Meet Emory Goizueta’s MBA Class of 2018

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Mike Galanis

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I enjoy hearing new ideas and perspectives and learning something new every day.

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: My wife and I took sailing lessons on a whim after I returned home from one of my deployments. We’ve kept with it and hope to take a long sailing trip sometime soon.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of North Georgia; Marketing

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: United States Army: Intelligence Officer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: There isn’t a single moment that I can recall that overshadows the accomplishment I felt for having the opportunity to lead soldiers in the Army. It was an incredibly humbling and rewarding experience.

Looking back on your experience, what advice would you give to future business school applicants?  Know what you want when looking at programs. I went into application season with a clear idea of what I wanted to get out of my MBA program which allowed me to quickly focus in on a few key schools. After that, it became much easier to tailor my application to those specific schools and come across as genuine and authentic during the interviews.

What led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA? I really liked the small class size. I was coming from a background where knowing my peers was a large part of the culture, and I was looking for something comparable in a school. Every time I visited campus, I was struck by how close the student body seemed, and I decided that I wanted to be a part of that community.

Tell us about your dream job or dream employer at this point in your life? I was fortunate enough to have a relatively unique experience in the military. I was moved from one strategic initiative to another during my time in service and got to lead multiple projects from creation through execution. I’m looking for opportunities that will allow me to continue that trajectory and enable me to lead initiatives from a strategic vantage point.

What would you like your business school peers to say about you after you graduate from this program? That I gave more than I took.

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