Kenneth, Class of 2004

Prior to B-school, I received my BS in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina A&T State University in 1997. Immediately following, I received my MS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1999. While in grad school, I founded a small investment services firm to provide demand generation and valued added investor services to investment clubs that later suffered the fate of most start-ups during the go-go 90s. I then spent 7 years at The Timken Company in various roles spanning R&D, product design, engineering, IT management, and operations management.

After B-school, I joined Danaher's Tool Group as a Group Product Manager for Torque Wrenches. In this role I am responsible for the development, implementation, and roll-out of new products across multiple brands within the torque wrench product category. I am ultimately responsible for building an entire product platform for torque management inclusive of next generation products and information services. This combination of new business development, new product marketing, and managing P&L’s of existing products across multiple brands puts my business school education to full use and excites me everyday.

Thus far, Danaher and its people have exceeded my expectations. Its crowning jewel is really its people and the strong performance culture that’s reinforced by DBS at every turn. I also love the fact that the teams I’ve worked on embody the motto of “Work hard, Play harder.” This culture creates teams of energetic individuals who expect one another to contribute immediately, effectively, and constantly in all our work. I’ve found that if you are ready to make an impact, you don't have to spend years before your opinion is respected. It’s also very refreshing to spend each day in such a high performance culture, but with the understanding that maintaining the proper work-life balance is the only way to sustain employees’ commitment and thus strengthen their determination to succeed.

My advice regarding career planning is simple. Find out what you are really passionate about in life, then discover leading businesses that allow you to build on your passion and strengthen your leadership capabilities while delivering superior results. Once identified, consider your next job to be the continuation of your professional education and development. And just as you’ve chosen to attend one of the finest institutions in the world for your business education, be just as discriminating about the reputation, quality of mentors, and exposure to challenging opportunities that your employer will provide. But by all means, ensure that you’re having FUN. If not, you’re bound to fail. Good Luck ?