connections he has developed via the Clemson MBA Program and is glad to have the opportunity to try and give back and help the program continue to grow and prosper. In his personal time, he enjoys raising his children, international and domestic travel, and outdoor sporting activities.

Contact Courtney

Graduation Year: 2019
Current Employment: Perform CB
Position: Business Development Representative

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
Before coming into the MBA program, I was a student-athlete and didn't have an opportunity to explore where I wanted to be in my career. Going through with the MBA program helped me find my path. I worked with Admissions as an Admissions Assistant but also gained an internship in web development, which is where my career has taken me. I am a Business Development Representative at Perform CB where we create advertisements for mobile apps and have begun mobile marketing.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
There isn't one specific event or opportunity I could point out that I would deem as the most memorable, but it would have to be all of the connections I have made. I progressed by getting more involved as the program continued. I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of people on more than just a professional basis but on a friendship level. That sort of lasting, lifetime connection with others is what I find to be my most memorable experience.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Make sure to take advantage of all of the connections you have right now as a current student, whether it's classmates, professors, Career Services, etc. It is nice to know that there is a support system back home or no matter how far away you are, you have people rooting for you. Another thing is to take advantage of the Career Services Team and tell them exactly what you are looking for. Communicate your goals to them because they are the most willing people to help get you the best possible position when you come out of the program.

Contact Courtney

Graduation Year: 2017
Current Employment: Milliken & Co.
Position: Learning and Development Specialist

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor's Degree in Language and International Trade (now known as Language and International Business). During my undergraduate experience, I studied abroad in Argentina. As I got closer to graduation, I realized I did not know what I wanted to do, so I decided to go straight for my MBA. There I found an internship that interested me at Milliken through one of the weekly MBA Career Services emails. I interned for about 7 months and then, after some time at another job, I found an opportunity to return to Milliken. I have been on the Learning and Development Team there for about three years now.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
I had the opportunity to attend the Oxford Study Abroad Program. That was my first time in England and some of my friends who were in the program also went. We all decided that a month before the program started, we were going to travel around Europe. I took two classes while I was at Oxford, got to consult for various engineering firms, and got to work with other MBAe program students. We all got to know each other well and it was a truly great experience.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Step outside of your comfort zone and get involved in the program. Not only in the classes but attend the employer spotlights, be a part of the MBA Student Association and compete in the case competitions. If you just go to class and do the bare minimum, you're missing half the experience and opportunities. Making the extra effort can really make a difference in your life and career.

Contact Paul

Graduation year: 1993 B.S. Industrial Management - Clemson; 2000 MBA - Clemson
Current Employment: Spartanburg Steel Products
Position: Business Development Manager

Why did you choose the Clemson MBA Program?
Convenience and location played a major role in my choosing the Clemson MBA. I was working in Greenville at the time, and I noticed that I could get my MBA with just 10 classes (no prerequisites, as I already had a business degree.) I wanted to complete my MBA early in my career in the event that an opportunity came where it might be highly preferred or required.

My favorite MBA course was:
Business Strategy. It was the one class the utilized all of the components of the other classes and pulled everything together. While I didn't particularly enjoy all the evening and weekend work, the discussions with small groups and in class were of immense value.

What made your Clemson MBA experience unique?
I'm not sure it is unique to the Clemson MBA, but I enjoyed having a very diverse group of classmates throughout the program. While my career has mostly been spent in manufacturing, the MBA program allowed me to see the challenges and opportunities in many other industries.

Contact Matt

Graduation Year: 2017
Current Employment: Team Life
Position: Business Development Manager

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I worked with professional golfers and one of them allowed me to become the Director of Health, Fitness and Recreation for the Cliffs club communities. It was in this role I realized I needed more of a business background and decided to pursue my MBA with the Clemson MBA Program. Now I am currently the Business Development Manager for Team Life in Orlando Florida.

What was your most memorable experience in the Clemson MBA Program?
The thing I love the most - and to me is the most memorable - in the MBAe program was the people in the class with us. It was like a big incubation tank. We had people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, varying degrees, and you put them in a classroom together to help mold ideas.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
This is one of the biggest initiatives we on the Alumni Advisory Board are trying to accomplish, which is creating a pipeline of connections between students and alumni. My advice to students is to reach out to alumni like myself and never stop asking questions. The alumni network here at Clemson is strong and we are always happy to help.

Contact Ryan

Graduation Year: 2011
Current Employment: Capital One
Position: Manager, Corporate Development (Mergers & Acquisitions)

Why did you choose the Clemson MBA program?
I chose the MBA program for its emphasis in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. While the program was a great experience, it has also come a long way since I graduated and I am truly envious of the students there today. I have always had immense respect for Entrepreneurs and while I am currently not in that job category, I hope to be someday down the road.

My favorite MBA course was: Enterprise Development

What made your Clemson MBA experience unique?
I had an internship with the Upstate Carolina Angel Network (UCAN) through the majority of my time at Clemson. The MBA program and the internship combined for an overall great experience that significantly contributed to my professional development. I wouldn't be where I am today without one or the other.

Contact Jennifer

Graduation year: 2014
Current Employment: Greenville County Auditor
Position: Manager

Jennifer is an Associate Manager with the Office of the Greenville County Auditor, located in Greenville, South Carolina. She began her career at a family-owned local manufacturing company working in inventory quality control. She received her undergraduate degree in Accounting and transitioned into the government sector working for the elected Auditor of Greenville County. During that time she graduated from Clemson University in 2014 with her Master's in Business Administration. Jennifer has been with the Auditor's Office for seven years and enjoys working with the companies and tax authorities of her hometown.

