Meet Emory Goizueta’s MBA Class of 2019

L. Renard Sumlar

Emory University, Goizueta Business School

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: I’m an inquisitive person who enjoys baseball, Florida Gators, Publix subs, and connecting with people.

Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love to travel! I have been fortunate to visit some amazing places such as Puerto Rico, Paris, London, Dubai, and Istanbul, but my favorite trip was attending the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Undergraduate School and Major:

University of Florida, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Pennsylvania State University, Masters of Supply Chain Management

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

General Electric Power: Lead Advanced Manufacturing Engineer

General Electric Healthcare: Manufacturing Engineering Leader

General Electric Healthcare: Operations Management Leadership Program Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: While working at GE Healthcare, I led a multi-organizational team to develop a training program that improved the recruiting and hiring process for welding associates in one of our manufacturing facilities. The previous hiring process was to convert current employees without welding experience into welders. My team developed a three week curriculum that tested the skill sets of the candidates. We felt confident the candidates who successfully progressed through our training program would be able to the meet the demands of the day-to-day manufacturing environment. The inaugural training program started with 21 candidates, and we hired 10 of them to a full-time position. This training program proved to be an effective way to determine the skill set of potential candidates. Hiring these experienced welders significantly reduced the amount of time required for hands-on training, improving the overall efficiency of the manufacturing team.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? I strongly recommend starting the business school application process as early as possible. Once you make the decision to apply to business school, start studying for the GMAT or GRE, scheduling campus visits to your target schools, and saving money as soon as possible. There are a number of resources and courses available to help you prepare for the GMAT or GRE.

Personally, I followed a GMAT study plan, used an online prep course, and worked with a private tutor to help strengthen my problem areas. Once I determined my target list of schools, I began to schedule my campus visits. During the recruitment season, business schools will host various events for prospective students. I recommend making a calendar of the events you plan to attend and requesting time off from work early. Start saving now, because attending business school and moving to a new city will be expensive. I recommend creating a budget to track and reduce your expenses. You will be glad that you did.

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? In addition to the fantastic students and staff I have met, I chose Goizueta Business School because I wanted an experience at a top school located in a city that would expose me to multiple industries. Atlanta has a strong presence in industries such as technology, telecommunications, transportation, food and beverage, logistics, and finance. Through Goizueta’s awesome alumni network, I can connect with people who work at top companies in these industries within a 30 minute drive from campus.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school? I would like to be in a position to confidently start my summer internship with the knowledge, skills, and resources I need to be successful. I would also like to travel internationally and experience a few foreign countries with my classmates.