Discover how Ben Menz (‘22 MBA) transformed his career path from feeling stagnant to passion-driven success, utilizing his experiences from the professional MBA program. His journey serves as a reminder that it is never too late to chase your professional aspirations.
I am excited to share my MBA and professional development journey. My MBA journey took place slightly later in life than many of my peers in the program. The concept started two years before I joined the program when I felt like I had hit a professional wall. I had spent 14 years between two companies with 10 years of transportation and production management experience before I had pivoted my career to focus on optimization and strategic planning. At this time, an opportunity presented itself to join a startup as the senior vice president of operations. I learned many humbling and eye-opening lessons over the span of a year before I transitioned to the supply chain optimization manager role at Ruan Transportation Management Systems. I came into the new role exhausted but was quickly revitalized by my team and passion for optimization, automation, and continuous improvement. At Ruan, I had the opportunity to work with Eleke Ukpabi, vice president of solution engineering and strategy, as my leader, who is also a staunch supporter of Iowa State University’s professional MBA (PMBA) program, being a former student and a member of the Ivy MBA Executive Advisory Council. Initially, I hesitated as I had to consider the return on investment of completing the program in 2022 at the age of 40. After much consideration, I decided to move forward not based on potential for financial gain, but to fulfill my need to distill my years of experience into a stronger foundation that would provide greater consistency and confidence throughout my career.
The shift back into academia was not as jarring as I first expected! Yes, it was a lot of work, but I truly enjoyed the experience and focus on dedicated learning again. The technical components of the program helped me start to fulfill my initial goal, but the discussions of emotional intelligence, understanding others, acknowledging biases, and knowing your value prepared me to launch the next phase of my career. Unexpectedly, some of the most impactful lessons were learned from my fellow students as my mindset shifted and I empathized with their struggles and journeys while celebrating with them in new positions and advancements made possible by the PMBA, all while expanding my network in new and fascinating ways.
The biggest mindset shift for me occurred during the start of the second year in Management 503: Professional Responsibility in Business and Society. I started asking myself how I was contributing to making the world a better place and if I was being honest with myself and doing what I was passionate about. The answer for me was that I wanted to be involved with an organization that tied my agricultural roots to an impactful position at a company that helped the world. With a goal in mind, I made an extremely short list of organizations that fulfilled the concept. Shortly after, I was prepared when an opportunity became available at the company on top of my list. Through a friend at Corteva Agriscience, I learned of a position as the North America senior logistics manager. During my preparation for the interview, I was struck again by their purpose, “To enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come.” The opportunity to be part of an agricultural company who played a pivotal role in feeding the world was in perfect alignment for the organizational fit I was looking for.
