news-archives /business/ en Career Paths: How Luke St. John Became a Natural Networker /business/news/2025/02/10/career-paths-luke-st-john Career Paths: How Luke St. John Became a Natural Networker Jane Majkiewicz Fri, 02/07/2025 - 13:18 Categories: news Tags: News news-archives

Luke St. John (Fin’25) built a robust habit of networking while pursuing his passions at Leeds. That ultimately helped him secure a job before graduation.


For senior Luke St. John, launching his career this spring has boiled down to two things: Doing what he loves and talking to everybody.

This May, St. John will graduate and begin his new role as a business analyst at McKinsey and Company in Denver. He attributes this success partly to his involvement in various student organizations at Ƶ. Since his freshman year, he has served as vice president on the board of the ski and snowboard club—the largest student organization on campus. He has also been an active member of Leeds Student Government and has participated in the Leeds on Wall Street group.

Turning dreams into milestones

Joining clubs helped St. John navigate a challenging start to his freshman year, fostering friendships and cementing valuable connections to craft a positive college experience. His spring semester of junior year was another turning point: Realizing he had enough credits to graduate early, he took time off to pursue his travel dreams—skiing in Japan, surfing in Bali and exploring Europe. That didn’t thwart his plans to graduate—but instead expanded his curiosity and confidence.

To fund his travels, St. John worked nearly every day at a restaurant for two months, a lesson in financial planning and perseverance. And navigating the unknowns of travel became a strong talking point during interviews. That semester off ultimately paid off. His new role at McKinsey will involve significant travel, and St. John feels ready for the challenge.

Follow your passions

St. John credits his parents for instilling in him an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for doing meaningful work. His father started a company more than 20 years ago building for fly fishing.

“I think that was so cool for me to see my entire life growing up … [my father] has been so focused and dedicated to his company. He has good days and he has bad days, and I get to see those firsthand. I know that deep down, he loves what he does.”

His mother works as a curator and grant writer for the Steamboat Art Museum, a job she loves and one that has inspired St. John’s interest in nonprofits.

“Having both parents doing something they're so passionate about … it’s kind of hard not to think, ‘They made it work 100% doing that. So why can’t I?’”

Network with peers

Early on, St. John recognized the value of Leeds’ career resources—he was in Leeds’ career coach Susan Brodnicki’s office at least an hour each week, he laughed. She worked tirelessly to help connect him with leads and contacts. Also, he never underestimated the power of collaborating with peers to practice and build skills.

His involvement with Leeds Student Government proved to be a fertile ground for learning and leadership. “It was so cool that I could go in, and not really knowing much … the juniors and seniors were able to guide me to where I wanted to go, and then they let me take the reins on stuff that I was really passionate about,” said St. John.

Through student government, St. John first learned about McKinsey from a junior who had secured a job there. That influenced his decision in freshman year to focus on finance and business. His involvement in the investment banking club starting sophomore year further honed his networking and interview skills.

"You need to put yourself out there. The worst that’ll happen is people won’t respond."

Luke St. John (Fin’25)

“They trained us that you need to put yourself out there. The worst that’ll happen is people won’t respond,” said St. John. He learned how to “take that ‘no’ and move to the next company or reach out to somebody else that might be more helpful.”

Stick with it

St. John estimates he’s sent over 500 emails for coffee chats in the last three years.

“I probably had 30 or 40 calls with companies before I even got to McKinsey,” he added. While he reached out to contacts from other schools, he found conversations with Leeds alumni to be the most productive.

“On other calls, they didn’t necessarily have the understanding about classes or looking out for me as much as people at Leeds,” said St. John. “That’s what’s so cool: Buffs looking out for Buffs.”

When St. John had his first interview with McKinsey, he reached out to a couple of students in the Leeds Consulting Group, even though he isn’t a member. Those students happily devoted a couple of hours each to help St. John practice.

Explore options through internships

Internships helped St. John gain clarity about his career path.

“I knew I wanted to do something in finance, but I didn’t necessarily know what,” St. John said. Interning with both private and nonprofit organizations allowed him to discover his preferences and envision his future. Gaining that professional experience has allowed him to feel confident going into his new role, knowing how to gauge expectations.

Looking ahead

St. John will spend two to three years as a general business analyst for McKinsey, following the company’s track to consultant, senior consultant and engagement manager roles.

No matter where the path ultimately takes him, St. John knows he’ll benefit from the experience.

“I am incredibly excited just to be able to touch a variety of industries,” he said. He hopes to pair the business knowledge he develops with his passion for the outdoors and sustainability. He dreams of starting a company to make skis, inspired by his father’s entrepreneurial journey.

One certainty: Networking will remain a cornerstone of St. John’s path. Here’s some proof: After the interview for this story, he followed up with an email to share contacts for other articles, including his younger brother, a current Ƶ student transferring to Leeds this fall.

That’s “Buffs looking out for Buffs” in action, which, for St. John, comes naturally.


Want to put your networking skills to work? Take advantage of the Leeds Spring 2025 Career Fairs on February 12 and 13!

 

Luke St. John (Fin’25) built a robust habit of networking while pursuing his passions at Leeds. That ultimately helped him secure a job before graduation.

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Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:18:11 +0000 Jane Majkiewicz 18598 at /business
Designing New Paths: Megan Thiede’s Fulbright Journey in Finland /business/news/2024/08/08fulbright-scholar-megan-thiede Designing New Paths: Megan Thiede’s Fulbright Journey in Finland Jane Majkiewicz Thu, 08/08/2024 - 12:50 Tags: news-archives

Thanks to winning a prestigious Fulbright award, Megan Thiede (Mgmt’19) is embarking on a two-year master’s program at Tampere University in Finland to learn about designing more accessible digital experiences.


