Lawrence Toomey

Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School             

“I am a leader who makes data-led decisions in competitive and high-stress environments.”

Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri

Fun Fact About Yourself: I set the record for most games played at West Point in men’s basketball.

Undergraduate School and Major: United States Military Academy, management

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Army, Battalion Operations Officer

What has been your favorite part of St. Louis so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA? Growing up in St. Louis for the first 18 years of my life, I knew a lot about the city. It’s a big city with a real small-town feel and great people. My favorite part is having the opportunity to connect with old friends and family. It is a great place to get an MBA because you never feel lost or out of place in St. Louis.

You’ll be completing your global immersion next spring (Update: the class of ’23 is scheduled now to travel in fall ’22). What excites you most about this excursion overseas? It has since moved to the fall, but the opportunity to experience business in different environments excites me the most. It will be interesting to see just how different American firms operate versus other countries.

Aside from your classmates, global immersion and location, what was the key part of the Olin MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I have not completed this part of the curriculum yet, but I look forward to taking part in one of our programs through the Center for Experiential Learning. The school really has entrepreneurial energy, which is promoted through the way the faculty teach and support students.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Olin? I enjoy hanging out with my fellow veterans as a member of the Olin Veteran’s Association

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment in my career was deploying and redeploying 136 soldiers to and from Iraq with no loss of life or equipment.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far: I am not sure I have had anything that qualifies as an accomplishment thus far. I think my biggest accomplishment so far is balancing the recruiting demands and the course load simultaneously.

What has been your best memory as an MBA student so far: My best memory so far was our Thursday After Class events. They were fun, and I had an opportunity to meet and mingle with other students who I don’t normally interact with.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Olin MBA program? To be authentic to yourself through the whole process and to try to have an idea of what you would like to do post-MBA. For me, not coming from a traditional business background, I often found myself saying, “Well I don’t know how this translates to business.” In my interview with Olin, my interviewer actually stopped me and said, “Everything you are describing is business related and you will see how relatable it is.” So if you come from a non-traditional business background market yourself and the unique skills you bring to the table.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE OLIN BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA CLASS OF 2023 AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS