Benjamin Peace

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

“I take life seriously but not myself.”

Hometown: Pembroke Pines, FL

Fun fact about yourself: I’m an avid Lego collector!

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Florida, B.A. in Design; University of Michigan, Master of Architecture

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was an Architect at Gensler in Houston, TX.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025? BCG Boston, Consultant

Where will you be working after graduation? BCG Boston, Consultant

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: Elected as one of Fuqua’s Co-Presidents, leading the MBAA (MBA Association), and recipient of the Douglas T. Breeden Scholarship.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? We revived an annual tradition between sections and programs at Fuqua called the One Fuqua Challenge. Pre-Covid, Fuqua sections competed in a year-long competition called Section Olympics that created camaraderie between students, and that was lost.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I won a presidential citation from the Houston Chapter of the AIA (American Institute of Architects) for being the chair of Gulf Coast Green 2023, a regional sustainability conference.

Why did you choose this business school? Collaboration: Everything I read about business school centered around how you learn from your peers, and Team Fuqua just stood out to me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Robert Swinney: Leader in Operational Excellence!

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Operation Strategy: The course focused on the operational decisions firms would make and how, sometimes, you sacrifice being great at something by being mediocre at several things.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? For me, it was the graduate student Campout for Duke men’s basketball season tickets. It’s early enough in your tenure where you don’t know anyone, but you sleep in a tent with them for a weekend.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would spend more time getting to know the faculty at Fuqua. Not until a year in did I realize these people are some of the brightest in the world and have so much to offer through their research.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? We did a case study centered around Nike’s operations and the light shed on the labor violations shown downstream of their core operations. The question to be answered was effectively centered around whether Nike is responsible for the actions of others. In the context of life, being in a position to influence better behaviors should always be capitalized on.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? Durham is a city and a college town. You are two hours from the beach or two hours from the mountains. You could experience snow and changing leaves. It just offered anything I could ask for.

What business leader do you admire most? I don’t admire business leaders.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? Professor Scott Dyreng integrated AI into his tax course, where audio of the course and discourse was recorded, and students received feedback on participation and insights contributed. The main insight I gained was how much more valuable personality is to being an effective business leader. As the work simplifies, the value of storytelling is amplified.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Mike Brennan: Mike has lived a full life before business school and still is always thinking about not what’s next, but what he has to do next to get where he wants to be. His pursuit of knowledge and experience is never-ending, and he has no limit to his imagination.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? I don’t have a professional bucket list. I just want to learn as much as I can about as many things as I can. Cross-pollination of industrial ideas led to some of the most incredible outcomes, like the conveyor-belt sushi!

What made Ben such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“During his time as MBA Association (MBAA) co-president, Ben has been an exceptional leader. He brings a structured and highly thoughtful approach to leadership. I had a front row seat to his sharp analytical thinking in our weekly meetings, where he helped break down complex issues and move toward clear, practical paths forward.

What distinguishes Ben’s leadership is his deep care for the institution as a whole. Through initiatives like the “One Fuqua Challenge,” he helped create a renewed sense of momentum and engagement across the school, strengthening the spirit that defines Team Fuqua. He approaches every decision with a clear commitment to Fuqua’s long-term health while also advocating strongly for the needs and experiences of MBA students.

Just as importantly, Ben never shies away from difficult conversations. Whether addressing sensitive student concerns or navigating competing priorities within the school, Ben engages directly, respectfully, and constructively. His willingness to lean into challenging discussions, paired with his care for the broader Fuqua community, made him an incredibly effective and trusted leader.”

Steve Misuraca
Associate Dean, Daytime MBA Program

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2026

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.