Alumni Spotlight: Andrew Miller, MBA ’12
Andrew Miller, MBA ’12, chose to enroll in Sellinger’s MBA program due to its strong reputation in the Mid-Atlantic region, as well as the flexibility it provided for working professionals. “I knew that I wanted to be in a senior management role, likely within a multinational company, and doing so would require advanced education – both the credential and the knowledge base.” Miller’s goal came to fruition in his current role as Executive Vice President & Head of Business Development (Americas) for Europ Assistance - Global Corporate Solutions. In this interview, he shares insights on the most valuable pieces of the MBA experience, and he discusses his involvement in the Sellinger Alumni Mentoring Program that is available to MBA students.
What about your Loyola experience helped you get to where you are today?
The most valuable part of the Loyola MBA was learning from real-world professionals, particularly around managing teams, creating strategy and selling your vision to executives. I also appreciated the wide mix of professionals (industries, gender, age, etc.) who attend the program who all have valuable insight to contribute to class discussions.
Why did you decide to take part in the Alumni Mentoring Program?
The Loyola MBA was incredibly influential in my professional life and I feel a responsibility to give back to the Loyola community.
My mentee and I meet monthly for coffee and talk via email between meetings. It’s important to make sure you have the dates set up in advance and are both committed to connecting at least once a month.
Can you share the difference or impact you made as a mentor on a student’s life?
My mentee is at the beginning of an expanded role that will include sales responsibilities as well as having to take new strategies to senior leadership that he was able to bounce off me to refine. With my experience in sales (and international expansion), I’ve been able to give him some real life perspective on the proposed strategies.
What is the benefit that you have received from being part of this program as mentor? What have you gotten out of your experience, or what have you learned that you’ve applied to your business or life?
I’ve been reminded that while we may all be in different industries, most leadership concepts are the same and if you value kindness and honesty as highly as getting a promotion, you’ll be there in no time. It’s also been refreshing to help consult on a business that is at a different stage of development than my current organization (i.e. semi start up vs multinational).
How has being a mentor helped you apply the leadership skills that you honed during your MBA program?
It’s helped me get away from the everyday tactical management of a team to more high level conceptual discussions on business strategy and how to grow in a competitive industry.
The Sellinger Alumni Mentoring Program pairs a current or former MBA student with a seasoned professional MBA graduate for a six-month period of insight and guidance. Mentoring gives Sellinger alumni the opportunity to stay connected to the University and counsel a student or alum, while protégés gain personal career consulting.