Meet Georgetown McDonough’s MBA Class of 2019

Dave Mitchell 

Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m an analytical, but creative problem solver with a deeply-rooted drive to improve our society.

Hometown: Ellicott City, MD

Fun Fact About Yourself: I set the typing speed record at my high school at 132 words per minutes – to my knowledge, the record still stands.

Undergraduate School and Major: Davidson College – Economics Major (yes, I had classes with Steph Curry!)

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: Deloitte Consulting LLP (2012-2017): I started as an Analyst and was promoted through Senior Consultant, and I focused primarily on health IT strategy, health technology development, organizational transformation, and process optimization for large health care organizations. I cannot imagine a more dynamic, developmental, and fulfilling experience than working at Deloitte – the opportunities are boundless and the people are truly incredible.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’d probably say that my biggest accomplishment was playing a key role in developing a new health enterprise content management IT solution for managing hundreds of thousands of health records annually. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to shape the product vision from the get-go, and then to lead a team that developed the functional requirements and user stories for building out the solution. It was a high-stakes initiative on a very aggressive timeline with many complex stakeholders involved. Despite this, we successfully built the foundation for the product, which will improve the quality and usability of health records, while reducing records management costs and the time required to adjudicate claims for beneficiaries. It was a rewarding and empowering experience!

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  For the essays, start very early and treat them as truly important opportunities to reflect on who you are, what drives you, and who you want to be. To make it easy on yourself, avoid treating them like stressful sprints – writing them can be a rewarding, powerful experience for you. I suggest reading the essay prompts as soon as they’re available and setting aside short chunks of time to reflect and brainstorm early on, just to capture your thoughts and potential themes. Eventually, some of these possible directions will rise to the top and you’ll be able to gradually shape them and tell your unique story. Also, ask the people who know you best – and whose perspectives you most value – to give you their assessment of your most defining and valuable traits and moments. Those will give you additional insight into what will set you apart, while staying anchored in what is “truly you.”

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The key factor for me was really the combined significance of two aspects of the Georgetown McDonough School of Business. First, the institution is situated, both functionally and physically, at the intersection of the private and public sectors. Secondly, Georgetown places great importance on the concept of “cura personalis,” or “care of the whole person”, which I would paraphrase as meaning “caring for, respecting, and appreciating the perspectives and needs of all other people”. As the consequences and interconnectedness of business and policy decisions on the national and global scales continue to grow, I believe it has become essential for business decision-makers to have a holistic understanding of both sectors and also to act in a manner consistent with respect for the needs and well-being of others. The McDonough School of Business is uniquely able to deliver an experience that develops leaders like this, who are equipped for success that creates positive shared value in society. That’s the experience I wanted in business school.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? After my first year of business school, I think success would mean that I’ve developed a solid foundation in the fundamentals of business, forged strong and valuable relationships with my fellow classmates, built and grown new opportunities to enhance the McDonough experience for its students, and continued to hone my vision for my future as a business leader who will create net gains for society. McDonough promises to provide a transformational experience for its students, and it’s that positive transformation that I hope to be well on my way toward achieving after my first year.