She serves as a board member for the Clemson University MBA Alumni Association and is a legislative appointee board member for Greenville First Steps. Jennifer resides in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband and daughter. They enjoy new culinary adventures, traveling and spending time with family.

Contact Carmen

Graduation Year: 2018
Current Employment: Milliken & Co.
Position: Learning and Development Specialist

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I was a teacher working in North Carolina for over 5 years when I realized I wanted a change of pace. I did not want to stay a teacher forever, so I decided to go back to school and get my MBA. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do so I thought a Corporate MBA would be perfect to help me figure that out. In Jamie Patterson's class, I took a career assessment that said I was perfect to work in HR. This prompted me to apply for an HR Internship which led me to my current position in HR with Milliken.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
There's not a particular moment, but instead a collection of moments that led me to a realization. I had a lot of apprehension about going back to school and was nervous about being able to keep up. I dove in headfirst and soon realized I was surrounded by staff that supported me and wanted me to succeed. This allowed me to realize that I was completely capable of getting my MBA. I left the program a much different person than when I started.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Meet as many people as you can and find out as much information as possible while you are in the program. This will help you build the best network of people and helps complement the learning you do in the classroom. You have so many opportunities to meet people and expand your network and the people you meet may help you in your future whether you know it or not. Even if you don't enjoy socializing you need to put yourself out there. No one will advocate for yourself like you will.

Contact Kelsey

Graduation Year: 2018
Current Employment: Assurant
Position: Digital Performance Analyst

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I would not be where I am today without the Clemson MBA Program. Before starting the program, I was working for a small nonprofit in Connecticut. I then decided I wanted to get my MBA because it would help me become more well-rounded in terms of a business perspective. While in the program, Jamie Patterson encouraged me to go to a Networking Night event and it was there that I got an interview set up for a graduate assistantship in the field of my interest. This assistantship led to me receiving a full-time job before graduating.

What is the most memorable experience you had in the Clemson MBA Program?
My most memorable experience has to have been the Oxford study abroad trip. I took the course on International Business and Leadership which was one of the best experiences I have ever had. In undergrad, I studied abroad and nothing compares to the experience I had at Oxford. We spent every other day in the classroom learning about a business and then the next day we would tour the business we had learned about. We got to speak with CEOs and complete a case study of the business while we were there.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
It is not enough to just go and network at one event a semester. You must be willing to go to every event and take full advantage of the resources that the MBA Program provides. I was Vice President of the MBA Student Association and attended every event that they participated in. This level of involvement is what students should be doing while they are a part of the MBA Program. Don't miss out on participating, because ultimately you will regret and miss out on bonding with a lot of great people.

Contact Wendi

Graduation Year: 2014
Current Employment: Epson America
Position: Business Development Manager

Throughout your career path, how did you get to where you are now in your career?
I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for a fellow MBA student, Harold Hughes. Harold and I had a finance class together where we were able to help each other through some of the difficult material. At the time, Harold was working for ScanSource and helped me obtain a Business Development job there. I have since left ScanSource and now work as a Business Development Manager for Epson America. I would not be here if it were not for my time at ScanSource, so I am thankful for the connections that the MBA program led me to.

What was your most memorable experience in the Clemson MBA Program?
My most memorable experience was when the MBA Student Association volunteered for Hands On Greenville Day. I served as the President of the Student Association my last year and organized a group to volunteer for a project helping to build a porch. When we arrived, we were given hand saws and drills and as we worked in a team we learned to use tools we had little experience with and were able to help our community. It was a great feeling to be able to help others in the community and work together as a team outside of the assignments we were given in class.

What is the best advice you would give to a current or future Clemson MBA student?
Take advantage of everything. The reason you are in this program is education but get involved and have some fun. Go to football games, networking events, employer spotlights, and the Student Association meetings. Some of my best memories are from outside of the classroom and while I am thankful for what I learned; I would not be where I am today without the connections I made. Those connections became best friends and I have a lot of great memories with them. Don't just go to class and go home, broaden your horizons and get out of your comfort zone. Every event is worth attending because you may learn something or make a connection that will benefit your future.

Contact Kevin

Graduation Year: 2014
Current Employment: Defense Contract Audit Agency (Department of Defense)
Position: Supervisory Auditor

Why did you choose the Clemson MBA program?
When I first made the decision to pursue my graduate degree, I looked to Clemson due to my connection to the University. While I did not attend Clemson for my undergraduate studies, I still maintained a connection to Clemson through family and friends and had a personal desire to become a part of the Clemson Family. Ultimately, however, my decision to choose Clemson University was because of the benefits of the program itself. The ability to attend live-session courses in Greenville - close to my work location and residence - with relatively flexible scheduling influenced my decision greatly. Also, the opportunity to study and network alongside other professionals greatly confirmed that Clemson University was the right decision for me.

My favorite MBA course was: MBA 8740 - Managing Continuous Improvement

What made your Clemson MBA experience unique?
One of the best qualities of the program is that it provides a platform for students from diverse industry backgrounds to interact as a cohesive unit in a professional setting. The multitude of differing career experiences, both from students and professors alike, affords students the ability to consider a variety of perspectives in decision making.

Yet, aside from being a part of the inaugural graduating class at the Greenville ONE location, I would consider the coursework performed in two of my three elective courses, MGT 8690 - Project Management and MBA 8740 - Managing Continuous Improvement, and the real-time application of the coursework to my daily work functions as the greatest takeaway from the program. While my current profession operates narrowly in a specialized service-based environment, many of the operations management-based topics studied correlated with my daily activities and provided a knowledge base that I still apply within my position today.