If you know anyone who has applied for a Fulbright scholarship, then you know it’s a rigorous application process for a highly coveted award. Still, that didn’t stop Megan Thiede (Mgmt’19) from going for it. She applied for one of only two annual Fulbright grants available for graduate study at in Finland, winning a scholarship to study Accessibility and Diversity in Digital Services.

Thiede was initially inspired to apply for a Fulbright grant several years ago, when a fellow student in the Leeds Scholars class of 2019 won an award. At the time, she dismissed the possibility because she wasn’t drawn to a pointed research topic, which she thought was necessary to apply. Following experience in the work world and additional sources of inspiration along the way, the Fulbright seed that was planted years ago then sprouted.

Immersing in Finnish culture 

While it was a surprise to win such a prestigious award, Thiede seems even more surprised to find herself prepared for the journey ahead. “It’s definitely a big shift. I don’t know what it is exactly that makes me feel like I’m ready for it, but I feel that way. I applied so long ago [more than a year], and now it’s finally happening,” she said.

Thiede arrived in Finland earlier this summer for a month-long language and culture immersion program before her coursework begins in late August. Another surprise—she placed in level two of the language program—why, she really can’t say, she laughed, adding that it’s been a rewarding experience so far.

“It's 60 people of different ages and from all walks of life—from countries such as Germany, Sweden, Panama, Japan, Ukraine—all united by a shared fascination with language. It’s a unique environment I haven’t experienced before.”

Having studied abroad as an undergraduate in Berlin and Cape Town through Ƶ’s Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program, and moving to different cities for work, Thiede values the benefits of being in an unfamiliar environment. It can't help but expand your mindset, she said. But she finds Finland comes with its own set of challenges, particularly as she finds her way on her own as opposed to the group experiences from her previous study abroad travels. The exposure to a wide array of cultures is ideal, Thiede believes, as it aligns well with her research aspirations.

Work experiences as a plus

Thiede held three positions since graduating with a degree in information management and a certificate in technology, arts and media, including roles at Deloitte Consulting and Sasaki, an interdisciplinary architectural design firm.

Her three years at IDEO, a human-centered design company, felt the most impactful. Working as a business operations specialist, she collaborated with various types of designers in IDEO’s learning/work and financial services domains.

In the learning/work arena, Thiede loved collaborating with “an incredible, powerful group of women.” She gained insights from their prior experiences delivering projects such as a reimagined first-year experience at New York University, and designing products for start-ups and a learning program for the city of South Bend, Indiana.

“What’s so special about IDEO is how designers are very involved in understanding their clients’ day-to-day interaction. There’s a design research discipline that involves meeting and conducting unique forms of research for all types of clientele,” Thiede said.

Last summer, one of her Thiede's mentors at IDEO, a former Fulbrighter, encouraged her to look further into available grants. A few weeks later, Thiede was browsing a Fulbright newsletter and came across a spotlight on a current student in Tampere applying his degree in Sustainable Digital Life to education. It sparked thoughts about her own research possibilities, and after speaking with that student, Thiede was compelled to apply for the university award.

“There are a lot of directions this type of degree can take you. So many aspects felt aligned with what I was looking for—the coursework, conversations with the department lead and the person spotlighted in the newsletter," she said.

“I’m really grateful I had time in between graduating and starting this degree. I think it makes a world of difference … I needed a few years to figure out what I might want out of my career.”

“I want to be in a role where I can flex my creative mindset and stay close to the people involved, so that I am able to connect to them and build resilient solutions together.”

Megan Thiede (Mgmt’19)

Leeds’ influence

Thiede was part of the Leeds Scholars program, led by Darrell Zechman, who wrote one of her Fulbright recommendations.

“I had no idea how much of an influence this program was going to have when I was at Leeds,” she said. Her cohort participated in the first global experience trip to Tokyo and helped launch outreach initiatives, such as a workshop for middle and high school girls to gain exposure to coding and career paths in web development.

“Leeds really promotes professionalism and pushes out-of-the-classroom learning in a way that I think is beneficial for all students. There are all types of networking, mentorship and student organizations that are readily available. I really am grateful to Leeds for exposing me to multiple pathways toward professional development.”

Thiede appreciates the business skills and analytical mindset she developed at Leeds. She says having that foundation allowed her to apply energy to creative pursuits instead of worrying about a learning curve on the business side of things.

“The business acumen gained at Leeds creates the building blocks for career development and being able to function successfully in a job.”

A look ahead

Thiede’s two-year graduate program will involve exploring the link between technology and society, discovering how we can create more resilient digital solutions to foster flexible, accessible experiences.

“The type of design research I was exposed to at IDEO is what I'm interested in exploring further.” In addition to courses, graduate students at Tampere are partnered with an NGO. “You work directly with whatever problem you are trying to solve or address and the community or audience that’s being affected,” Thiede said.

“Maybe it’s a small problem or maybe it’s a larger problem … I want to be in a role where I can flex my creative mindset and stay close to the people involved, so that I am able to connect to them and build resilient solutions together.”

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Thu, 08 Aug 2024 18:50:42 +0000 Jane Majkiewicz 18183 at /business
Good Sports: How the Business of Sports Program Leads to Fulfilling Careers /business/news/2024/07/16/how-business-of-sports-program-leads-to-fulfilling-careers Good Sports: How the Business of Sports Program Leads to Fulfilling Careers Jane Majkiewicz Tue, 07/16/2024 - 14:40 Tags: news-archives Jane Majkiewicz

It happens for only seven weeks of the summer, but the results are often lifelong: A cohort of students comes to campus to complete the Business of Sports (BOS) Program, an experience that regularly leads to the jobs of their dreams.

