Meet the MBA Class of 2025: Nick Hagen, Indiana University (Kelley)

Nick Hagen

Kelley School of Business at Indiana University

“Husband, Father, Green Beret.”

Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I went to kindergarten through 2nd Grade in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I lived with my mom and extended family. I still speak Bahasa Indonesia conversationally.

Undergraduate School and Major: Oklahoma City University, BSB Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: U.S. Army, Green Beret Special Forces Officer

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’m most interested in Supply Chain and Digital Enterprises Academy. There are many emerging technologies that exist to make systems and operations more efficient. At the end of the day, the world will still need leaders to synthesize all that information and make decisions. The Supply Chain and Digital Enterprises Academy will help develop the quantitative and technical skills needed to complement my military leadership experience, while growing my exposure and appreciation for the intricate business, technological, cultural factors that influence business operations and supply chains.

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? The tight-knit program is the absolute differentiating advantage for me. From the beginning of my application process to my first day at Me, Inc., the size of the program meant that I remained a person within the program, not a number or data point. From a personal standpoint, the program allows me to develop close relationships and networks to propel my professional career. I felt as though Kelley’s faculty-to-student ratio allowed instructors and administrators to really know who I am and help me along my professional journey.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Indiana Kelley? I’m really interested in the Net Impact club. Already, during Me, Inc., I’ve met some incredible classmates who have a passion for social and environmental changes to improve the world. Socially, I owe a tremendous amount to the Kelley Veteran’s Club and network, where I plan to continue to be an ambassador for all the opportunities Kelley and IU provide to veterans everywhere. I’m sure I’ll make a couple appearances to the Beer Club meetings as well.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was the executive officer for my Special Forces Company during the liberation of Raqqah, Syria in the Fall of 2017. In the position, I led multinational and cross-functional logistical teams, overseeing the overall sustainment for Special Forces combat units at the front lines. Aside from the historical significance around that deployment, the role exposed me to many functional areas that introduced me to skills I would later find here at Kelley.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? I would like to find a role as a Global Supply Manager for a health and life-sciences company, ultimately contributing to the betterment of lives worldwide through the efficient and reliable distribution of cutting-edge medical technologies.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Indiana Kelley’s MBA program? Take advantage early in the process of the Kelley’s coffee chats and informational presentations. From the onset, I reached out to current students and Academy directors. Right away, I had a good sense of the Kelley Culture, learning from students how the program has been an invaluable experience to them, as well as see first-hand the investment of energy and dedication from the staff and faculty into the program, curriculum, and opportunities to make Kelley a world-class program.

DON’T MISS: MEET INDIANA KELLEY’S MBA CLASS OF 2025