2015 Best MBAs: John Lockwood

John Lockwood-PoetsAndQuants

John Lockwood

 

Ohio State University, Fisher College of Business

John Lockwood’s sister wanted him to return home to attend Ohio State. After she passed away, he did just that – and the school is better for it as a result. Voted by his classmates as the Outstanding Full-Time MBA Student of the Class of 2015 (and class speaker at commencement), Lockwood has successfully transitioned to the healthcare industry. During his two years, he helped raise $23,000 for cancer research, along with co-founding the school’s Healthcare Association. He was also part of the team that won first place in the Fisher Project One Case Competition – despite scrapping their plan together in the middle of the contest.

Age: 27

Hometown: Madison, CT

Undergraduate School: Yale University

Undergraduate Degree: BA – History

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Sesame Workshop (the parent company of Sesame Street) as project coordinator in their International division

Where did you intern during the summer of 2014? Cardinal Health (Dublin, OH)

Where will you be working after graduation? Cardinal Health, Senior Manager Corporate Strategy

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I visited Fisher.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…not nearly as happy as I am right now.”

What are your long-term professional goals? I would love to one day start a healthcare company with a focus on oncology with an eye towards improving outcomes and lowering the cost of healthcare for cancer patients.

Favorite Courses: Global Applied Projects, Private Equity, Leadership Legacy

Which academic or professional achievements are you most proud of? Professionally, it was securing an internship from Cardinal Health, even though I had almost no experience in healthcare and Fisher is a non-core school for their MBA recruitment – and then securing a full-time offer right out of the internship. Academically, it was being a University Fellowship recipient. On a personal level, it was creating an organization which raised $23,000 for cancer research in its first year and illustrated what makes Fisher so great—the people.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My sister. She passed away the spring before I started business school, and so part of my decision to go to Ohio State was to be closer to my family. She really wanted me to attend OSU, and I like to think it’s because she knew how much I would love it. So I literally wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.

Why did you choose this business school? When Fisher held their “season premiere” weekend, they had one of our future professors come speak with us. He introduced himself not as a former c-suite executive of several fortune 100 companies, but as a father of two teenage girls and a vintage car enthusiast. When I first heard that, I knew I was in the right place. The people I met that weekend, and the atmosphere at Fisher, was completely the opposite of everything I had seen at the other (mostly top five) business schools I had visited. People cared more about who I was than who I worked for or what I did. I believe that culture is truly unique to Fisher and what sets us apart.

What did you enjoy most about business school?  Apart from being able to completely shift careers and land a dream job, the friendships I’ve made at Fisher are ones that I’m going to carry with me for the rest of my life. I’m truly lucky to be part of such a wonderful group of people.

What is your most memorable moment from business school? We took this course called Project One (a seven week case competition), and by the mid-way point my team met with the judges who completely shot down our idea. Having to start from scratch, our team worked like crazy to come up with a completely new business plan. When they announced our names as the winner, the judge himself said how shocked he was that we were able to come up with something so good in such a short amount of time. It really taught me a lot about perseverance and how to deal with a difficult situation. (It was also fun to win!)

Fun fact about yourself: I helped start a version of Sesame Street in Pakistan.

Favorite book: Anything ever written by Michael Lewis; also A Life Unfinished, a JFK biography by Robert Dallek

Favorite television show: Homeland

What are your hobbies? Cycling, raising money for cancer research

What made John such an invaluable addition to the class of 2015?

“At first glance, it’s easy to mistake John Lockwood for an undergraduate student on campus. Once you get to talk to him, you quickly realize what a powerhouse of talent and passion he is, and how much he has accomplished. Voted by his classmates and faculty members as the Outstanding Full Time MBA Student of the Class of 2015 and their graduation speaker, Be it his experience in helping start a version of Sesame Street in Pakistan, helping raise money for cancer research through Pelotonia, or shaping strategy a Fortune 50 company, Cardinal Health, John is the perfect example of right and left brain confluence.  John embodies the best of Fisher – humble, unassuming, laser focused, passionate and super smart.”

– Shashi Matta, Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing and Faculty Director of MBA Programs

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