Retired NFL player Nick Ferguson kicked off the 2024 program, instilling in the students that it only takes one person to change your life and getting them excited for the opportunities ahead. Students also heard from NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield’s agent, Jack Mills, a recipient of the Eugene E. Parker Memorial Award for a lifetime of achievement.

Another 2024 presenter was JJ Zykan, who graduated from Ƶ in 2021 with a BA in strategic communications and a double minor in business analytics and sports media. She completed the BOS Program in 2020 and credits the experience for solidifying her desire to work in sports, leading to her career with the Colorado Avalanche NHL team as a social media strategist. Her success includes growing the Avalanche’s social media following by 300,000 and creating popular content such as the team mascot’s “Bernie’s Summer of Fun” series.

Students actively engaged with Zykan in the classroom. Cory London wondered about how she handles fans and the occasional toxic users across all platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube. Kamran Ali asked about balancing personal and professional social media accounts, especially during game season. Sophia O’Dell inquired about collaboration with graphic designers. Sammie Amantas was curious about whether light-hearted content, rather than more serious posts, garnered better results.

Zykan shared practical advice on everything from following trends to work-life balance, to crafting dozens of posts in real-time on game day, prioritizing strategic content and striking the appropriate tone. “We are a sports team first and foremost. These players are professional athletes,” emphasized Zykan.

A comprehensive, real-world focus

Jessica Baumgarten has captained the BOS team since its inception in 2010, growing the program extensively and morphing it into what it is today. She has served as the program director since 2013 and is also an assistant director of the career development office at Leeds. She focuses on building a strong community, which she calls the “BOS family.”

Recognizing Ƶ's prime location in a sports hub, BOS originated with an advisory board that worked with industry leaders to shape a practical, real-world curriculum. Baumgarten has evolved the program in keeping with the industry. She pointed to e-sports as an example of a topic covered during the peak of its popularity. Current topics include a comprehensive overview of sports analytics, facility management, finance, law, marketing, sponsorship, ticket sales and social media marketing. This year’s cohort visited Empower Field, learning about various roles and operations within sports organizations.

“Students get everything,” said Baumgarten.

“The relationship building with the students and helping them achieve their professional dreams is my favorite part of the job. We stay connected for years.”

Jessica Baumgarten, Program Director of Business of Sports and Assistant Director of the Leeds Office of Career Development [/box]

“I teach students how to navigate within the complex sports industry. Then, we can strengthen applications and resumes, focus on networking and build their acumen to prepare them for seeking applicable jobs, interviewing, and then, hopefully, landing those jobs,” said Baumgarten.

Students often discover new career paths through BOS. “I frequently have found that students will come in with an idea of what they want to do in sports, and then their eyes will be opened into avenues they didn’t even know existed. It can really shake things up for them in a positive way,” she said. 

“The relationship building with the students and helping them achieve their professional dreams is my favorite part of the job. We stay connected for years,” she added.

More than 100 students applied for the current program’s 50 slots, noted Charlotte Cousins, a Leeds finance major and BOS alumna who is serving as a teaching assistant for the 2024 program. The participant mix varies each year; it typically includes 25 juniors, 20 seniors and five recent graduates, including non-Ƶ students.

BOS students must fulfill a three-credit Maymester prerequisite course taught by Micah McGee, a teaching assistant professor of Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics at Leeds. He prepares students with debate and research skills they can carry into their consulting projects and presentations. McGee also serves as one of the research advisors for BOS.

Students attend the program from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in June and July, with the day split between classroom learning and their consulting projects. Baumgarten has students choose from among 10 projects without at first knowing which team is involved. That way they detach from a fan mentality and focus on the scope of the project. A current project example involves identifying new partnership categories for an MLB team. Baumgarten explained, “Typically all sports teams have car, liquor, beer, insurance and bank partners. For this project, students are exploring what new categories the team can develop partnerships with, identifying companies and brands within those sectors that would be a good marriage for the team.”

A network for life

BOS alumni have found careers across the sports industry, from communications roles with the Los Angeles Chargers to business intelligence with the Nashville Predators and marketing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Alumni maintain strong connections with the program, voluntarily returning to conduct interviews with applicants and to support current students.

“I work really hard to make this feel like a family,” said Baumgarten. That dedication underscores the program’s impact. She fondly recalls one alumna remarking, “I never thought three letters would mean so much to me."


What 2024 BOS Students Say

Cory London, Fin’24

“Of course, like the other 49 incredible students within the BOS Program, I am a massive sports fan, although it was a passion that I didn't realize I had until later in life. I had no idea or guidance on how to get there. This is where BOS, and, most importantly, Jessica Baumgarten, have given me the incredible steppingstones to reach my goals. The BOS Program has been nothing short of a life-changing experience. You would have to make an actual effort to not network and connect with people, and you would have to go out of your way to not succeed. ... With professional sports, the outcome is never certain, and it can take you to your highest highs and lowest lows. But when it does take you to those highest moments, it is a special and indescribable feeling that cannot be replicated by anything else. If I can somehow be a part of any aspect of that and help bring that feeling to the fans, it would genuinely be a dream come true.”

Sammie Armatas, Bus’25

“My experience within the Business of Sports Program has been nothing short of miraculous. My current career aspirations are within sports broadcasting and marketing. When I saw the poster promoting the program freshman year, I reached out to Jess with interest in applying and she supported every aspect of my application process! I have learned so much and (bonus) doubled my network. Every single person involved is extremely motivated, and it has fueled my sports career ambitions.”

