Alumnus Testimonial
| "By far, the most rewarding part of this program is the friends that I've met. The program at Wisconsin is unique because the students are driven but not cut-throat. The lockstep curriculum allows us to really get to know each other and as a result there is a strong collegial environment throughout the entire MBA program." |
 Rachel Nielsen (Nicholas 2006) Best Buy |
John Hulbert Nicholas 2000 |
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Target Corporation |
Briefly describe your current position with Target Corporation and your career path, beginning with interviewing and accepting a position with Target.
My current position is Manager of Merchandise Finance, in which I lead a team of financial and planning analysts who act as internal financial consultants for the buying organization. My team is responsible for one of the four merchandising groups at Target, and we are responsible for supporting that group through the seasonal planning process twice a year, the monthly forecast process, decision support on new products, programs, and businesses, as well as acting as "experts" with respect to any other aspect of their financial performance. The role is very exciting and challenging. It's exciting because we get to be involved upstream on future initiatives, and we are really near the "front line" of the company's business model. It's challenging because our clients need very fast and insightful analytical support, and there can be many pressures associated with filling that need.
I received my full-time position with Target as a result of my internship with them between my first and second years at Madison. I came back full-time in June of 2000, and began as a Financial Analyst in our Stores Expense Planning organization. After a year I rotated over to our Merchandise Finance area, supporting the Toys and Sporting Goods Divisions, where I stayed a year and a half and was promoted to Senior Financial Analyst. I then rotated to a position at Target.com, where I only worked for about 6 weeks until I was promoted to Asset Management Manager for our Technology Finance area. In that role I managed the capital budget for computer hardware and software for all of our corporate locations, as well as maintained asset and contract tracking for the technology area. After 10 months in that position, I was moved back to Merchandise Finance in my current manager role, where I have been for the last 18 months.
In hindsight, what was the most valuable aspect of the Nicholas program in regard to your current position and your future ambitions?
For me, the experience was about working in a team, and learning how to combine everyone's strengths into a highly-functioning group. This is definitely something that I use in my management role every day. In addition, we had to work under tight timelines with limited information to construct cohesive and insightful presentations to management of the different companies with whom we collaborated, and this is certainly the type of challenge that I regularly encounter in my current position.
What has been your most significant professional achievement to date?
Given that my roles at Target have been in support of the line businesses, I am most proud of the recognition that I have received from my clients for the level of support I have been able to provide. For example, both in my position as a financial analyst in Merchandise Finance and in my current position as manager there, I have received awards from the Senior Vice Presidents in charge of those groups recognizing my support. The fact that I have been able to add value while in a support role is what has kept me motivated and happy at Target.
What career advice would you give to current Nicholas students?
Decide what you want to do and pursue it, regardless of what your peers are choosing to do. When I got my MBA and went to work at Target, the dot.com boom was still going, and I heard a lot about how "Brick and Mortar" retailing was going away and that I should join an e-retailer. Given what has happened in the five years since, I am happy that I made my commitment in spite of what was trendy at the time. (Now that I think about it, it was trendy to seek a position at Enron as well!)
What was your most memorable experience during your Nicholas career?
Our first project was a presentation to the Nicholas Board on the media/entertainment industry, and our presentation ended up pretty rocky. We received many insightful challenges from the board members, and we walked out with a much better understanding of how much we didn't know. While it was difficult, it also was an extremely valuable learning experience, and it improved our performance on all of our later projects. It also helped us to come together as a team, which I think is extremely important.
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