Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Ross Doelling, Georgia Tech (Scheller)

Ross Doelling

Georgia Institute of Technology, Scheller College of Business

“Atlanta native passionate about data-driven decisions and fostering genuine connections.”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I met my wife in June 2020, just a few months into the height of the pandemic.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Georgia, Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Morgan Stanley, PWM Portfolio Management Associate Director

What has been your favorite part of Atlanta so far? What has made it such a great place to earn an MBA? What makes Atlanta so special is the sheer variety the city has to offer. You can also find just about anything in Atlanta. Whether you are into food, nature, sports, history, etc. – there is something for you. Personally, I love exploring new restaurants in Atlanta and Atlanta’s Buford Highway is a cultural and culinary gem. Atlanta also has a wealth of companies, both large and small, that call Atlanta home. This city has seen its tech sector grow exponentially and having a technology-focused program at the heart of it all makes Georgia Tech a unique offering.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of the Scheller MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Businesses cannot operate without technology – and technology is transforming businesses at an incredibly rapid pace. It’s no secret that Georgia Tech has a technology-focused program and that is what brought me to Georgia Tech. I wanted an education that would sustain a 30+ year career and I felt that Georgia Tech was best suited to deliver just that. According to the 2023 Best Business School rankings by U.S. News & World Report, the Business Analytics, Information Systems, and Production/Operations specialties within the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business ranked number 3, 4 and 6, respectively, among all Full-Time MBA programs.     

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Georgia Tech? While this isn’t anything formal, my favorite time at Georgia Tech has been in grad commons. This is a space dedicated to just MBA students at Georgia Tech and can be found buzzing with activity throughout the day. It’s here that you can enjoy lunch with your classmates, work on group projects, or just hang out to decompress after a long day. It’s a great way to interact with the first- and second-year MBA students and helps foster a greater sense of community.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Gaining the trust and respect of key clients while at Morgan Stanley was my biggest accomplishment. I worked in the Private Wealth Management division, where our mandate was to advise families with $20 million or more of investable assets. I was fortunate to have worked on one of the largest teams in the Southeast and became the primary point of contact for several of our clients who were former founders or chief executives of multi-billion-dollar corporations. These clients had built or operated businesses successfully at very high levels and having them trust and rely on me for advice was very meaningful. 

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? The first semester at Georgia Tech is tough with nine classes and 15 hours. While I had taken core business classes before, that was more than 10 years ago, and I was starting from square one when it came to classes like Analytical Tools for Decisions and Managing Information Resources. The academic piece moves at a fast clip and that’s on top of networking for future jobs, social functions, and having a personal life. I’ve been proud of the way I have handled this first semester, having pushed myself to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? It’s not just one specific memory, but rather the semester’s worth of getting to know my classmates. In addition to the technology aspect of the program, a huge reason I chose Georgia Tech was because of the culture and the people. I attended recruiting events and really clicked with my classmates and getting to know them better throughout the semester has been a highlight for me.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Georgia Tech Scheller’s MBA program? Know yourself, highlight your strengths, and be authentic. Georgia Tech is full of smart, hard-working, and kind people who believe that anything is possible. If that’s you, then reach out and start attending recruiting events.

DON’T MISS: MEET GEORGIA TECH SCHELLER’S MBA CLASS OF 2024