Degree/Major/Graduation year: BBA ’09 (Supply Chain and Operations Management major) and MBA ‘12

Current Employer and Position: Oshkosh Corp, Production Manager

Current City: Oshkosh 



Food you couldn’t live without: Ribs

Favorite Hobbies: Boating, Golf, Shooting

Favorite movie: Happy Gilmore

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Dr. Godfrey. He is a great teacher because of his work experience before becoming a professor. His real work examples help marry the class material to the working world. He spends a lot of time helping students find jobs before and after graduation. 



What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? APICS, Marketing Club, and an internship at Oshkosh Corp.


How did you get your first job after graduation? Internship played a huge part. Students needs to have this experience to be competitive in the working world. 


How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? Not too much different than what I was picturing after graduation. I did not want a job where I was in an office all day. Operations at Oshkosh was a perfect match for me. 


What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? Network! You learn skills that will help you through the difficulties off getting a job out of school.

Tim racing in the Racine Half Ironman.

Degree/Major/Graduation year: BS in Studio Art, MBA with an emphasis in Marketing

Current Employer and Position: Rawhide, Inc. and Donation Operations and Marketing Director

Current City: Oshkosh

Food you couldn’t live without: Fruits, Veggies and Lean Meat

Favorite Hobbies: Reading (biographies, science, business and philosophy), training for triathlons, drawing portraits and  personal journal writing

Favorite movie:  Bourne Identity, Forest Gump and Wall Street

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Professor Bryan Lilly; he is bottomless pit of information, frank, real and is secure enough to wear jogging pants from the 80s to class.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? I paid for my college bills on my own and had little time to do anything but study and work. I learned a lot about marketing, packaging, business processes, and customer service from working as a delivery guy at Dominos pizza in Neenah.  Always tip the delivery guy/gal. I currently provide internships for marketing and operations management students at Rawhide.

How did you get your first job after graduation? I worked as an insurance agent for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in Wisconsin and Chicago.

Obstacles are uniquely disguised as opportunities.

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? I actually wanted to be an illustrator and had gone to Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn, New York, but made a decision to go back to Wisconsin to complete my studies at UW Oshkosh. I then discovered that I needed a business degree if I wanted to work with clients and pursued a job in sales. I graduated with a BS degree with a minor from the COB and later got my Master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students?  Volunteer to get your foot in the door. Focus on the solution. Be problem solvers. Be project managers. Master the tools of technology. Think about where the puck is going. Be imaginative and creative (bring your skills from the sandbox). Your mom never told you what to build, where to pile up the sand and what to imagine. Adults spend more time discussing and making plans about a solution. Kids spend more time on testing solutions. Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge. Be willing to risk it all by making mistakes.   Be self-directed within the parameters of your responsibilities. Have a good attitude when facing obstacles and work hard.

LaMar Lederman (BBA '87)

Name: LaMar Lederman

Degree/Major/Graduation year: BBA – Marketing & MIS

Current Employer and Position: Johnson Controls : Alliance Director – Enterprise Sales

Current City: Milwaukee WI

Food you couldn’t live without: coffee

Favorite Hobbies: Coaching my three childrens’ basketball teams; fishing;  listening to music and spending quality time with my wife.

Favorite movie: Braveheart

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Geography – Dr. Neil Harriman.  He taught with enthusiasm and passion and genuinely cared about the students.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? Varsity basketball; MIS club leader; intern at First Wisconsin Bank downtown Oshkosh.

How did you get your first job after graduation? newspaper ad

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? Technology has played a significant role in both our personal lives and business world – tremendous impact that will continue to evolve.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? Be extremely flexible in your approach and be willing to take on challenges outside of your comfort zone !  Risk = Reward.