Sophie O’Dell, Mktg’25

“Last year, I created Ƶ Women in Sports, a student organization dedicated to providing young women opportunities to network with industry professionals and learn more about different career paths within sports to increase female representation. I also am a marketing intern for Ƶ Athletics. I knew this program would provide me many opportunities to network with professional sports organizations and individuals. I am fortunate to work on a project dedicated to finding partnerships and in-stadium marketing activations for a major sports team. I have enjoyed my project so far and am considering working in partnership marketing after I graduate in the spring. My end goal is to be a chief marketing officer of a sports team in the NFL, which is where my love for sports lies the most.”

Kamran Ali, Econ’25

“My experience in this program has been amazing, and it has made me more interested in pursuing a career in sports. I decided to apply because sports have always been a big part of my life and culture since I was a kid, and I've always dreamed of working in the industry. I have a passion for photography and would love to incorporate that into the sports industry. However, my ultimate dream is to hold a front office role in an NBA franchise.”

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Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:40:34 +0000 Jane Majkiewicz 18399 at /business
Class of 2024 Graduates Jumpstart Their Journeys /business/news/2024/05/08/class-2024-graduates-jumpstart-journeys Class of 2024 Graduates Jumpstart Their Journeys Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/08/2024 - 13:22 Tags: News Spring 2024 Graduation news-archives

From chasing childhood dreams to traveling their own academic paths, Leeds 2024 graduates are ready to take on the world. 


Reaping the rewards of hard work

Joe Constancia (Entrep, Strat’24) remembers his first time at the Koelbel Building, emptying recycling bins. Working with Facilities Management was “the greatest job I’ve ever had” because it was a break from previous jobs as a plumber and as a farmer. Working at Leeds set him up for professional opportunities and inspired him to enroll as a full-time student.

“I didn’t have a degree, and there were certain jobs I wanted that required one,” Constancia said. “My wife and I talked about it and decided it was time to rip the bandage off and knock it out.” 

And knock it out he did. His student team won the New Venture Challenge’s Cross-Campus Collaboration. And he took full advantage of Leeds’ global programs, taking an internship in France and another with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at Ƶ Boulder.

“My time at Leeds is the culmination of years of hard work and self-discovery. I’m looking forward to new opportunities ahead,” he said. “As I leave, I am taking with me a sense of purpose that I’ve never had.” 

"This experience has taught me that small actions can lead to big results."

Joe Constancia (Entrep, Strat’24)

Constancia is in the process of applying for jobs in business development and strategy. Over the summer, he will continue working at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research as a student assistant—a role he’s held for over two years.

“I consider myself to have met so many amazing people. My classmates, the professors and the staff have all had a profound influence on me,” Constancia shared. “They are relationships I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I will always look back on this time with joy and gratitude. This experience has taught me that small actions can lead to big results.” 

Exploring a dream

Lily Combs (Mktg’24) dreamed of a career in the fashion industry.  

Then, while studying business at Leeds, she got an opportunity she couldn’t refuse: a new connection of hers asked her to work at New York’s Fashion Week. “I got to see all the different components that go into a show, and it was so rewarding to [learn more about] what I’d like as a career,” she said. 

After that, she knew she was on the right track. She secured an internship as an assistant to a casting director. The experience validated the path she’d been chasing since she was a little girl, sketching different looks and learning to sew. 

Now that she’s graduating, Combs said that it’s “happened way too quickly. My favorite part of attending Leeds is the community. Every single person in the building, from peers to professors to advisors wants to see students succeed and flourish.” 

“I’m excited for the next chapter of my life but will always be so grateful for my time in Boulder.” She continued, “I have grown so much as a person in my four years.” 

And the dream continues. She’s heading back to New York to work at Live Nation Entertainment on the brand management team.

Developing a new product idea 

Luke Hatton (MBA’24) works for The North Face in Denver as a strategic accounts merchandiser. Hatton decided to get an MBA to take his career to the next level but also found himself traveling down a new path during the program. 

In his entrepreneurship and capstone classes, he learned a structured approach for evaluating the potential of business ideas. And through the iterative pitching process, he developed his own: “a nutrition beverage targeted to the unique needs of high school athletes.” 

"My biggest takeaway will certainly be the relationships I have built."

Luke Hatton (MBA’24)

“Through the capstone project I was able to develop a complete business plan around that seed of an idea,” he explained. “My goal coming out of my capstone was to get the idea to a place where I could decide on whether or not to try and launch the product. After graduation, my goal is to replace the time I was devoting to school to continue trying to bring my business idea to life.” 

Looking back, “my biggest takeaway will certainly be the relationships I have built, not only with my cohort, but also with the professors and mentors I have been fortunate enough to meet through the program. Many of my favorite memories are from eating dinner together as a cohort before class.” 

“I am looking forward to continuing to play an active part in the Leeds community after graduation,” he promised. 

From chasing childhood dreams to traveling their own academic paths, Leeds 2024 graduates are ready to take on the world.  Traditional 0 On White ]]>
Wed, 08 May 2024 19:22:28 +0000 Anonymous 18139 at /business
2024 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients /business/news/2024/05/05/leeds-2024-faculty-staff-awards 2024 Teaching and Staff Award Recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/06/2024 - 10:15 Tags: News Spring 2024 Graduation news-archives

Leeds faculty do more than just teach—they encourage, mentor and advocate for their students. And staff show up every day to help students achieve their goals throughout their Leeds’ experience. Each year faculty and staff are recognized for their contributions to the Leeds community. Here are this year’s award recipients.

Frascona Teaching Excellence Award

Assistant Professor Henry Laurion, teaches financial accounting in the MBA program and received the Frascona Teaching Excellence Award this year for inspiring students and creating a lasting impact in their lives. The award has been conferred to faculty at Leeds since 1992 to acknowledge professors who go above and beyond in educating the next generation of leaders.

