Chris Park

University of Rochester, Simon Business School

“A loyal team player and friend, driven by passion, resilience, and perseverance against obstacles.”

Hometown: Rochester, New York

Fun fact about yourself: My hobby is running marathons. A life goal of mine is to run in all six world major marathons and complete the Six Star Challenge. I currently have two stars from Berlin and New York.

Undergraduate School and Degree: New York University – Bachelor of Arts in Economics

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? NewtonX – Senior Associate, Client Delivery

Where did you intern during the summer of 2024? Canandaigua National Bank in Rochester, NY

Where will you be working after graduation? M&T Bank as Assistant Vice President/Executive Associate, Credit Product Delivery

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• President – Simon Uncorked
• Vice President of PM Labs – Simon Product Management Club
• Simon Events Ambassador
• Dean’s List

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My proudest achievement during business school was my approach to the second year. I secured a full-time offer from M&T Bank, held two club leadership positions, continued working part-time at my internship, and trained for a marathon—all while being a full-time student. Despite these responsibilities, I learned effective time management and prioritization, allowing me to contribute meaningfully to all my responsibilities.

Aside from securing my full-time offer, I led Simon Uncorked (wine club) to its highest membership ever, redesigned the structure of the PM Labs program to enhance hands-on product management experience for students, and set a PR in the Berlin Marathon.

I’d like to acknowledge and thank my Uncorked board members—Citlaly Atlas, Kseniya Kalaur, Jason Schantz, and Vibha Sreenivasa—and staff Wayne France and Brittany Grage for their unwavering support and collaboration. Additionally, to Cristi Dragan, Jess McDermott, Professor Dan Keating, and our five associate product managers for their efforts in the PM Labs initiative.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? During my time at NewtonX, I managed year-long projects with high-profile clients such as Microsoft and Pinterest. This experience has been the most rewarding achievement of my professional career thus far. Building enduring relationships with stakeholders at both companies and contributing to their success stories by playing a role in enhancing their products and offerings has been incredibly fulfilling. These engagements not only allowed me to make a tangible impact on major tech platforms, but also underscored the importance of collaboration and innovation in high-stakes environments.

Why did you choose this business school? I chose Simon primarily for its strong emphasis on workshop-based practicums and diverse experiential learning opportunities. By enrolling at Simon, I knew I would gain not only classroom knowledge, but also continue to gain hands-on, relevant work experience. A fundamental aspect of the Simon curriculum is the workshop classes, mandatory for all first-year students, where we engage directly with real companies as clients. Additionally, Simon offers numerous experiential learning clubs designed to enhance our education through practical involvement in various programs such as Simon Vision Consulting, Simon School Venture Fund, Meliora Fund, and PM Labs.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Heikki Rantakari. Heikki was my first professor in the MBA program and taught a subject I had majored in during my undergraduate studies. His dedication to making economics accessible and his approachability to students were ranked second to none. His calm and relaxed demeanor instilled confidence in his students, making challenging concepts easier to grasp. The Simon community misses him dearly, and we are committed to honoring his legacy.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Advanced Marketing Strategy was my favorite MBA course, embodying all of Simon’s core values—from rigorous data analytics to collaboration and impactful decision-making. This course is a seven-week simulation where students run a company, creating a HIGHLY competitive yet collaborative environment. Each decision round required my team to make a series of strategic decisions in advertising, production, distribution, and R&D, providing a hands-on experience that mirrors real-world experience of being an executive and a decision-maker. My professors, Mitch Lovett and Neal Burns, emphasized on day one that the course would be intense fun—they weren’t joking.

I’d like to thank my teammates—Anthony Flores Kuffó, Hannah Keiper, Eujin Kim, Shabnam Popal, Ayanna Sampson, and Sherif Shaath—for their patience and collaboration of running Team Supreme.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The Annual Finger Lakes Wine Tour is my favorite Simon event and reflects the Simon’s commitment to community engagement, both within the University and across the greater Rochester area. Each year, Simon Uncorked, our wine club, organizes a trip to the vineyards in the Finger Lakes, a region renowned for its Rieslings and one of the premier wine-producing areas on the East Coast. Visiting esteemed vineyards such as Dr. Konstantin Frank and Point of the Bluff, we not only enjoy the scenic beauty of New York State but also taste some of the world’s finest Rieslings. This event offers a unique opportunity to learn about the wine production and distribution processes, but also showcasing our local gem to the Simon community.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? To be honest, looking back at my MBA experience, there is nothing I’d change. The approach I took to business school allowed me to learn valuable lessons from both the highs and the lows of the past two years. Just like anything in life, my MBA experience was full of ups-and-downs—juggling full-time studies, part-time work, club responsibilities, and marathon training was no exception. These challenges helped identify areas for improvement and have significantly shaped my growth. The past two years have transformed me for the better, and I have no regrets with how I approached my b-school experience.