How I Joined Target
I went to an internship career fair on campus with the plan to land one internship in particular.  While at the fair, I saw the Target table and it looked pretty popular.  I went to my Target interview thinking I was just doing it for experience (because I really wanted this other job), and I had so much fun at the interview that I knew immediately that was the company I preferred to work for.  I struggled with the decision because it was not directly related to my major, but decided it was worth the risk.  I completed the internship, took an Executive Team Leader position following graduation, and have been at Target ever since.  It was the best decision I have ever made!

What I Learned from College
Even though my degrees weren’t exactly in retail, I can assure you that simply investing in myself for a 4-year degree was what I needed to be successful in a career out of college.  Looking back, here are some of the things that I learned in college that had nothing to do with the subject matter of the classes, and are among the most important skills I have for my job today:

□     Organization and Time Management: How to use a planner, and juggle multiple responsibilities competing for your time.

□     Conflict Resolution: Two words for you…group work.  I disliked it just as much as the rest of you, but believe me, it taught me how to talk to people who were not pulling their weight in a manner that is respectful and impactful.

□     Communication: Speaking to others, especially in front of groups, became much easier through college, and I use this all day, every day.

My Advice to Students
Take leadership opportunities everywhere, and work on your skills to lead yourself, lead a team, put together strategies, and get results.  These present themselves daily, and if you are not taking advantage, you won’t have much to show for it when you get to the workplace, or to the interview.

Also,  As you are interviewing, look at the company culture that matches you, not just the position.  The company culture has always impacted my day more than the job has.  My boss, the people I work with, and the fact that I am appreciated for my individuality makes me excited to go to work in the morning!

Kelly Novotny (Basasie) - BBA '11

Name: Kelly Novotny (Besasie)

Degree/Major/Graduation year: BBA Accounting and Finance; Graduated December 2010

Current Employer and Position: Auditor at Deloitte

Current City: Milwaukee

Food you couldn’t live without: Grilled cheese with soup

Favorite Hobbies: Reading and watching movies

Favorite movie: Meet Me in St. Louis

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: I enjoyed most of my classes at UWO, but my favorite was Audit with Dr. Cross. Dr. Cross set up a simulation audit for us to complete on teams. I was able to experience what auditing was actually like, and that gave me some comfort in pursuing and accepting an auditing position at Deloitte.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? Activities on Campus: COB Ambassadors, Accounting Club & Beta Alpha Psi, Honors Program & Honors Student Association. Internships: Tax internship at Baker Tilly and Defense Finance internship at Oshkosh Corporation.

How did you get your first job after graduation? The Big 4 firms do not currently recruit from UWO, so it is more difficult to get a position with one. Someone that I worked with at Oshkosh Corporation during my internship passed my resume along to one of his contacts at Deloitte, and Deloitte then contacted me for an interview.

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? I’m actually doing what I always pictured myself doing following graduation. I knew starting in public accounting, particularly at Deloitte, would give me the best opportunity to achieve my future career goals.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? Make the most out of your time in college and set yourself up to achieve your career goals following graduation. Get good grades, pursue internships that interest you and will help you to identify what your career goals are, and maintain connections with some of the people you meet along the way.

Name: Michele (Brill) Lipschultz

Degree/Major/Graduation year: Undergraduate-Business with Majors in Finance and Marketing-graduated in 1996; Graduate UWO-MBA-graduated in 2009

Current Employer and Position: Thrivent Financial- Compliance Training Manager

Current City: Appleton WI

Food you couldn’t live without: Pasta

Favorite Hobbies: Family time, hiking, reading, running, traveling, public speaking, and teaching.

Favorite movie: Pay It Forward

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Professor Neindorf (Undergraduate). The two finance classes I had with him were the most difficult classes in undergrad and I am sure contributed to my early gray hairs while in my 20s. However, these two classes taught me the most when it came to application in the real world, Corporate America. The complex analysis, strategic thinking, and presentation of the findings (results) with assignments and projects, have been the skills I’ve used effectively and the most in my early career. Thank you Professor Neindorf!

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? A sorority, military science, and an internship that resulted in a job offer during my senior year-a finance position within a Marketing and Consulting firm (the perfect fit).

