Meet Minnesota Carlson’s MBA Class Of 2019

Jenna M. Johnson 

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Regardless of how big or small the job, I’m willing to get my hands dirty.

Hometown: Plymouth, Minnesota

Fun Fact About Yourself: I worked as an Engineer installing capital equipment in the world’s largest sponge factory. I have crawled into scary small spaces to spec out equipment and I have literally solved problems while standing in 10 inches of sludge. Whatever it takes to get the job done!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Minnesota; Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering; Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation:

From Newest to Oldest:

3M- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

3M- Advanced Resident Engineer

Ecolab- Senior Chemical Engineer- Project Leader

Ecolab- Senior Chemical Engineer

Ecolab- Chemical Engineer

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The accomplishment that I’m most proud of revolves around helping others achieve their best. In my three years as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I was able to coach my team of 20 Green Belts to execute projects that earned 8 major global corporate awards for operational excellence, and quality improvement. It was so rewarding to help my colleagues gain recognition and honor for their hard work. Our team consistently won the most global operational excellence awards within our business unit.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants? It is so important to frequently practice the GMAT exam under real world conditions. Every Saturday leading up to the exam, I woke up early, headed to the library and completed a full practice test. I tried to simulate exam conditions during my practice sessions. I took 8 practice tests prior to the real test. I was incredibly comfortable on exam day and I believe that my extensive use of practice tests is what earned me a great score.

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 University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management is the premier MBA program in Minnesota and the surrounding area. A degree from Carlson will help open doors and align me with a diverse and respected network of Carlson alumni. I desire to advance my career in the Twin Cities and Carlson is the school that is most equipped to help me achieve that goal.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  My background is in manufacturing, but I want to pursue a career in marketing – specifically brand management.  There are so many unrealized synergies between marketing and manufacturing and I want a shot at implementing them. I would love to work for a manufacturing company, apply my knowledge of manufacturing efficiencies to improve gross margin on a portfolio of products, and drive gains on the brand’s P&L.