Peter J. Oppenheim

Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology

“A loyal and caring friend who always tries to make his community better.”

Hometown: Atlanta, GA

Fun fact about yourself: I love to travel as much as possible. To date, I’ve been to over 56 countries.

Undergraduate School and Degree: United States Military Academy at West Point, B.S. Engineering Management

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was a US Army engineer officer at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I worked as a platoon trainer responsible for training recently commissioned engineer officers before they joined their units.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? I interned at EY-Parthenon in the Atlanta office. I had a wonderful time over the summer and enjoyed working with everyone. The firm’s motto is “smart, nice, driven” and each person that I interacted with fit that description. I am excited to join full-time shortly after graduation.

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working at EY-Parthenon as a consultant.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: While at Scheller, I was actively involved in the Veterans, Consulting, and Technology clubs. I benefited a lot from the Consulting Club as a first year and was happy to help the new students as they began casing in the fall. I also served as a recruiting ambassador, often helping incoming students decide if an MBA and Scheller were a good route for them.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of serving as the president of the Veterans Club. When I began separating from the military, I reached out to every school’s club president. Their knowledge and guidance for the process really helped me as I looked at different schools’ programs and where I wanted to go. I owed a serious debt for the help that I received from each person, and I’m honored to help other service members as they transition to corporate America. Serving as the president let me be the face of an excellent group of people, and it was my privilege to be elected to the position.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Looking back on my previous career, I am most proud of my time serving as a platoon leader at Fort Stewart, Georgia. It was a great honor being entrusted to lead 32 other soldiers while on deployment to the Middle East, and I learned a tremendous amount about myself and leadership during the year. Looking back on the experience, I developed my leadership style, my confidence, and my mental toughness that define who I am today.

Why did you choose this business school? As I began to transition from the military, I knew I wanted to move to Atlanta for family reasons. As I began to search between the different programs in the city, I felt really connected with the Veterans in the Scheller program. As I learned more about the school, I knew Georgia Tech would fit well with my STEM background from West Point. I decided to pursue a business analytics concentration and was thankful to be surrounded by world class faculty throughout the two years that I was here.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Looking back on my time at Scheller, Professor Wu was, by far, my favorite teacher. He brings his passion for technology and entrepreneurship to the classroom every day. Professor Wu did a great job bringing in his background for e-commerce and combining it with Georgia Tech’s strength of entrepreneurship and technology. He made every class enjoyable, and I truly looked forward to every lecture.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? I loved E-Commerce with Professor Wu. It was a really interesting class that I knew nothing about prior to matriculation. Professor Wu does a great job teaching us about other companies and their growth stories. Some of my favorite lectures were his guest speaker series, where notable alumni, most of whom took his class when they were at Scheller, talked to us about their journey scaling their company post-graduation.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I enjoy spending time with my classmates outside of school, and nothing beats a good tailgate in the fall. Our program combines the tailgate with the Evening and Executive MBA programs and often invites recent alumni who are still in Atlanta to every gameday. I enjoy having everyone together and meeting new Scheller students before each football game.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would try to get outside my comfort zone more. Business school is a great place to push those boundaries, and if I could do it again, I would try to join more clubs and expose myself to different industries.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I was a little nervous with the class size of 80 when I entered the program. Some of my fondest memories of West Point were the times I spent with my classmates. I knew that having a diverse student body with different backgrounds was important to me as I looked at different programs. I was worried I might miss that with a smaller class size. Upon reflection, I think my experience was unique, and I became close with all my peers. By entering a smaller program, I believe my relationship with my classmates is more authentic and I truly know every person in the program.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I think the connection that Georgia Tech has with all the companies in Atlanta is truly special. It makes recruiting a little bit easier and exposes students to various industries throughout the recruiting process. A lot of our graduates stay in Atlanta, and the previous classes are happy to hop on a call and talk about what they do. I found this particularly helpful when making a career shift to learn about the day-to-day jobs of different industries.

What surprised you the most about business school? I was surprised by how much your classmates are willing to help you through the program. We are a very tight knit group, and I think we genuinely all cared for and celebrated each other’s successes.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire my good friend and classmate, Michael Veal. I think he’s the nicest guy in our class, and genuinely cares about every one of his classmates. His empathy towards others is something that I really admire and try to emulate. I really enjoyed getting to know him over the past two years and I’m excited that he’s sticking around Atlanta post-graduation.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My number one goal since I entered my professional career was to make whatever organization I joined better. I want to continue to do that wherever I end up working in the future. My second professional goal is to one day start my own business. Entrepreneurship can be extremely rewarding, and I look forward to applying my business school knowledge as I try something new.

What made Peter such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Peter is a role model in community building. He excels in the King’s test: “What do you do for others?” He does so much for others and does it extremely well. He is the catalyst everyone wants on their team or in their classroom.”

Dr. DJ Wu
Professor; Area Coordinator, Information Technology Management

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024