How did you get your first job after graduation? My first job came as a result of taking advantage of the services offered to soon-to-be graduates in the UWO Career Center. I prepared in advance, during the latter part of my junior year and throughout my senior year in a number of ways:

1. I created and designed a professional resume.
2. I sought out and applied for internships early.
3. I prepared and practiced my interviewing skills with senior level executives that were friends of our family or friends of friends that were willing to allow me to practice these skills with them.
4. Prior to each interview, I did a decent amount of research on the company and or interviewer so I’d be prepared with knowledge and relevant questions.
5. Of course, I shopped for the interview look-one of my favorite parts…I bought a couple nice, stylish suits (college budget).

Both companies that I initially interviewed with in the Career Center invited me to their firms for an onsite interview and both extended offers to me within a couple weeks. In addition, the firm where I completed my internship also offered me a permanent position.  It was a very exciting time!

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? It’s better than I could have ever imagined! I was not quite sure exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up (i.e., graduated from college), however, I knew I enjoyed my finance classes more than my marketing classes. My first job after college was with a transportation firm, as a Transportation Logistics Manager-managing drivers, scheduling and planning routes, and servicing my assigned customer’s needs. Within eighteen months I was ready to move into a role that would leverage my finance knowledge so I joined a financial services firm and have thoroughly enjoyed and grown in my professional journey over the last twelve years. Starting in the customer service center was the best place to be, as I learned the business from the ground up. From here, I held several roles with increased responsibility and leadership opportunities and now hold the role of the Compliance Training Manager.

They say do what you love and love what you do….and I do. It may be hard to believe a compliance role can be engaging, enjoyable and fulfilling, even from a creative perspective-trust me, it is and much more. The regulatory landscape of the financial industry is continually changing, so there’s always an opportunity to educate our employees. Regulatory topics can be serious and dry, couple that with adult learners that prefer to be active and engaged in relevant, current content…and you’ve got one tough audience. So we take a creative and innovative approach to compliance and regulatory training, utilizing our leaders and our own stories and examples when and where possible.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? Work harder and smarter in your tougher courses, as those are the courses I gained the most from and have found to be the most useful in Corporate America. Also, prepare as much as you can during your senior year to enter the real world — be proactive; take advantage of internships, write, review and revamp your resume, get up to speed on effective interviewing techniques— buy a ‘best practices for interviewing’ book, and be ready to sell yourself and how the skills and knowledge you applied to navigate a success academic career will serve you and THEM well in your professional career.

Name:

Degree/Major/Graduation year: BBA / Marketing / Fall 2010 Semester (Jan 2011)

Current Employer and Position: Miles Kimball Co. / Internet Marketing Coordinator (As a member of MKC’s Internet Marketing Team, my focus is daily email marketing for all five of MKC’s corporate brands as well as video marketing which has been my largest project going into our seasonal holiday rush.)

Current City: Work in Oshkosh / Live in Neenah

Food you couldn’t live without: I couldn’t live without Peanut Butter J. It’s all that gets me through our long cold winters.

Favorite Hobbies: I’m competitive in Crossfit (don’t ask, just look it up on YouTube), so when I’m not working you’ll find me at Crossfit Appleton, before and after work.  It’s not anywhere close to your typical workout, it’s a blast! You should come check it out.

Favorite movie: I’d have to say Hitch with Big Will… still hasn’t helped.

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: My favorite course at Oshkosh was my Marketing Essentials course with John Depies. My team built a Fat Sandwich company from the ground up.

However, there were so many influential professors- Dr. Alexandrov, Dr. Leisen Pollack, Professor Depies to name a few. If you put the time and effort in listening to what they say and using them as a guide for the next step, they will build you into someone who can honestly be successful straight out of school.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? At Oshkosh I went through three different internships, all of which came through the UWO Business Success Center.  It’s a great place for any student looking to get their foot into a company.  The people that I worked with at the BSC are the reason that I am in the position I am today. Awesome place and people!!

