A CROSS-FUNCTIONAL
PERSPECTIVE  

Jaime Richardson, MBA 2005
Human Resources Manager & Organization Specialist
Global Diagnostic Imaging, GE Healthcare

After doing some mental soul searching and performing a cost/benefit analysis of various programs, Jaime Richardson knew that Wisconsin offered the best program that aligned with her goals and interests.  Having received her BBA and a general grounding in business several years prior, she was seeking a more specialized and focused business curriculum.  "I choose HR because it was in line with what I wanted to do academically, how I wanted to live my life, and what I wanted to achieve."

The Strategic HRM curriculum and coursework helped her prepare for her career in the HR Leadership Program at GE Healthcare.  "Negotiations was very helpful; I use a lot of tactics from that course when I interact with managers now.  Staffing taught me a lot of concepts that were very important legally.  The general MBA courses taught me how to talk to the business.  You can demonstrate that you understand net income, cashflow and balance sheets, manufacturing, and engineering."

Jaime credits the program with helping her to understand how the different functions of a business overlap and why it is necessary to appreciate the business from a cross-functional perspective.  “The specific HR coursework in combination with the general MBA classes give you the perspective you need to be a successful HR professional.  You become a functional expert while putting it into the big picture.  This program is really good if you want to be somebody in HR who is really close to the business.  If you want the perspective of the business and be a subject matter expert this is the program for you.”

Jaime stays connected to the Strategic HRM Program through GE recruiting efforts, participating in mock interviews, and connecting with current students and faculty members.