What is the biggest myth about your school? Coming into business school, especially after spending six years in New York City, I was expecting the culture to be extremely competitive and almost cutthroat. I couldn’t have been more wrong with this preconception. The staff and faculty at Simon have done an excellent job of fostering a collaborative and relationship-driven environment, and a place where we embrace our diversity. The Simon community truly embodies the community-oriented values of Rochester and Western New York. This culture helped alleviate some of the tension and pressure of starting school, making the transition more stress-free and seamless.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Rochester is my home! I moved here from Korea when I was ten years old, and it’s where I learned to speak English. Beyond just being the place that I grew up, what I truly love about Rochester—and Western New York as a whole—is the people and the community. Known as the city of friendly neighbors, this spirit is evident in everything from strangers waving to say hello while running, to neighbors and friends inviting you over for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s this sense of community that really makes Rochester special. 

And lastly, the love our community shares for our Buffalo Bills is the extra cherry on top. Go Bills!

What movie or television show best reflects the realities of business and what did you learn from it? Succession is one of my all-time favorite shows. This show has taught me about ethical challenges in business leadership. The characters often face moral dilemmas, choosing between personal gain and the greater good of the company and its stakeholders. This aspect of the show has taught me about the ethical considerations necessary in decision-making processes at the executive level, emphasizing that choices made in boardrooms can have far-reaching consequences on employees, shareholders, and the public image of the company.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In our Foundations of Product Management class, AI has been used to conduct customer interviews during the product discovery phase. This approach combines generative AI with traditional in-person market research, enabling us to identify a broader range of customer problems and potential solutions. The integration of AI not only augments our learning, but also prepares us for the evolving impact of AI in the product management space – and effective use of AI for product managers.

Additionally, our learning management team has developed a unique generative AI tool called URCourseBot, which resides within our main learning platform. This tool generates responses based on course materials uploaded by professors and class recordings and aimed to be a more specialized generative AI tool for students. This product is unique to Simon Business School as of now, but I’m excited to see different schools in the University of Rochester community start adapting this tool and how this product continues to evolve.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is Eujin Kim. Eujin is one of the most resilient, nicest, genuine, and hardworking individuals I’ve met at Simon. Steve Jobs once mentioned in an interview that the best managers are those individual contributors who don’t aspire to be managers but step up in times of need. Eujin exemplifies this principle. She not only engages in curricular activities but also assumes various leadership roles in classes, supports her friends in recruitment and academics, and serves in pivotal positions within the community.

As a managing director for Simon Vision Consulting and the vice president of events for the Simon Product Management Club, Eujin’s contributions are invaluable. Her ability to lead without seeking the spotlight and her dedication to helping others achieve their goals truly set her apart.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Launch and commercialize a product to deliver value to customers.
As a product manager, I am deeply committed to our customers. We strive to understand and enhance how our products can make the lives of our customers more seamless and productive. With the rise of AI, I aim to continuously innovate and deliver value through technological advancements, empowering our customers to achieve financial growth and stability in their communities.

Serve on the Board of Directors for Non-Profit Organizations focusing on cancer research or cure for Alzheimer’s.
This cause is near and dear to my heart. As a marathon runner, I’ve encountered numerous opportunities to partner with charities and other non-profit organizations to fundraise and raise awareness. This year, I am partnering with Livestrong to support cancer patients and survivors. Moving forward, I hope to extend my involvement and contribute even more meaningfully in the future.

What made Christopher such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Chris is mature beyond his years, with a rare ability to be introspective, set ambitious goals, and elevate those around him. He embodies the core values of the University of Rochester and Simon Business School, which are defined by a commitment to Meliora—ever better. Chris continuously strives for personal and professional growth while enriching the Simon community.

After completing his undergraduate degree in economics at NYU, Chris set out to pivot into product management, approaching the MBA journey as a marathon, not a sprint. He demonstrated this philosophy both professionally and literally…balancing the rigorous demands of business school with training and completion of the 2023 TCS NYC Marathon and the 2024 BMW Berlin Marathon, displaying his discipline, endurance, and long-term commitment.

Chris’s passion for product management stems from his desire to lead diverse teams toward a common goal, deliver value to end users, and solve problems. He has demonstrated this drive and leadership consistently throughout his time at Simon. As VP of the Product Management Club, he revamped the PM Labs program, introducing structure and milestones to enhance project execution while mentoring five new product managers. As president of Simon Uncorked, he led Simon’s largest social club, facilitating networking with companies like Constellation Brands and making wine more approachable for students. His commitment to service is also evident in his volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and the Be Positive (B+) Foundation.

Though he has fewer years of professional experience than many of his peers, Chris’s curiosity, emotional maturity, and personal accountability have made him a respected leader. Prior to the MBA, as a senior operations associate, he managed 35 market research projects for global consulting firms, Big Five tech companies, and Fortune 500 organizations, refining customer strategies and leading Microsoft Azure’s CSAT Quantitative Research Program. His ability to quickly grasp complex problems, develop insights, and deliver practical solutions has earned him the respect of his peers, faculty, and staff.

Chris approaches everything with integrity, positivity, and a commitment to community values. His transformation at Simon, from a capable contributor to a confident and inspiring leader, has been a pleasure to see and he perfectly reflects the resilience and grit that define Simon MBA graduates. I have no doubt that he will continue to make a lasting impact as he begins his post-MBA career as Executive Associate – AVP, Credit Product Delivery at M&T Bank. Go Bills!”

Debbie Coffey
Director and MBA Career Consultant
Benet Career Management Center
Simon Business School | University of Rochester

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