From “All Over the Place”
to Real Focus, Real Success

Perry Heard, MBA 2009

Career Specialization: Supply Chain Management
Internship: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Madison, Wis.

Perry Heard says his work history was “pretty much all over the place.” He grew up in Chicago and at 18 joined the Air Force. He went on to work as a licensed funeral director in Florida for eight years. More recently, he worked for the Department of Homeland Security and with a security-consulting company. He lived all over too—Florida, Las Vegas, England, Washington, D.C. Eventually, he decided he needed to find
a way to bring everything together and get to the next level in terms of his career. The specialization-based approach of the Wisconsin MBA was exactly the focus he was seeking.

“I chose supply chain management for my specialization, because I know from my background that all industries and all responsibilities have certain operational processes you follow. Supply chain is all about managing the different elements that go into the processes and making each element as efficient as possible. Overall, you’re involved with every aspect of the end product. Also, there’s a service aspect to supply chain and coming from a service industry, this appealed to me.

“It’s amazing how supportive everyone is, how accommodating. Focused, yet you don’t feel that sense of competition or disappointment. Every place I’ve worked, although I’ve enjoyed my careers, you always run into a group of folks you’d rather not have anything to do with. I cannot say there is anyone here that I want to avoid or I hope not to work on a team with. That amazes me.

“From day one, the Wisconsin MBA is focused on preparing you so that you can walk out the door and make an impact on your organization. During the MBA Orientation, I think we were meeting with someone from Career Management every other day. I’m thinking, ‘Wow, we haven’t even started the program yet and they’re already drilling you, getting you ready for interviews!’

“But everything has that real-world focus. You’re here for a purpose and they’re going to do everything they can to get you the outcome you seek. Use them, ask them for help, get whatever you need, they’re going to give you their best—so definitely be ready when you get here.”