“I appreciate my excellent MBA students for nominating me and helping me win the award through their active engagement in my class,” says Laurion. “In class, we enjoy applying financial accounting rules to real-world financial statements of public companies. Financial Accounting is the only course I teach, so I am able to stay free from distractions and provide more focused attention to my students.”

 Laurion graduated from Leeds with both a B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration with a focus in accounting. After graduating, he worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denver from 2008 to 2013, after which he obtained a PhD in accounting from UC Berkeley. He studies public companies' financial statements and disclosures and has been teaching in the Leeds MBA program since 2018. His real-world experience is something he brings into the classroom and to mentoring students.

“I offer office hours and one-on-one meetings to help individual students who want more help or want to analyze a company’s financial statements beyond the standard course material,” explains Laurion. “It helps that my students are engaged and actively participating in lectures and class discussions.”

Innovative Teaching Award

Jeremiah Contreras, a teaching assistant professor in accounting, received the 2024 David B. Balkin, Rosalind, and Chester Barnow Endowed Innovative Teaching Award.

“Our Leeds community is filled with incredibly talented faculty who are continually pushing the boundaries of the classroom experience. To be selected for this award is humbling and inspires me to continue finding new ways of having a positive impact in the classroom,” he says. 

Contreras is committed to preparing students for working with cutting-edge technology. By exploring AI in his own courses, Contreras believes Leeds students will have the necessary skills “to thrive in an AI-assisted world.”

“My focus is on addressing the rise of generative AI and its impact on education,” he explains. “Leeds has the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative teaching, setting an example for higher education as a whole.”

“I’m actively involved with others at Leeds to develop best practices of integrating AI in a responsible way. One goal is offering seminars and workshops so faculty can determine how they might integrate these powerful tools while maintaining academic integrity and encouraging critical thinking.” 

Contreras joined the Leeds accounting faculty in 2017 and is an active CPA. His background is in auditing with KPMG and consulting for business management and systems. He now teaches accounting courses across undergraduate and graduate programs and thinks about how to set students up for success as they go into their careers.

“The business landscape is changing, and this requires that we fundamentally rethink how we prepare students for the careers of tomorrow,” Contreras says. “I envision Leeds as a leader in this transformation, providing our students with the skills and critical thinking that will be required to thrive in an AI-assisted world. My goal is to ensure our students leave Leeds not just competitive, but well-positioned as thought leaders in their fields.” 

Meghan Van Portfliet

This year’s Balkin award finalists included Joshua Nunziato of SRS for his March Debate Madness tournament that exposes students to dichotomous business ethics dilemmas. The event teaches ethical principles, clarity of communication, professionalism, argumentation, and the ability to support a view one may not hold. Emily Edwards (of Marketing) and Shaun Davies (of Finance), for their EMBA cross-disciplinary Innovation Project, which has become the de facto first-year capstone of the EMBA assignment. In the class, EMBA student teams work with real clients to enhance existing processes or provide new business opportunities.

Leeds Values Award

Among a group of new awards for outstanding faculty and staff, the Leeds Values Award recognizes a member of the faculty and a member of the staff for being champions of Leeds’ values. 

Shireen Miller

Meghan Van Portfliet is a teaching assistant professor in Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Her research centers on the topics of whistleblowing and organization ignorance, and she has spoken about her work globally. This year she is the recipient of the 2024 Leeds Values Award for Faculty.

Shireen Miller is the program assistant for the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program. She is responsible for supporting the faculty director and helping the program grow to offer more opportunities and events for business students to gain ethical decision-making skills that will serve them in their careers and lives. This year she is the recipient of the 2024 Leeds Values Award for Staff.

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Mon, 06 May 2024 16:15:45 +0000 Anonymous 18141 at /business
Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics /business/news/2024/03/21/navigating-student-athlete-challenges Navigating the Challenge of Athletics and Academics Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/21/2024 - 14:53 Tags: News Year in Review 2024 - Student & Community Stories news-archives Mia Armbruster (Mktg’24) Student Writer

To excel as both a business student and Ƶ athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge.


 

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the Ƶ Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student.

The student-athlete life is not for the faint of heart. Practicing for multiple hours each day, while still attending their regular classes, student-athletes’ skills are put to the test throughout the whole year, including the summer. So, how do they do it? It is no easy task, but it is definitely one worth working for.

The student-athlete journey begins with recruitment, and no one knows the process for Leeds students better than Don Oest, teaching associate professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds. Sharing insights about the life of a student-athlete, Oest explains the rigor of managing both: “It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

It is a difficult balance. But they do it because they love it. 

Chasing a passion

 

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, says Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the Ƶ Lacrosse team.

Ashley Stokes (Fin‘24), an attacker on the Ƶ Lacrosse team, shares that she loves the competitiveness of her sport, “I didn’t want to stop [playing], I knew starting in high school that I wanted to play in college. It was my dream, so I wanted to work towards that.”

For many of these athletes, playing a sport in college began as a childhood dream, and their perseverance and competitiveness kept them committed to the sport. Facing challenges every day becomes an act of endurance. They continue to push forward because they know they can do it because it is something they truly care about.

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) is a long-snapper on the Ƶ Football team, but he also juggles being a Boettcher Scholar, Leeds Scholar and a Leeds Honors student. When he received a preferred walk-on offer to the team, Camden knew this was the path he wanted to take. He admits that this lifestyle “really helps you figure out what your priorities are and how to get your schedule straight,” but more than that, he “[gets] to be a part of something bigger than [himself] while [he’s] working on [his] coursework as well.”

Not only are they able to chase their passion, but the experiences and connections they make along the way are unique and often, cannot be found elsewhere.

 

 

 

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day, you have to show up for your team and after that, you have to show up for class.”

Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25)

Taylor Simpson (Fin‘25, PFP) has been captain of her volleyball team since her sophomore year and now plays as the center. She notes, “The best part of it is the relationships I make out of it. You spend so much time with the people on your team…they really become your family.” 

Many athletes are far from home, and might not have the in-person support of their families that they need to stay motivated, so they create their own support system with their teammates and coaches. Spending hours each day together and traveling hundreds of miles across the country, an unbreakable bond is created. This bond is what helps keep them going. Their genuine excitement for each other’s success helps them all grow as a whole, making the team stronger and more successful as a whole.

It takes a team

Being a student-athlete would be much more difficult, if not impossible, without the amount of support received: from their teammates, coaches, families, professors and Leeds staff. Everyone wants to see them succeed.

Campus resources, including the Herbst Academic Center, offer support to student-athletes like Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the Ƶ Basketball team.

Tristan da Silva (Fin‘24), a guard on the Ƶ Basketball team who came all the way from Munich, Germany, points out that he receives support from the Herbst Academic Center, which provides mentors, tutors and academic advisors. The program allows him to feel comfortable, in that “whenever I need help or I am stuck in a course, there are always people I can reach out to and ask for help.”

While it is no easy task to make time for both academics and athletics, completing mandatory advisor check-ins throughout freshman year sets the tone for success, and allows students to create a connection with their support system early on.

While Herbst plays a major part in this support, the coaches and teammates do as well, offering words of encouragement throughout the season. Many athletes say they have sayings on their team that help them keep going: “Give 100% of what you have that day. You don’t always need to be at 100%, but if you’re at 80% give that full 80%,” says Simpson.

 

 

“It’s 100% student and 100% athlete, so it’s two completely different jobs, and you have to really be able to manage your time appropriately.”

Don Oest, Teaching Associate Professor for Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics who recruits athletes to Leeds

 

“You could have an awful workout, but at the end of the day you have to show up for your team, and more than that you have to show up to classes after that,” says Dempsey.

Another big source of support is the fans. Da Silva notes, “I’m out there in the public representing the university and I have gotten a lot of love from the community and student section. Walking around campus, people telling you ‘great game last night,’ it’s a pride thing where you can be happy with the work you put in and see it pay off.”

These support systems don’t just help athletes to succeed, but they also teach and shape them into who they are today.

Choosing to be a student-athlete comes with both benefits and challenges, but most will agree, “It’s awesome. I love to do it every day. I wouldn’t change it for the world,” says Stokes.

To excel as both a business student and Ƶ athlete is a tall order, but student-athletes say it’s worth the challenge. Traditional 0 On White ]]>
Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:53:05 +0000 Anonymous 18118 at /business
Leeds’ MBA Ranks No. 12 of Top MBA Public Programs for Career Growth /business/news/2023/11/16/leeds-mba-ranks-no-12-top-mba-public-programs-career-growth Leeds’ MBA Ranks No. 12 of Top MBA Public Programs for Career Growth Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/16/2023 - 09:29 Tags: MBA Blog News news-archives news-impact

LinkedIn’s inaugural ranking recognizes Leeds as one of the best MBA programs for alumni career success.


Return on investment, otherwise known as ROI: it’s one of the top reasons students pursue a Master of Business Administration. For most, that means new career opportunities resulting in professional connections, promotions and higher wages—results that MBA graduates have come to expect from Leeds, one of the nation’s best programs for setting up their alumni for career success. Others are taking notice too.

On November 14, social media platform LinkedIn released their to grow students’ careers and ranked Ƶ Boulder’s Leeds School of Business the 36th best MBA among all AACSB-accredited, full-time programs in the United States, and the 12th best public program in the country. To compile the ranking, LinkedIn used aggregated public member data from active LinkedIn profiles and alumni profiles associated with the programs to evaluate hiring and demand; ability to advance; network strength; leadership potential; and gender diversity.

“We are very proud of our alumni and the professional success that they continue to experience after graduating from Leeds,” said Kristi Ryujin, associate dean of graduate programs at the Leeds School. “Our faculty and staff work incredibly hard to support our students and help them succeed during the program so that they continue to thrive after walking across the commencement stage.”

For (MBA’16), the decision to attend graduate school at Leeds was influenced by the school’s close relationships with the Boulder business community. After graduating from the program, she started as a product manager with Zayo Group, a privately-held company specializing in communications infrastructure, rising to the level of vice president after multiple promotions over the years.

“I wouldn’t have been considered by Zayo without my MBA,” Link said. “Leeds was an introduction to a new network of close friends and professionals.”

Over the last several years, Leeds’ MBA program has grown significantly by adding new MBA formats, including the Hybrid and Executive MBA programs, and has also diversified the student body including the percentage of women across cohorts.

In April 2023, the full-time Leeds MBA was ranked No. 60 overall by U.S. News and World Report. Among public schools, it has steadily improved, going from No. 39 in 2022 to No. 36 last year, and to No. 32 in the most recent rankings. It remains the best full-time MBA in Colorado.

“It’s an honor that our MBA program continues to be recognized,” Ryujin said. “Leeds continues to invest in student success and it shows.”

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Thu, 16 Nov 2023 16:29:04 +0000 Anonymous 17917 at /business
Leeds Welcomes Prominent Faculty Members from Top Business Schools /business/news/2023/10/2/leeds-welcomes-new-faculty Leeds Welcomes Prominent Faculty Members from Top Business Schools Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/02/2023 - 16:09 Tags: News news-archives

Seven new professors bring degrees and experience from Kelley, McGill, INSEAD, Ross, Columbia and others to Boulder. ​​


It’s no secret that the best business schools attract and retain the best faculty. The Leeds School of Business continues to strengthen its position as a leader in business education going into the 2023-24 academic year.

And this year, in addition to incoming esteemed faculty, students will benefit from the vision of Vijay Khatri, the new dean of Leeds.

“The Leeds School of Business is known worldwide as a vibrant learning organization for creating impactful research and developing transformational leaders,” Khatri said. “That remains evident from our continued investment in recruiting the best faculty from the best business schools around the world.”

While each new faculty member brings individual strengths, experiences and research interests to Leeds, there’s a golden thread that runs through this cohort: an emphasis on the sustainable evolution of business using technological advancements. Their collective research centers on machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, and technology as it relates to organizational structures.

Meet this year’s faculty cohort.

Accounting

Laura C. Griffin, Assistant Professor

Griffin comes to Leeds from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Assistant Professor Griffin has been published in the Journal of Accounting and Economics and featured on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governanc. Her professional experience includes roles with Deloitte and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Nikki Skinner, Assistant Professor

Skinner holds a PhD in Accounting from the Leeds School. She is the co-author of the study “Facilitating tacit collusion through voluntary disclosure: Evidence from common ownership” that was awarded the 2023 Kahle Family Award for Outstanding Leeds School Publication. Skinner returns to Leeds after serving as an assistant professor of accounting at the University of Georgia's J.M. Tull School of Accounting.

Finance

Simona Abis, Assistant Professor

Simona Abis is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Leeds School of Business. Before joining the University of Colorado Boulder, she was an Assistant Professor of Finance at Columbia University. Simona received her PhD in Finance from INSEAD, Singapore/Fontainebleau. Prior to her PhD, she worked as a quantitative researcher for a systematic hedge fund.

Organizational Leadership and Information Analytics

Vijay Khatri, Professor

Khatri is the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Dean of the Leeds School of Business with a PhD from the University of Arizona. He holds the first named endowed deanship at Ƶ Boulder. Khatri is a Professor of Information Analytics and a strong leadership record of accomplishment in student success, furthering research and scholarship, advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives, and in community engagement. Previously, he served as the executive associate dean for strategy, innovation and technology at Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelley School of Business.

Jason Thatcher, Professor

Joining Leeds in January, Thatcher will be the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Esteemed Chair for the Leeds School of Business. He holds a PhD in Business Administration from Florida State University and his recent work looks at social media and the selection of new employees and executives as well as IT strategy.

Marketing

Gwen Ahn, Assistant Professor

Gwen Ahn holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on how to use individual-level longitudinal choice data to increase usage and engagement in experiential categories. Currently, she studies consumer choices in live events (e.g., performing arts and sports events) and charitable giving, using Bayesian methods, choice models, and machine learning.

Strategy, Entrepreneurship & Operations

Sentao Miao, Assistant Professor

Miao holds a PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and joins Leeds from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His research interests are mainly in developing efficient learning and optimization algorithms with various applications in Operations Management.

Other incoming members of the faculty joined the Finance department and include Deanne Stodden, instructor; Amy Brimah, lecturer; Will Robb, lecturer; and Richard Engel, lecturer.

Seven new professors bring degrees and experience from leading universities. Traditional 0 On White ]]>
Mon, 02 Oct 2023 22:09:58 +0000 Anonymous 17834 at /business
Alumnus Gives $5 Million to Entice the Very Best to Leeds, Continuing School’s Upward Trajectory /business/news/2023/01/31/alumni-donors-rustandy-endowed-deanship Alumnus Gives $5 Million to Entice the Very Best to Leeds, Continuing School’s Upward Trajectory Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/31/2023 - 11:59 Tags: News news-archives

Tandean Rustandy’s generosity ensures the business school’s new leadership will make an immediate impact.​ ​​


Tandean Rustandy, center, helps cut the ribbon on the Rustandy Building during the fall 2021 opening of the newest building on Ƶ Boulder's campus. Rustandy's latest gift establishes the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Deanship, the first on the campus, which will support the new dean in elevating Leeds’ reputation as a world-class business school. With Rustandy are, from left, Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, now leading the search committee for Leeds' next dean; Chancellor Philip DiStefano; university President Todd Saliman and Sharon Matusik, then-dean of Leeds. Below is Yonca Ertimur, acting dean of Leeds; at bottom, Rustandy and DiStefano speak during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A donor’s support can make all the difference when it comes to helping a professor create impact. Just ask Yonca Ertimur.

Before taking on the role of acting dean of the Leeds School of Business, Ertimur benefited from the generosity of Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87), who established the Tandean Rustandy Esteemed Professor position that has enabled her to become one of the most prolific researchers at the school. 

“Tandean’s generosity has been so important in giving me the freedom to pursue my research interests, raise the Leeds profile by holding editorial roles at multiple journals, and have the time and flexibility needed to be an effective mentor to junior faculty,” she said. “It’s helped me find more meaning and fulfillment in my work, by allowing me to share my passion for research with others.” 

Now, Rustandy’s generosity is again poised to engender excellence while further positioning Leeds as an internationally recognized business school. 

Ƶ Boulder’s first named deanship

Today, Rustandy announced a $5 million gift to create the Tandean Rustandy Endowed Deanship at Leeds—the first named deanship at Ƶ Boulder. 

In addition to helping recruit an exceptional leader through the prestige of a named position, the Rustandy Endowed Deanship provides additional resources for the next dean to create and execute a vision that continues the school’s impressive growth trajectory. That dean will have complete discretion over the use of these funds, in alignment with one of Rustandy’s personal mottos, “Simplicity is best.”

“I believe Ƶ and the Leeds School have the potential to compete against the most elite business schools in the world,” Rustandy said. “As an alumnus, it is a great honor to support and work with the university on such an extensive scale. I am excited to see the impact this commitment has on the search for the next leader, and I am eager to see what it means for the school's future.”

“I owe much of my success to my experiences as a student, and it’s important to me to do what I can to set the stage for tomorrow’s leaders.”

Tandean Rustandy (Fin’87) 

Keith Molenaar, dean and K. Stanton Lewis Professor of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Ƶ Boulder, who is chairing the search committee for Leeds’ next dean, said the timing of the gift announcement will be invaluable in recruiting the talented finalists vying to come to Boulder.

“Under its past leadership, Leeds has transformed itself from being a regional powerhouse to a nationally recognized business school—one responsible for making important research breakthroughs, securing great student outcomes and creating tangible impact in the business community,” Molenaar said. “This gift will fully equip the next dean as they continue making Leeds a global destination for people addressing the complex challenges of tomorrow.”

Giving back as a central focus

Vision and Rustandy have gone hand in hand since he first arrived in Boulder as an undergraduate. Born in Indonesia, Rustandy has always considered himself privileged to attend a great university as a first-generation student, and he has made supporting the ambitions of others a central focus of his life—through giving to his alma mater and as the founder and CEO of PT Arwana Citramulia Tbk, one of the world’s most successful ceramic-tile manufacturing companies. 

Rustandy’s largest gift to Ƶ Boulder is the one that created the campus’ newest academic building. The Rustandy Building physically connects two disciplines—engineering and business—that are increasingly overlapping in the real world as well as academia, and has ushered in important collaborations between students and faculty preparing for an interdisciplinary future. 

“It brings me great pride to invest in Leeds’ future as a way to inspire future generations,” Rustandy said. “A motto that has always guided me is ‘to live is to serve.’ I owe much of my success to my experiences as a student, and it’s important to me to do what I can to set the stage for tomorrow’s leaders.

“I hope future classes of Leeds students have the same life-changing experiences I did in Boulder, and will continue the legacy of paying their successes forward to bring new opportunities to the generations of students who follow.”

Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano noted the importance of the Leeds School and its dean in maintaining Ƶ Boulder’s tradition of excellence in education and research. 

“This gift will play such a significant role in the continued success of Leeds and Ƶ Boulder,” DiStefano said. “I’m grateful to Tandean for his ongoing support of Leeds and our university, and I look forward to seeing how our next dean, supported by this gift, will transform the future of global business.”

  Why Leeds     Undergraduate programs     Graduate programs

Tandean Rustandy has supported the first named deanship at Ƶ Boulder. It's a shot in the arm as Leeds searches for its next leader. Traditional 0 On White ]]>
Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:59:00 +0000 Anonymous 17435 at /business
From Patient Care to Healthcare: How Data-Driven Students Can Help Heal Both /business/news/2022/11/30/patient-care-to-healthcare From Patient Care to Healthcare: How Data-Driven Students Can Help Heal Both Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/28/2022 - 15:37 Tags: MBA Blog MS Blog News Social Impact news-archives

Leeds School of Business and the University of Colorado College of Nursing roll out a new Healthcare track within the MS Business Analytics degree. 

Nurses, facing challenges to providing high-quality care to their patients, will now be able to improve outcomes by using data to inform pivotal decisions. The Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Colorado College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus have come together to offer a Master’s Degree in Business Analytics (MSBA), with a specialized track in healthcare.

For Kristi Ryujin, associate dean of Graduate Programs at Leeds, the partnership provides an exciting opportunity for both Leeds and College of Nursing students to enter a burgeoning field and make a difference. “Data helps inform decisions that save lives,” she says, speaking to students’ passion for patients.

The new MSBA Healthcare track prepares both nurses and non-healthcare students for careers in healthcare analytics, where they will turn big data into actionable insights that can improve outcomes for more patients.

Using data for good

“Healthcare analytics is really starting to explode. We need people who can look at big data across healthcare, manipulate it, and use it to make systematic changes that improve population health,” says Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson, PhD, RN-BC, CNOR; specialty director of the healthcare informatics program and assistant professor at the College of Nursing; and a practicing nurse herself.

She adds that with the MSBA Healthcare track, students can rise to leadership roles, improve the quality of care for many more patients, build better infrastructures, and influence government decision-making through advocacy and working on related contracts and grants. She points out that people with these abilities are hard to find and thus, in high demand.

“It’s a complex specialty,” acknowledges Kelly Stamp, PhD, NP-C, RN, CHFN, FAHA, FAAN; associate dean of academic programs and associate professor at the College of Nursing. But it allows students to lead positive change and help more patients than they ever could before, she says.

“With this new track in the MSBA, graduates will become pioneers in healthcare analytics.”

Sharon Giarrizzo-Wilson, director, Anschutz College of Nursing


Swapping skills

The degree was designed so that business and nursing students could essentially take each other’s classes. Business students interested in the healthcare field can learn about healthcare technology and the environment by taking two of the College of Nursing courses; while nurses can learn business analytics through Leeds’ 10-month master’s program.

“With data analysts from both nursing and business, it’s going to introduce a whole other level of collaborators that will help us see the vision of what is needed in healthcare. Together, they can solve great problems,” says Giarrizzo-Wilson.

Courses are taught by top faculty from both schools. The “online+” format, built with high-quality video content and remote synchronous lab time, allows students to engage with faculty and peers, cover technical skills, and learn from each other while receiving immediate faculty feedback and support. For nurses, the remote format means they can continue caring for patients, while also applying their new insights on the job.

This isn’t the first time Leeds and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have partnered on education. In 2019, the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Leeds rolled out the MD/MBA degree for physicians. By teaching medical students business foundations, they’re empowered to positively impact patient care and health care delivery—a shared goal with the new MSBA in healthcare.

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Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:37:47 +0000 Anonymous 17314 at /business