Eddie Flood

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

“I pride myself on being loyal and believe it’s important to never forget your roots!”

Hometown:  Omaha, NE

Fun Fact About Yourself:  While I was in college at Notre Dame, I emailed the head men’s basketball coach, Mike Brey, asking to play him in a game of H-O-R-S-E. He accepted and we spent two hours playing basketball in the men’s practice facility. Watch out, Coach K!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Notre Dame, Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Ernst & Young, Senior Financial Services Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the opportunity to work on 11 different projects at seven different clients over a 4-year period. I am really proud of the fact that I succeeded in consistently being challenged to work with new people (both internal and external) and new subject matter on every project where I was a part. I highly value the relationships I was able to build both internally and with clients.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why?  Generous. When meeting both my direct classmates and the second-year students, every individual has been generous with their time and intellectual capabilities in helping me learn skills and information that I have never been exposed. Even though every person has competing priorities for their time, any time I have asked for help or expressed interest in something, my classmates have been willing to go the extra step to help me out.

Aside from your classmates, 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? Definitely the Duke and Fuqua brand and the experience it creates. One of my favorite things that I heard throughout the application process was that Fuqua is a ’lab’ for its students to take risks and try new things. I really appreciate that Fuqua is an environment that challenges you and recognizes that sometimes you will fail, but you can still learn something from it. Furthermore, the Duke brand isn’t just a national brand, but a global one. I really believe the power of the brand and alumni network is a unique differentiator for Duke and I look forward to being a part of it!

The MBA program is renowned for its “Team Fuqua” culture, which is predicated on six paired principles: Authentic Engagement, Supportive Ambition, Collective Diversity, Impactful Stewardship, Loyal Community, and Uncompromising Integrity. Which of these resonates most with you – and what does that principle demand of you as a Fuqua MBA? Supportive Ambition and it isn’t even close. When you think about your classmates at a typical MBA program, you are all ‘competing’ for various club positions, grades, and even jobs. However, the “Team Fuqua” culture completely breaks down the competitive environment and your classmates end up being the opposite of competitors in the way they support you. I have found that each of my classmates has a desire to contribute to something greater than just themselves, whether that is tutoring me in a statistical concept I don’t understand or help me prepare for interviews that they may also be preparing for. For me personally, it demands that I offer the same service and support to my classmates in everything that I do and recognize that my contributions should have an effect that goes beyond my individuality.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Fuqua on Board program is something that I intend to apply for and hopefully will receive placement into the program. It would allow me to learn the functions of a board and its governance mechanisms. Additionally, as part of the class, students serve on the board of a local nonprofit. I believe that this program provides a unique opportunity to learn the technical side of how a board should work, but also provides the chance to apply that learning while giving back to a community that is so welcoming to Fuqua students.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? On a few occasions, I was asked, “If you had two minutes in front of the director of the admissions committee, what would you tell them?” I definitely didn’t nail my response every time. I think that this is such a hard question because there are so many different routes you can take in responding. Do you walk them through your ‘story’ in two minutes and hope that resonates? Or do you latch onto one experience that you think expresses a lot about you as an individual? I encourage anyone who is applying in the future to think about their life and their ‘story’ and identify unique characteristics that they can articulate quickly while relating themselves to a particular program and why their ‘story’ will help shape that program’s future class.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After spending four years in consulting, I was able to touch a lot of different parts of financial services companies and I eventually identified a career path within financial services that I was interested in. To pivot and pursue that career interest, I believe that a Duke MBA will be the best vehicle to provide me with the necessary leadership and technical skills to help me break into a new role.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?  Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, and Darden

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Broadly, I considered the reputation of the program, geographic location, program type (for example, case method, full-time, etc.), and gut instinct. When I began looking at a core range of schools, I realized that most programs have unreal facilities, only admit extremely accomplished candidates, and have their own unique offerings. In order to identify my target programs, I used the typical databases (Poets and Quants, Veritas, U.S. News and World Report, etc.) to learn foundational information about different programs. In order to go a step further, I would encourage all candidates to make campus visits and to conduct multiple outreach calls with current students and alumni. I think that admissions will always have a strong sales pitch (rightfully so) for their program, but it is the school visits and conversations with students and alumni that help you figure out a program’s strengths and weaknesses.

In all my conversations regarding Fuqua, I continued to grow my love for the program and ultimately knew that if admitted I would be joining a program that I felt really happy and comfortable about. Lastly, you just have to trust your decision-making and gut instinct. I’d be lying if I said making the decision was an easy one, but I knew in my heart that the Duke MBA was the program for me and I am super happy and fortunate to be here.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? It was definitely when I received the call from the admissions team at Fuqua to tell me that I had been admitted. I think a lot of people (and certainly me prior to starting the process) don’t realize how much time, effort, and energy one has to put into the application process with no certainty that it will end in your favor. I definitely had setbacks throughout the whole process, but getting the call to let me know that I had been admitted was such a relief. I honestly think about it all the time and just can’t believe how fortunate I was to have the process work out.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In 10 years, I would love to be working in a financial services role that gives me the chance to build relationships, help grow companies, and create a better business experience for everyone. Additionally, I am hoping to be in a position where I can give back to the universities and people that have given me such an awesome journey thus far in life. I wouldn’t mind being able to play lots of golf too.