How did you get your first job after graduation? I started interning in the eCommerce department with Miles Kimball in August of 2010, and I was brought on full time the Monday after graduation.  I got my internship through my network of professors as well as my professional network at the Business Success Center.

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? My career path is right on line with everything I wanted to do after school. I knew that I wanted to get into the eCommerce side of a business, I just think there’s a bright future with more businesses trying to grow their online sales. There’s a lot of opportunity where I am to dip your toes in many different aspects of online marketing, from Video to Email to SEO to Social Media.  I couldn’t have asked for a better place to land after school.

What is your best piece of advice for current COB students? If I could say anything to anyone, it would be don’t waste the resources that you have at your fingertips. If it means asking your professor to help with their research at some point, or just having them critique your resume, DO IT!  The business program at Oshkosh has so many awesome mentors just waiting to help, but a lot of students hesitate, or feel that things are just going to fall into place.  Sometimes that might be true, but always plan as if it won’t. You need to start building your network as soon as you can, ultimately that is what will get you to exactly where you want to be.

Also, joke around in class a little bit, loosen up, you’ll enjoy school a whole lot more.

Name:

Degree/Major/Graduation year: BBA 1994, MBA 1998

Current Employer and Position: University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Business, MBA Program Director

Current City: Kaukauna, WI

Food you couldn’t live without: Popcorn

Favorite Hobbies: Travel, Creative Writing, Interior Decorating

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Business Ethics (MBA elective).  The dilemmas and business situations were very relatable and the student interaction and sharing was extremely beneficial.

What was your college career like? My college career was quite non-traditional.  I grew up in a family where a college education was not considered an option and I was encouraged to instead enter the workforce.  Immediately following high school, I began working at AAL (now Thrivent).  I received several promotions with increasing responsibility in marketing and communications, becoming a team leader.   I began exploring the option of returning to school to get my college degree on a part-time basis, taking classes in the evening.  The challenge was that it would take me more than ten years to complete my undergraduate degree at that pace.   I realized this was a slow journey and to accelerate it, made the difficult decision to leave a position and a company that I enjoyed, and go back to school on a full-time basis.  With three small children and a spouse that traveled internationally, this was not an easy decision.  I was able to complete my BBA in three years.

Because of my previous business experience, I knew that obtaining my MBA was important for continued growth in my career.  However I was also missing the business environment and anxious to return to it.  So I enrolled in UW-Oshkosh’s MBA program at about the same time that I accepted a position at American Medical Security (acquired by UnitedHealth Group) in Green Bay as an Account Executive.  Within months I was promoted to Manager of the marketing department, and ultimately became the Marketing Director.

Throughout my career I’ve lead marketing, internal and external communication, branding and creative teams for several organizations including UnitedHealth Group and RR Donnelley, managing teams of 2-35 employees located in various geographic locations.  I’ve worked closely with senior business executives in developing strategic business initiatives.  This background, combined with my education obtaining my BBA and MBA from UW-Oshkosh should be extremely beneficial in my new role as the MBA Program Director.

There is no doubt that the education I obtained through the University was instrumental in growing my career.

What is your best piece of advice for current COB students? Take advantage of all the opportunities that are out there.  Gain experience prior to graduating.  Do at least one internship, several if possible.  Work part-time or summers in your selected field while you are in college.  The experience you will gain is invaluable, and will benefit you immensely once you begin looking for full-time employment.

Val Pfeiffer and daughter

Name: Valerie Nevitt Pfeiffer

Degree/Major/Graduation year: Finance major, Economics minor, May 1984; MSIS, Project Management emphasis, May 2010

Current Employer and Position: Network Health Plan, Director Web Strategy & Digital Marketing

Current City: Neenah WI

Food you couldn’t live without: Cheeseburgers

Favorite Hobbies: Golf, boating, downhill skiing

Favorite movie: Dodgeball

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: Undergraduate:  Henri Pensis because I enjoyed continuing to play the oboe the first year or two of college.  Graduate: Online favorite was Ben Arbaugh because he taught me everything I know about project management which enabled me to pursue and attain the PMP designation. Classroom favorite was Bill Wresch because he was such an effective classroom discussion leader.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, etc)? I participated in the Finance Club; I worked about 30 hours a week while in school so there wasn’t much time for other activities. A couple years after graduation I was asked to join the COB Business Advisory Board and I continue to be a member of that board today.

How did you get your first job after graduation? I worked at a local bank in Neenah while in school and was able to continue with that organization upon graduation.

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? I have to admit that I didn’t have much of a career plan while pursuing my undergraduate degree. My career has been interesting and different than anything I could’ve expected and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? While there’s nothing wrong with having a career path or goal in mind, never become so narrowly focused on one possibility that you pass up interesting opportunities that could offer you experiences that aren’t part of your “plan.”

John (right) with his brother, Jacob (Left)

Name: John Cavey

Degree/Major/Graduation year: Supply Chain and Operations Management, Summer 2009

Current Employer and Position: Global Supply Chain Analyst and Buyer for Mercury Marine

Current City: Fond du Lac, WI

Food you couldn’t live without: Cornpops Cereal

Favorite Hobbies: Anything active, whether it’s soccer, basketball, mountain biking, hiking, etc.

Favorite movie: Favorite movie of All-Time is Usual Suspects, Anchorman is a close second

Favorite class taken or professor at UWO and why: My favorite class while at UWO was the capstone, Business 455. It was interesting to bring together each of the different majors, and see the difference in thinking, prioritizing, etc., in a team atmosphere. My favorite teacher is Dr. Godfrey. He set the framework and knowledge for a lot of what I do on a daily basis, and his enthusiasm for the topic is something that transfers to a lot of his students, including myself.

What were you involved in while at UWO (clubs, sports, internships, ect)? I was involved in a few intramurals, as well as the APICS Student Chapter.

How did you get your first job after graduation? I actually made a tough choice back in Jan. 2009 to delay my graduation from the spring to the summer, picking up an independent study, and taking Business 492, in order to accept an offer for my second internship with Mercury Marine. I worked there as a Co-Op till Aug. 2009, after which, I was hired on as a contract employee, traveling to our Juarez, Mexico plant every three weeks. Then in Jan. 2010, I was hired as a full Mercury employee. While it was a long process, taking a few risks along the way certainly paid off.

How does your current career path differ from your college ideals? There were a few things that came as a shock right out of college, probably the biggest was the speed at which decisions had to be made, and the authority I had to make them. In my first month on the job, we took an inventory loss on a component, and in order to keep our production line running, I needed to arrange a special carrier who would pick up the parts in Chicago and deliver them to Fond du Lac within the same day. A little nervous, I asked my boss if it was okay to spend the $500, and she looked at me blankly, not sure if my concern about spending $500 to keep a 60-person assembly line running was a serious question. With situations like the volcano in Europe last summer, the tsunami in Japan in March, etc., there are ways to be proactive, but there’s a small window in which a timely and accurate decision can prevent major costs, possibly months later.

A second is that while I enjoy the numbers aspect of my work, helping train and mentor other individuals and developing relationships is something that I have really come to enjoy. At Mercury, this is emphasized because of our global operations, so its awesome to find yourself on a random day sitting at lunch with a Commodity Manager from China, an Analyst from Mexico, and a VP from Canada, and learning the different cultural aspects and building relationships.

What is your best piece of advise for current COB students? There’s obviously a few that are hit on quite frequently. Networking is huge, taking risks is another. Further education, whether it’s a master’s degree, or certifications, such as a CPIM or CSCP in the supply chain field, can really help distinguish someone. But probably the best advise I can give, is to just enjoy what you’re doing. There’s always another work day, so it’s huge to find something that’s enjoyable on a daily basis.