Andrew Lash

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business

“I am a data-driven and forward-thinking marketer who enjoys finding creative solutions to challenges.”

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah

Fun Fact About Yourself: During the first five years of our marriage, my wife and I have moved nine times, living in Colorado, Utah, Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I love experiencing new cities, meeting new people, and finding new places to eat.

Undergraduate School and Major: Brigham Young University (BYU)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: SmartClick Advertising: Online Marketing Lead / Management Team

In the second half of the year, you will be completing an Academy devoted to areas like Marketing, Finance, Operations, Digital Enterprises and more. Which Academy interests you the most and why? I am really interested in the Consumer Marketing Academy and this academy is a main reason why I chose Kelley for my MBA. Jonlee Andrews, the academy director, has done an incredible job setting up academy members for careers in brand management across all of the top companies in that space. The academy gets students ready and confident to make a career pivot or career acceleration into consumer marketing at the highest level. It’s because of Kelley’s Consumer Marketing Academy that Kelley is always in the top tier of marketing program rankings in the country. I am confident they have the resources and are committed to help any candidate take the next step, no matter where they are coming from.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Indiana Kelley’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Kelley has a personal touch and a tight-knit culture that is palpable and exciting. I felt wanted by Kelley and was confident that they would all invest in me, and in my personal and career aspirations. I knew Kelley could help me get to where I wanted to go and help me have the best possible experience along the way. That was really important to me when choosing my MBA program.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? Aside from the Academies, I am really excited about the Bloomington Brands initiative at Kelley. It’s one of many experiential learning opportunities that allows first-year students to get hands-on experience in the industry prior to summer internships. You learn on the job to solve very real problems and work on projects that build very applicable skills for your internship and summer career, setting you up for success.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Coming from a background in digital advertising with small-medium-sized consumer brands throughout the country, I had an opportunity to have an impact with a lot of unique consumer brands. I led an innovative “July is Snowman Hell” Christmas In July ad campaign for my client, a commercial and residential Christmas decor brand, that increased sales in their historically slowest month of the year by 143%.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? The 2-Hour Job Search: Using Technology to Get the Right Job Faster by Steve Dalton. This book was recommended to me by several different sources and was really helpful in setting me up for the early recruiting cycle that comes for many industries that are looking to hire MBA students. It does a good job of helping people like me, who are not natural networkers, to feel like they have all of the tools they need to take on MBA recruiting and get a great internship or job.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? I would highly recommend reaching out to the admissions team and reaching out to current students or alumni. Kelley is a very tight knit team and people are happy to answer questions about their time and experiences. When you are looking at programs, it is so important to find the right fit–somewhere you feel comfortable but where you know you’ll be pushed and be your best self. I think the best way to find a good fit is talking to real people that were once in your shoes. The admissions team at Kelley is remarkable and really invested in answering your questions, helping you feel in control of your future, and connecting you to the right people. Talking to people also helps you know if you are a good fit for the program, and helps you know exactly what they are looking for in an applicant.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2024