Alumni Spotlight: The Value of an MBA

Jeremiah Glodoveza, Class of 2008

Jeremiah Glodoveza, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Zelle ® / Early Warning ®, graduated from the Technology Management MBA (TMMBA) program with the Class of 2008. While completing his MBA, Jeremiah worked at Microsoft and in 2010 he relocated to the Bay Area to pursue leadership roles in tech marketing and communications. Jeremiah hosted a group of TMMBA students at Zelle ®  this past May as part of TMMBA Career Management Tech Trek to the Bay Area.

After hosting a dynamic conversation with students about the future of fintech, Jeremiah answered a few questions for the TMMBA team:

Why did you select the TMMBA program over other MBA programs?

The TMMBA was unique in the Northwest in that it offered a progressive technology-focused curriculum, a work-accommodating schedule, a network of leaders from some of the top companies in the world. But, it was the faculty and students that really locked the decision for me. You could see the passion. You sacrifice a lot as a student when you commit to the program – from your Saturday’s to those late nights. But, it’s worth it because every interaction in the program challenges you to be better.

Now, over 10 years out from the TMMBA program, how has an MBA impacted your career over the long-term? What skills or knowledge acquired do you draw on in you day-to-day professional life?

The TMMBA has given me the confidence to speak the language of business. The skills I learned during my time in the program provide important context for daily decisions, from how to position a new product to how to analyze its long term profitability. But, I would say that it’s the soft skills learned in the program that have served me best. I learned how to present to an audience, how to project knowledge, and how to interact in diverse groups. The TMMBA program can lend itself to tense situations, but I learned an appreciation for different opinions, which is how the real business world works. The program taught me a humility that is what I draw on regularly.

Tech Treks and company visits are an important component of TMMBA’s Career Management services. What value do you perceive for students in opportunities such as these?

We invested a lot of time at Zelle to create the student experience we wanted when we were in similar programs. Each of the presenters was an MBA student. For us, these visits are important in that they tie concepts to actions. Those that avail themselves of these opportunities get a glimpse into how principles are applied in the real world. It was important for us presenting to be transparent. We have challenges, but we overcome them, by applying much of what we learned those hours in the classroom.