Christian Montgomery

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“Veteran Product Storyteller who values curiosity and sees the beauty & opportunity in everything.”

Hometown: Redding, California

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have been to 43 countries and have over 300 pairs of shoes

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Oregon, Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: adidas, Global Senior Product Manager – Football Apparel

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Mendoza program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? The first things that come to mind for most people are the campus, football games, Rudy, and of course a top-notch educational experience. But it is the Community that leaves the biggest impression and truly drives this school to create a “home away from home” atmosphere. The energy, the positivity, and the openness of everyone in the cohort is electric. Everyone is curious and everyone is willing to help no matter what the topic, venture, or class. It is truly exciting and something that I value most when someone asks, “Are you enjoying being back in school”?

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the Mendoza MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? A few factors went into play, but it wasn’t until I had a few conversations with the career and admissions staff that truly solidified things. They took the time to truly understand who I was and what I wanted to do.

Additionally the Mendoza slogan: “Growing the good in Business” resonated with me. This was exactly the mindset I had been looking for in my next step in my education. Between those two things, it just felt right.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? I have enjoyed my Business Ethics and Leadership classes the most. Being able to apply my real world experience within the material and during discussion has helped me to grow and evolve more in 3 months than I’d thought possible.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It was creating a Basketball Shoe Concept specifically for basketball players in China and Japan based off of trends and insights from my market trips to both countries.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? To be able to balance being a student, a full-time worker, and being an inspiring entrepreneur

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Grow the good in business.” What is your mission and how has Mendoza been helping you realize it? My mission is to create great product and tell creative stories for people who do not get the spotlight they deserve. The MBA program has seen this purpose statement as truly an asset and helped to cultivate it in the resources on campus like the IDEA Center for Entrepreneurship. I look forward to my continued collaboration with the IDEA center throughout my degree to bring my product ideas to life.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into the Mendoza MBA program? I would say be as true to yourself and your passions as possible and let the admissions team know how you intend to make the most of your time at Notre Dame to help cultivate these passions further.

One of the best parts about being at Mendoza is not one person in the cohort is the same. They do a great job of finding people with different backgrounds & passions and bringing them together to learn from one another and ultimately grow. It is truly awesome!

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOZA’S MBA CLASS OF 2023