| Senior Marketing Director The Hartz Mountain Corporation EMTM 13 - Class of 2006 |
What was the nature of your job before you decided to join the EMTM program?
When I began the EMTM program I was a marketing director at Hartz. My team was responsible for category business planning, strategic alliances, new product development and execution for one of the smaller categories at Hartz. We provided the market insights, forecasting analysis, acquisition analysis and marketing initiatives.
What made you decide to go back to grad school? Why the EMTM program at Stevens?
I began my career at Twinings Tea as an intern in my second year of undergraduate study. I spent six years working in marketing and growing my experience in this specialty consumer packaged goods industry. I left Twinings to pursue a great opportunity as assistant marketing manager at Hartz I had the good fortune to work closely with sales, operations, finance and research and development in my first few years, and was able to learn about each area of the company. After much business experience, I felt I needed to take my skills to the next level to help me become a better marketer and a better leader. A colleague at Hartz recommended the EMTM program that he had completed at Stevens.
I had, of course, heard of Stevens Institute of Technology, but was unfamiliar with the EMTM program. After learning the program was a unique blend encompassing standard business practices coupled to strategic innovation and technology, I knew this program was for me. The combination of academic and industrial experience of the faculty made the program immediately valuable to my career. To me, it was critical that the program focus on realistic and relevant material that can be easily translated to todays corporate environment. I wanted to put my new learning to use quickly and effectively. The program schedule and focused curriculum offered by the EMTM program also played a critical role in my decision. My job required frequent travel, so it was important to me to have a program that had the flexibility to meet my challenging schedule.
What value did you derive from the program?
The program helped me to think more broadly about my business and opened my mind to new opportunities for improvement and growth. The focus on innovation drove me to think differently about new product development, which is one of the most important aspects of my job and long term growth for any consumer packaged goods company. I found the techniques, theories and case studies were easily translated to my business and were immediately beneficial to my personal growth. The team-based aspect of the program helped me to become a better leader and a more effective team member working with cross functional teams. I made excellent networking connections, but more importantly I gained some great friends in the program who I still keep in touch with today.
What changes have occurred in your professional life since taking the program?
I was promoted to senior marketing director at Hartz shortly before I completed the program. Given all that I had learned in the EMTM program, I felt I was truly prepared for my new role as a senior manager and was very confident I could excel. Indeed, in the twelve months that have passed since graduating, I have been able to add a great deal of value to other areas of my organization. I have made effective use of my team skills to engage my group in a number of successful marketing initiatives that have had significant impact on the company bottom line. I credit the EMTM program with giving me the confidence to pursue my career goals.
