Eric Synajie

University of Chicago, Booth School of Business

“Ambitious, humble, and determined, so much so that my friends call me “Resilient Synajie.”

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have trained in Karate, Kung Fu, and now Boxing, that taught me resilience, discipline, and focus

Undergraduate School and Major: Roosevelt University, B.A. in Actuarial Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Impact Fellow-Technical Product Manager at Hello Tractor

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Chicago Booth’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? I chose Booth for its signature Chicago Approach, an emphasis on analytical thinking, leading in ambiguity, and strategic leadership. What sealed the deal for me was the required LEAD course, part of the Leadership Development curriculum. It teaches students through real-world experimentation and feedback, helping them learn how to lead with clarity and adaptability even when the path forward is unclear.

This aligns directly with my long-term vision of becoming a business leader in Africa, where markets are often unpredictable. Having a structured, data-driven way to practice leadership under pressure will help me build the kind of mental agility and calm decisiveness that will set me and those I lead apart.

The Booth MBA is also known for being highly data-driven. Why does the program’s focus on quantitative analysis and decision-making appeal to you? How have you been able to leverage this approach in your career so far? At John Deere, I worked as a Scrum Master where I coached product teams to make decisions based on data rather than assumptions. I saw firsthand how data-driven approaches led to stronger outcomes and separated high performing teams from others. Booth’s rigorous, evidence-based approach felt like a natural extension of how I have worked. I know the program’s world class faculty will help me sharpen these skills further so I can apply them at a larger scale as a leader.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Chicago Booth? Random Walk excites me the most because traveling with new classmates in an unfamiliar country creates genuine bonds beyond the classroom. I believe the strongest relationships are built in shared experiences outside of formal settings, and Random Walk offers exactly that, an opportunity to form lasting friendships while exploring the world together.

What has been your first impression of the Booth MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far? Tell us your best Booth story so far: Supportive and generous. Booth students and alumni consistently responded to my outreach and guided me through the application process. The African American MBA Association and Booth Africa even provided free, consultant level application prep. My best Booth story was on decision day. Before I could even share my admission news, Booth students who had mentored me reached out to ask if I got in. Their care and enthusiasm confirmed I had chosen the right community and made me excited to join them.

What makes Chicago such a great place to earn an MBA? Chicago has the energy of a major city without the cost of New York or San Francisco. It is a business hub with countless companies headquartered or operating nearby, making networking seamless. The city’s diversity, whether through cuisine, culture, or communities, creates a vibrant backdrop for learning and socializing. For me, Chicago offers the perfect balance: professional opportunity, affordability, and an endless social scene to recharge after class. It is the kind of city where Booth students can test what they learn in real time.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: At John Deere, I led the transition of a Data Science team from waterfall to Agile. Many doubted Agile could work in research-heavy environments, but I designed a blended Scrum-Kanban framework, a system that combines Scrum’s structure with Kanban’s flexibility, to match their workflow. The result was a 20 percent boost in research efficiency and a 15 percent reduction in project costs. For me, it was not just about efficiency gains, it was about showing how thoughtful change can create lasting impact.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Chicago Booth’s MBA program? Be intentional. Booth’s flexibility is powerful only if you know how to use it. Clarify your goals, then show how Booth will help you achieve them. For me, conversations with Booth Africa and the African American MBA Association shaped both my application and my vision for the program. The more you connect with the community and align Booth’s resources to your journey, the stronger your application will be.

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